STATUS OF TRUTH COMMISSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000122 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2020 TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI HO SUBJECT: STATUS OF TRUTH COMMISSION Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: On February 3, the Ambassador and President Porfirio Lobo discussed establishment of the Truth Commission called for by the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord. Lobo stressed that its mandate should be to chronicle the events leading up to and since the June 28 coup d'etat and that it should not sit in judgment of persons or events, but facilitate an open dialogue. Organization of American States (OAS) Political Director Victor Rico met on February 3 with President Lobo and reached basic agreement on the way forward, but did not discuss details regarding the commission's terms of reference. Guatemalan Vice President Eduardo Stein was scheduled to travel to Honduras on February 4 to meet with Rico on this issue. The Ambassador hosted a dinner in honor of Rico on February 3 at which there was general agreement on the importance of the Truth Commission as a tool to achieve reconciliation, promote reform, and permit Honduras' re-entry into the inter-American system. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador and President Porfirio Lobo discussed establishment of the Truth Commission called for by the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord during a February 3 telephone call. President Lobo and the Ambassador agreed that the commission's mandate should be to clarify the events leading up to and since June 28 that led to the political crisis and suggest elements that will seek to avoid repeating such actions. President Lobo and the Ambassador also agreed that the commission is vital to achieving national reconciliation and the restoration of the democratic and constitutional order. The Ambassador and President Lobo discussed how the commission could provide a forum for the Lobo administration and Honduran society to re-engage with the international community. Lobo stated the conviction that the commission should be non-confrontational and not sit in judgment of persons or events, but chronicle the events related to the Honduran political crisis and facilitate an open dialogue. Lobo also said that the commission should not recommend prosecutions of any individuals. ¶3. (C) OAS Political Director Victor Rico arrived in Honduras on February 3 and met that day with President Lobo, first presidential designate Maria Antonieta Guillen-Bogran, and Foreign Minister (FM) Mario Canahuati to discuss establishment of the Truth Commission. President Lobo spoke to the Ambassador following the meeting with Rico and reported that there was basic agreement on the way forward consistent with the discussions the Ambassador and President Lobo had had on the issue. President Lobo told the Ambassador that he had invited former Guatemalan Vice President Eduardo Stein to travel to Honduras on February 4 to continue discussions on this issue with Rico. ¶4. (C) The Ambassador met with Rico the evening of February ¶3. Rico echoed President Lobo's readout of their meeting, noting that basic agreement had been reached on the way forward, although he said no details were discussed regarding the terms of reference of the commission. Rico told the Ambassador that President Lobo will nominate both international and Honduran members to participate in the commission. Rico said he was aware that some members of the Lobo government and pro-coup civil society groups such as the Civil Democratic Union (UCD) are adamantly opposed to any OAS role or participation in the Truth Commission. Rico stated that he told President Lobo that the formation of the Truth Commission was the responsibility of the Government of Honduras and that the role of the OAS would be limited to providing technical and financial assistance. The Embassy understands that FM Canahuati met with United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator Rebeca Arias to discuss the possibility of UN support to the commission and that Arias gave Canahuati a paper on the type of technical assistance the UN could provide. ¶5. (C) The Ambassador hosted a dinner in honor of Rico on February 3. The guests were: first presidential designate Maria Antonieta Guillen-Bogran, FM Mario Canahuati, National Agrarian Institute Director Cesar Ham, businessman and former Anti-Corruption Council President Juan Ferrera, de facto regime negotiators at the Guaymuras Dialogue that led to the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord Vilma Morales and Arturo Corrales, Zelaya negotiator to the Guaymuras Dialogue Victor Meza, and UN Resident Coordinator Rebeca Arias. There was general agreement that the Truth Commission is crucial to achieve reconciliation, promote reform, and permit Honduras' TEGUCIGALP 00000122 002 OF 002 reintegration into the OAS. There was a range of opinions about how quickly the Commission should be established, the length of its mandate, and whether it should be led by a Honduran or a member of the international community. LLORENS