US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA2614

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002614 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR WHA/PD (OHILTON), WHA/CEN (TKELLY), PA (CHAYDEN), PM, AND INL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, PREL, KPAO, PGOV, HO 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION ON THE VISIT OF SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN 
POWELL TO HONDURAS, NOVEMBER 4, 2003 
 
 
1. Tegucigalpa-based liberal daily "La Tribuna" carried a front 
page photo of the press event at Casa Presidencial featuring 
Secretary Powell, President Maduro, the Honduran Minister of 
 
SIPDIS 
Foreign Affairs Leonidas Rosa Bautista and Ambassador Larry 
Palmer with the headline "The U.S. does not commit itself to 
donate helicopters". The paper carried two articles entitled "The 
U.S. doesn't promise to donate helicopters" and "The U.S. will be 
pleased to get any kind of help from Central America in Iraq". 
It also included an editorial entitled "Powell". 
 
2. Tegucigalpa-based conservative daily "El Heraldo" carried a 
front page photo of Secretary Powell, President Maduro and 
Ambassador Palmer with the headline "Powell expresses 
appreciation for our presence in Iraq" with the subheading 
"Announces funds of five billion dollars for poor countries", and 
"Nicaragua doesn't agree to destroy all its missiles".  The paper 
also included a two-page report of the visit with the headlines 
"Powell left our country pleased", "Maduro: Our troops will be in 
Iraq as long as they're necessary", and "Powell: You should fight 
corruption". 
 
3. San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo" carried a front 
page photo of Secretary Powell and President Maduro shaking hand 
in Casa Presidencial with the headline "Maduro: We have a good 
marriage with the U.S." with the subheadings "On the Honduran 
request for helicopters to combat narcotrafficking, Powell said 
that it's a complex issue and this kind of equipment is 
expensive", and "The Popular Resistance disagrees with the visit 
of Colin Powell".  The paper included a two-page report of the 
visit with the headlines "Maduro said to Powell: the Honduran 
troops will remain in Iraq", and "Demonstrators called Powell a 
fascist and a terrorist". 
 
4. San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "La Prensa" carried a front 
page photo of Secretary Powell, President Maduro and Ambassador 
Palmer with the headline "Powell didn't make a commitment" with 
the subheading "He thanked Honduras for the sending of troops to 
Iraq, but he didn't promise help to fight drug trafficking".  The 
paper included a full-page report entitled "Powell impressed, but 
didn't promise aid". 
 
Palmer