US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA56

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000056 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN AND INR/B 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, SCUL, HO 
SUBJECT: HONDURAN MINISTER OF CULTURE RESIGNS; CITES 
ON-GOING DISPUTE WITH FIRST LADY 
 
REF: 03 TEGUCIGALPA 1880 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Francisco Palmieri; 
reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
1. (U) On January 6, Honduran Minister of Culture Mireya 
Batres (former fiancee of Honduran President Ricardo Maduro) 
publicly announced her resignation.  Batres' resignation 
comes as no surprise, as her tense relationship with First 
Lady Aguas Ocana has flared publicly on more than one 
occasion.  It is unclear at this point who will be selected 
to replace Batres; and there are rumors that her ministry 
will be subsumed into the Ministry of Education.  Batres' 
father, a presidential advisor, had resigned earlier due to 
the First Lady's behavior (reftel). 
 
2. (U) In a press conference on January 7, Batres indicated 
that "when personal and professional situations interfere 
with one another, then it is time to go."  Apparently, Batres 
made her final decision to resign after National Security 
Advisor (and de facto Chief of Staff) Ramon Medina Luna 
intercepted her on her way into a January 5 New Year's 
reception for the diplomatic community at the presidential 
palace.  According to Batres, Medina Luna requested (on 
behalf of Maduro) that she not attend the ceremony "because 
it would upset the First Lady," even though all other 
ministers were invited to the event. 
 
3. (U) In an open letter to President Maduro, Batres (who up 
to this point had refrained from caustic public remarks 
regarding the First Lady) called Ocana's actions 
"intolerable," claiming that the First Lady on more than one 
occasion had impeded her from carrying out her official 
responsibilities.  Ocana subsequently publicly denied any 
involvement in the decision to exclude Batres from the 
diplomatic event and Maduro has denied to comment on his 
reasons for excluding Batres from the event. 
 
4. (C)  COMMENT: The manner in which Batres was eased out of 
her cabinet position is indicative of the leadership style 
exhibited by President Maduro and his administration thus 
far.  Rather than confronting prickly personnel situations 
head-on or delivering unpopular policy decisions himself, 
Maduro often prefers that his subordinates carry the water 
when any type of bad or uncomfortable news is announced, 
which at times creates even more conflict.  END COMMENT 
PALMER