US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA59

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PM, INR/B, AND WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2014 
TAGS: MARR, PGOV, PREL, PINR, HO 
SUBJECT: SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN SENIOR HONDURAN MILITARY 
LEADERSHIP, MAINLY FOR THE BETTER 
 
REF: A. USDAO TEGUCIGALPA IIR 684199804 03 
 
     B. 03 TEGUCIGALPA 2844 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Francisco Palmieri; 
reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: On January 5, the Honduran Armed Forces made 
significant changes among its senior leadership, installing 
new officers in the positions of Vice Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff, Inspector General of the Armed Forces, and 
Commander of the Navy.  These leadership changes reflected 
the normal retirement process, the sidelining of a 
disgruntled officer, and the advancement of another officer 
for his superior performance.  On balance, the changes should 
be beneficial for U.S. interests in Honduras.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. (U) On January 5, the Honduran Armed Forces (HOAF) made 
significant changes among its senior leadership.  Brigadier 
General Jorge Abelardo Andino Almendares was relieved as Vice 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and replaced by Colonel 
Hector Leonel Pavon Lopez, formerly the Director of 
Operations on the Joint Staff.  BGEN Andino was retired after 
thirty years of service.  BGEN Luis Alonzo Maldonado Galeas 
was relieved as Inspector General of the Armed Forces and 
replaced by Colonel Nelson Willys Mejia Mejia, the commanding 
general of the Navy.  Captain Jose Eduardo Espinal Paz, 
formerly the Chief of the Navy Staff, was selected to replace 
COL Mejia as Commander of the Navy. 
 
3. (C) Notable among these changes is the relief of BGEN 
Maldonado as Inspector General.  He was considered by many to 
be the logical replacement for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs 
of Staff (CJCS), Major General Jose Isaias Barahona Herrera, 
whom President Ricardo Maduro and Minister of Defense 
Federico Breve had decided to retain in command of the HOAF 
for at least an additional year (ref B).  This decision 
effectively assures that Maldonado, who has been openly 
critical of CJCS Barahona's policies and leadership style, 
will not be awarded a higher command.  Maldonado will 
probably be assigned as a military attache to another country 
until it is time for him to retire, a common Honduran method 
of removing officers from contention for higher command. 
 
4. (C) COL Mejia's assignment to Inspector General is the 
most significant development for U.S. interests.  It also 
indicates high-level approval for the way he has reformed the 
Honduran Navy.  Mejia, an army artillery officer, took 
command of the Navy two years ago after a narco-corruption 
scandal left no suitable naval officer available to command 
it.  The Navy, under Mejia's leadership, has had 
unprecedented success in interdicting narcotraffickers along 
Honduras' Caribbean coast.  The appointment of CAPT Espinal 
to replace COL Mejia should also raise moral among the Navy 
rank and file as he is a career naval officer.  However, CAPT 
Espinal is unlikely to be as dynamic as COL Mejia, and the 
Navy's counternarcotics successes may decline. 
 
5. (C) A widely anticipated personnel change that has failed 
to take place is the relief of Colonel Manual Enrique Caceres 
Dias, Commanding General of the Honduran Air Force (ref A). 
COL Caceres has been under increased scrutiny for allegedly 
mismanaging Air Force funds.  As this would have been the 
ideal time to replace COL Caceres, he will probably retain 
his command (pending no further allegations of malfeasance) 
for at least another year. 
 
6. (C) Comment:  On balance, these changes should be 
beneficial to U.S. interests.  Sidelining BGEN Maldonado was 
a wise move, but not replacing COL Caceres was questionable. 
COL Mejia has already expressed to DAO that the Embassy can 
come directly to him if they experience any problems with the 
Navy under CPT Espinal's command.  COL Mejia's promotion to 
the IG job will enable him to continue being a positive force 
in support of U.S. counternarcotics objectives.  End Comment. 
 
PALMER