US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA298

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN, EB, DS, AND INR 
STATE PASS TO USTR 
DOL FOR ILAB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, ELAB, SOCI, ETRD, PREL, ECON, ASEC, PINR, HO 
SUBJECT: LARGE BUT PEACEFUL TEGUCIGALPA PROTEST COMES OFF 
AS EXPECTED: ANTI-GOH, ANTI-FREE TRADE 
 
REF: TEGUCIGALPA 236 (NOTAL) 
 
1. As promised, the leftist organization Popular Block held a 
large protest march February 5 in Tegucigalpa, and a smaller 
protest in San Pedro Sula.  The protest also included 
temporary morning road blocks on main highways near major 
cities in several parts of the country.  The largely peaceful 
protests (some graffiti and minor property damage) included 
approximately 3-5,000 demonstrators total (most in 
Tegucigalpa).  The mood was anti-GOH and focused on 
controversial domestic issues linked to the recent IMF 
agreement, as well CAFTA and FTAA.  The march ended at the 
Presidential Palace; there was no demonstration outside the 
Embassy. 
 
2.  In a new twist, some journalists joined the protests to 
decry a recent guilty verdict in a defamation/slander case 
against a prominent journalist.  A dispute over what 
percentage to increase the minimum wage is still outstanding, 
and was only a minor issue for protesters. 
PALMER