US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA468

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000468 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CCA, WHA/CEN, AND WHA/PPC 
STATE FOR DRL AND DRL/MLA 
STATE FOR INR/AN/IAA, IO, AND USUN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, PINR, PREL, KDEM, CU, HO, CHR-1 
SUBJECT: HONDURAS STILL UNWILLING TO TAKE LEAD IN DRAFTING 
UNCHR CUBA RESOLUTION 
 
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 365 
 
     B. TEGUCIGALPA 307 
     C. STATE 20401 
     D. STATE 13279 
     E. 03 STATE 313469 
     F. 03 TEGUCIGALPA 2866 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Larry Palmer, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C)  Ambassador and Political Counselor met with Minister 
of Presidency Luis Cosenza on the draft resolution (Ref C) on 
February 25 and 26. (Note: President Ricardo Maduro and 
Foreign Minister Leonidas Rosa Bautista were in Guatemala at 
a Central American Summit on Feb. 25.)   Cosenza reviewed the 
resolution language and U.S. request to sponsor it.  He 
informed us that he could not recommend to President Maduro 
that Honduras take on the responsibility of being the lead 
sponsor. 
 
2. (C)  Cosenza outlined the following reasons and concerns 
that impede the Government of Honduras's (GOH) ability to 
take the lead on this issue.  They included:  (a) Honduras is 
not in Cuba's sights at the moment, but sponsoring the 
resolution would stir up possible Cuban troublemaking in 
Honduras; (b) Honduras has not named an ambassador to Cuba; 
(c) Cuba provides medical scholarships to 400 Honduran 
students and will be increasing that by another 100; (d) Cuba 
has 200 doctors serving in rural areas in Honduras; and (e) 
Cuba has not yet agreed to sign the pending maritime boundary 
accord with Honduras.  Cosenza then added that the GOH has a 
host of "governability" problems that are emerging in 
Honduras (e.g., an impending 10 cent per gallon gas price 
hike; labor unions clamoring for pay raises; troops deployed 
in Iraq which remains unpopular with the public and which 
makes the Maduro government feel very vulnerable if they 
should take any casualties.  He suggested that becoming 
involved in a diplomatic confrontation with Cuba at this 
moment would give another opening for the political 
opposition to exploit against the GOH. 
 
3. (C)  Cosenza suggested the Ambassador meet with Maduro and 
an appointment has been arranged for March 1 in the late 
afternoon just before Maduro departs for his visit to Spain. 
PALMER