US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA793

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000793 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CCA, WHA/CEN, AND WHA/PPC 
STATE FOR DRL, DRL/MLA, IO, AND INR/AN/IAA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, PINR, KDEM, CU, HO, CHR-1 
SUBJECT: MADURO ADMINISTRATION SHARPLY CRITICIZED BY 
POLITICAL OPPONENTS FOR TABLING UNCHR CUBA RESOLUTION 
 
REF: A. ALMAGUER E-MAIL 04/05 
     B. STATE 74060 
     C. TEGUCIGALPA 787 
     D. TEGUCIGALPA 766 
     E. TEGUCIGALPA 759 
     F. TEGUCIGALPA 741 
     G. TEGUCIGALPA 738 
     H. GENEVA 885 
     I. STATE 68031 
     J. STATE 65652 
     K. STATE 62815 
     L. TEGUCIGALPA 595 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Larry Palmer; 
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary:  President Ricardo Maduro and his 
Administration have come under tough criticism from political 
opponents and left-leaning nongovernmental organizations 
since the GOH publicly announced that it had drafted a UN 
Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) resolution on Cuba.  Much 
of this criticism was to be expected and the GOH's delay in 
announcing the resolution did not help matters.  Post expects 
this criticism to die down somewhat with the start of the 
Holy Week holidays.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) President Ricardo Maduro and his Administration have 
come under tough criticism from political opponents and 
left-leaning nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) since the 
GOH publicly announced April 1 that it had drafted a UN 
Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) resolution on Cuba. 
Critics have included opposition Liberal Party congressmen 
such as Ramon Villeda Bermudez and Omar Cerna, Liberal 
presidential candidate Mel Zelaya, and Nationalist "Dark 
Side" congressman Oswaldo Ramos Soto.  NGOs such as the 
Committee of the Families of the Detained and Disappeared in 
Honduras (COFADEH), the Black Fraternal Organization of 
Honduras (OFRANEH), the Association of Nongovernmental 
Organizations (ASONOG - which despite the name is not a large 
organization), as well as the Honduran medical students in 
Cuba, have all issued statements criticizing the GOH. 
 
3. (U) A common argument made by critics is that the GOH is 
in no position to criticize another country due to the 
serious human rights problems in Honduras, especially 
extrajudicial killings.  Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez made a 
veiled statement along these lines with respect to the GOH 
action when he criticized the GOH for looking at the speck in 
an another's eye while overlooking the plank in the their own 
eye.  The one-year anniversary of the April 5, 2003 violent 
incident at El Porvenir prison near La Ceiba when 68 persons, 
61 of them gang members, were killed and the lack of action 
to hold the 51 people (including police and military) found 
responsible by the Public Ministry has given opponents 
further ammunition.  Other arguments made by critics include 
castigating the GOH for criticizing a country that has been 
helpful since Hurricane Mitch hit in 1998 by providing 
doctors and educating medical students, calling the GOH as a 
U.S. lackey, arguing that the GOH sold out for Millennium 
Challenge Account (MCA) funds, and has faulting the 
resolution for not criticizing the U.S. detention of foreign 
citizens at Guatanamo Bay. 
 
4. (U) Honduran Foreign Minister Leonidas Rosa Bautista has 
been the main GOH spokesman defending the Maduro 
Administration, with Minister of Government and Justice Jorge 
Ramon Hernandez Alcerro also giving a particularly strong 
defense (in a TV interview).  President of Congress Porfirio 
"Pepe" Lobo publicly supported the Administration and said he 
did not see why the resolution should cause a problem.  First 
Lady Aguas Ocana de Maduro, who returned from Cuba April 1, 
told reporters April 2 that Honduras was thankful for the 
assistance Honduras has received from Cuba.  She declined to 
comment on the UNCHR Cuba resolution issue, other than to say 
that she did not discuss political issues during her visit. 
A group of Hondurans in Miami (Hondurans United) supported 
the GOH's move and called for a tougher resolution. 
 
5. (C) Comment:  Much of the criticism of the GOH's action 
was to be expected given the ideological points of view 
and/or political interests of those criticizing the GOH.  The 
GOH's delay in announcing the resolution did not help 
matters, as it allowed the GOC to paint the GOH as being 
manipulated by the USG.  Post expects domestic criticism to 
die down somewhat with the start of the Holy Week holidays 
April 5.  End Comment. 
PALMER