US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA854

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000854 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/PD, WHA/CCA, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN 
STATE FOR DRL, DRL/MLA, IO, INR, AND IIP/G/WHA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KPAO, PHUM, PREL, KDEM, CU, HO, CHR-1 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON UNCHR RESOLUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
IN CUBA, APRIL 7-10, 2004 
 
1. Op-ed by Rafael Delgado in the San Pedro Sula-based 
liberal daily "La Prensa" on 4/7 entitled "Foreign policy 
and subordination."  "President Maduro and his ministers 
have said it: our foreign policy hasn't changed, which means 
that the current administration has maintained the same 
approach of subordination to U.S. policy." 
 
"Our President should confirm his commitment to democracy by 
committing all his efforts to fight against corruption, 
poverty, and internal insecurity.  It's been ridiculous and 
disgraceful that the government has given in to external 
pressure to condemn other countries for their lack of 
respect to human rights." 
 
2. Op-ed by Wilmer Perez Regalado in the San Pedro Sula- 
based liberal daily "La Prensa" on 4/8 entitled "The role of 
pawn."  "We have several adjectives to define the role of 
the Honduran government as sponsor of an international 
resolution against Cuba: we can call it a servant, a 
marionette, or a pawn." 
 
"I'll never support the prosecution, incarceration, and 
executions carried out by the Castro regime against its 
political opponents.  For instance, in 2003, more than a 
hundred people, some of them journalists, were jailed just 
because they dissented from official policy.  However, I 
wonder: why was Honduras chosen to condemn Cuba?  Are we 
morally competent to condemn other countries for human 
rights violations?" 
 
3. Op-ed by Carlos Mendez in the Tegucigalpa-based moderate 
daily "El Heraldo" on 4/10 entitled "Immorality."  "For 
quite some time, Honduras carries a heavy debt in terms of 
human rights.  To point out just a couple examples, during 
the 1980s, the Honduran state was responsible for the 
disappearance of more than 200 people because of their 
ideological beliefs, and during the last four years more 
than 2,000 youths have been killed, and the state hasn't 
been able to properly investigate most of these killings." 
 
"Except for some social groups that fight for the respect of 
human rights, is there anyone else saying anything about 
these issues?  Has anyone ever asked for a U.N. resolution 
to confirm the miserable situation of human rights in 
Honduras?  Could a country like ours have the moral 
authority to demand other countries to respect human 
rights?" 
 
"If your answer to any of those questions is yes, then, what 
kind of President do we have?  And, with all due respect, is 
he the President of all Hondurans?" 
 
Palmer