US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA1106

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 001106 
 
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: 05/13/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PINR, KDEM, CU, HO, CHR-1 
SUBJECT: CUBAN AMBASSADOR TO HONDURAS ALLEGES COMING U.S. 
INVASION OF CUBA 
 
REF: STATE 102042 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i.; 
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U) Cuban Ambassador to Honduras Alberto Gonzalez Polanco, 
in public statements May 12, claimed that the GOC was at 
military alert for a potential U.S. invasion.  He told 
reporters that the GOC feared such an attack was "closer than 
ever."  He added that Cuban citizens were well prepared to 
resist an American attack and would make it very costly for 
U.S. troops.  He also criticized the recent Report of the 
Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba and Radio Marti. 
The Cuban Ambassador's comments were reported in all four of 
Honduras' daily newspapers. 
 
2. (U) Note:  Acting PolCouns delivered the fact sheet on the 
Report of the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba 
(reftel) to Honduran MFA Director General for Foreign Policy 
Ambassador Mario Fortin May 13.  End Note. 
 
3. (C) Comment:  Ambassador Gonzalez Polanco has been the 
GOC's point man in Tegucigalpa over the last several months 
regarding hot issues such as the GOH's drafting of a UN 
Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) resolution on Cuba, a 
proposed (and then withdrawn) Cuban-drafted UNCHR resolution 
on Guantanamo detainees, and the resulting ramifications for 
Honduran-Cuban relations.  He had been quiet for the last 
couple weeks until his comments May 12.  End Comment. 
PIERCE