US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA2237

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Honduras: ECA Postponement Demarche Delivered

Identifier: 04TEGUCIGALPA2237
Wikileaks: View 04TEGUCIGALPA2237 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Tegucigalpa
Created: 2004-10-06 12:57:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: ETRD EIND ELAB PGOV HO
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002237 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN, DRL/IL, AND EB/TPP/ABT 
STATE PLEASE PASS USTR 
DOL FOR ILAB 
GUATEMALA FOR AGATT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, EIND, ELAB, PGOV, HO 
SUBJECT: Honduras: ECA Postponement Demarche Delivered 
 
REF: A. State 210862 
 
     B. Hastings-Link e-mails 
 
1. (U) EconOff received ref A talking points by e-mail (ref 
B) on September 24, and delivered them on September 27 to 
Gerardo Salgado, Vice Minister for Natural Resources and 
Energy in the Minstry of Natural Resources and Environment. 
Salgado serves as acting Minister when Minister Panting is 
out of the country, as she was at the time, having not yet 
returned from Washington. 
 
2. (SBU) Salgado was aware that the signing ceremony for the 
Environmental Cooperation Agreement had been cancelled, but 
had not received a full account of the reasons why.  He 
therefore appreciated our explanation of the situation, and 
was pleased to hear of our continued commitment to the ECA. 
He also expressed surprise that the dispute with the 
Dominican Republic over the tax on high fructose corn syrup 
was serious enough as to place the DR's very inclusion in 
CAFTA in doubt. 
 
3. (SBU) The conversation then turned to CAFTA and 
environmental issues more generally.  In particular, Salgado 
asked EconOff for advice in what the GOH can do to improve 
its image in the United States regarding environmental 
regulation.  Salgado says he regularly receives e-mails from 
environmental NGOs in the United States which are opposed to 
CAFTA, and which publicize what he described as "lies or 
half-truths" about Honduran environmental laws and their 
enforcement.  Salgado expressed frustration that he cannot 
effectively counter these views and tell "the other side of 
the story", as he has no contact with pro-CAFTA 
environmental groups (if such exist) to weigh in on the 
other side.  EconOff replied that the Honduran embassy in 
Washington is naturally leading the effort of public 
relations for Honduras in the run-up to CAFTA ratification, 
but Post would welcome a wider discussion on this issue, 
including further ideas from Washington or other embassies 
in the region. 
 
Pierce 

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