US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA2297

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002297 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA DAS FISK, WHA/CCA, AND WHA/CEN 
STATE FOR PRM, PRM/ENA, PRM/ECA, AND PRM/PRP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2014 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, SMIG, MARR, CU, HO 
SUBJECT: HONDURAS GIVES TENTATIVE YES TO RESETTLEMENT OF 
PROTECTED CUBAN MIGRANTS FROM GUANTANAMO; NUMBERS TBD 
 
REF: A. POPE/OLSEN E-MAILS/TELCONS/FAXES 10/8/04 AND 
 
        10/12/04 
     B. STATE 216668 
     C. TEGUCIGALPA 1524 
     D. STATE 139422 
 
Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Francisco Palmieri; 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) PolCouns and PolOff met October 8 with Foreign 
Minister Leonidas Rosa Bautista to follow-up on his September 
15 meeting with WHA A/S Noriega and the Honduran Embassy in 
Washington's communications with the Department October 5 
regarding the resettlement of protected Cuban migrants at 
Guantanamo Naval Base to Honduras (ref B).  PolCouns 
reiterated that the USG will pay for the migrants transport 
and first six months of living expenses via IOM.  PolCouns 
also indicated that Costa Rica planned to take 20 Cuban 
migrants.  The FM replied that the GOH would take Cuban 
migrants and tentatively agreed that the GOH would take 21 
migrants (the number of Cuban migrants needing resettlement 
that PolOffs were working with at the time of the meeting). 
The FM said they would likely be granted "economic refugee" 
status, which he thought would probably not entail any 
paperwork fees initially.  Unfortunately, he said he did not 
think the migrants would have immediate work authorization as 
"economic refugees," but once the initial excitement of the 
Cubans' resettlement died down they could apply for residency 
and/or permission to work.  This secondary paperwork would 
likely involve fees.  He said that of course, the GOH agreed 
not to repatriate the migrants to Cuba. 
 
2. (C) Rosa Bautista said that he had previously discussed 
the issue in general with President Ricardo Maduro who wants 
to accept the Cuban migrants.  The FM said he would re-check 
with Maduro about the specific number of migrants the GOH was 
willing to accept.  Embassy delivered to the FM at his house 
the biographic data for 16 Cuban migrants (ref A) the evening 
of October 8.  The FM also said he would seek a meeting on 
October 11 or 12 to coordinate with the Minister of 
Government and Justice, Jorge Ramon Hernandez Alcerro, the 
details of any possible resettlement, as Minister Hernandez 
Alcerro oversees Honduran Immigration. 
 
3. (C) Acting PolCouns spoke October 12 with MFA Director 
General for Foreign Affairs Mario Fortin about the GTMO 
Cubans, and faxed him a copy of the biographic data for 16 
Cuban migrants, as well as the bio data for a 17th Cuban 
migrant (ref A).  Acting PolCouns informed Fortin that the 
Embassy would provide bio data for an 18th Cuban migrant 
prior to the end of the week.  Fortin said he had spoken to 
the FM October 11 regarding the issue and understood that the 
FM had held meetings at the presidential palace on the issue 
of the GTMO Cubans, but that he did not know the substance of 
those talks. 
 
4. (C) As of the afternoon of October 13, Post was still 
waiting to hear back from the FM on the issue.  Post will 
press the MFA for an answer October 14/15. 
Pierce