US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA2873

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002873 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2014 
TAGS: KCRM, KWMN, PHUM, SMIG, HO 
SUBJECT: CASA ALIANZA HONDURAS IS NOT LINKED TO BRUCE 
HARRIS SCANDAL; EMBASSY RECOMMENDS CONTINUED USG FUNDING 
 
REF: STATE 269517 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Larry Palmer; Reasons 1.5 d. 
 
1. (C) PolOff met November 8 with Gustavo Zelaya, Legal 
Assistance Program Coordinator for Casa Alianza.  Zelaya told 
PolOff that Casa Alianza had been fully cooperating with the 
Public Ministry investigation into the alleged crimes of Casa 
Alianza Central American Director Bruce Harris in Honduras. 
Zelaya said that Casa Alianza was also conducting an internal 
investigation, but emphasized that it was Harris and not Casa 
Alianza Honduras that were alleged to have committed wrongful 
acts. 
 
2. (C) PolOff spoke again December 29 with Zelaya, who said 
that it was Casa Alianza's understanding that the Public 
Ministry investigation had found no wrongdoing by Casa 
Alianza. 
 
3. (C) Special Prosecutor for Children Nora Urbina, an 
excellent Embassy contact and upcoming IVP grantee, told 
PolOff December 29 that the Public Ministry had completed its 
investigation of Casa Alianza and its various shelters and 
had found no wrongdoing.  She particularly noted that the 
Public Ministry had found no evidence of any cases of sexual 
abuse and/or exploitation.  Urbina said that the 
investigations had found that Harris, and not Casa Alianza, 
was responsible for Harris' actions and there was no 
wrongdoing by Casa Alianza.  She declined to state what the 
Public Ministry's conclusions had been about whether or not 
Harris' actions constituted crimes, as this has yet to be 
made public.  She said that the Public Ministry was still 
working on an investigation into alleged sexual abuse in the 
Catholic Church and would release the conclusions of the 
three investigations (Harris, Casa Alianza, and the Catholic 
Church) at the same time when all three were ready. 
 
4. (C) PolOff spoke December 30 with Casa Alianza Honduras 
Director Jose Manuel Capellin, who has retained the title of 
Associate Executive Director of Latin American Programs.  He 
told PolOff that, although each Casa Alianza country office 
now reports directly to Covenant House in New York, he is 
doing some regional coordination.  Capellin's comments echoed 
Zelaya's.  He made it clear that it was Casa Alianza's policy 
to immediately report to Honduran authorities any evidence 
that came to light about alleged child abuse or exploitation, 
as they had done in the Harris case.  Capellin reiterated 
that Casa Alianza Honduras was not culpable in any way for 
Harris' acts. 
 
5. (C) Comment: Casa Alianza has been fully cooperative with 
Ministry of Public Security (police) and Public Ministry 
(prosecutors) in the Harris case and subsequent 
investigations, and received public praise from Minister of 
Public Security Oscar Alvarez, a man not known for showering 
praise on NGOs, for the forthright manner in which it brought 
information to Honduran authorities after Harris' actions 
came to their attention.  Once the initial publicity over 
Harris' actions died down, Casa Alianza appears to have been 
able to continue operating as one of the key nongovernmental 
organizations (NGOs) on children's issues in Honduras.  Post 
is in regular contact with Casa Alianza on issues such as 
gangs and rehabilitation, street children, extrajudicial 
killings, trafficking in persons and commercial sexual 
exploitation.  Post is not aware of any information that 
would led EmbOffs to recommend a cutoff of USG assistance. 
Post believes that the USG should continue supporting Casa 
Alianza Honduras.  End Comment. 
Palmer