US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA510

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000510 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR WHA/PDA, WHA/PPC, WHA/CEN, AND INL/LP 
FOR IIP/G/WHA AND IIP/T/ES 
EMBASSIES FOR PAOS, IOS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, SNAR, PREL, KPAO, HO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON THE INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL 
STRATEGY REPORT (INCSR), MARCH 7, 2005 
 
 
1. On 3/5, the Tegucigalpa-based moderate daily "El Heraldo" 
carried a half-page article entitled "Commended in anti-drug 
fight by U.S. report" with the subheading "Minister Oscar Alvarez 
says these results have cost blood, sweat and tears."  It also 
ran a statement by Minister of Public Security Alvarez, "We 
appreciate the State Department acknowledging the work we've 
done, because we don't have the logistics or the financial 
resources to engage in a face-to-face fight against drug 
trafficking, whereas drug traffickers have access to an unlimited 
quantity of money, and yet we've been successful." 
 
2. The San Pedro Sula-based liberal daily "Tiempo" on 3/5 ran an 
EFE story entitled "State Department: Drug shipments through 
Honduras have continued at an `alarming rate'" with the 
subheading "Despite that, they acknowledge the government has 
accomplished `great seizures' of marijuana and other assets 
linked to drug trafficking." 
 
Palmer