US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA1472

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001472 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR WHA/PD; IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; AND IIP/T/ES 
DEPT. FOR PM AND EB/TRA 
DEPT. FOR WHA/EPSC, WHA/PPC AND WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KPAO, PGOV, MASS, EAID, HO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON DEBT FORGIVENESS, JULY 13, 2005 
 
 
1. On 07/13 the Tegucigalpa-based liberal daily "La Tribuna" 
published an op-ed by Amilcar Santamaria, educational and 
diplomatic journalist, entitled "The Debt Forgiveness 
Party."  "While the citizenry is anguished by the 
announcement of a new increase in transport prices and the 
poor begin to lose patience, the government is still 
celebrating the announced debt forgiveness and saying that 
we will soon have billions of dollars to put on a carnival 
of Central American scale." 
 
"Some observers ask themselves if this official euphoria is 
legitimate and if the men in power really think that the 
money is already in the Republic's Treasury, or to the 
contrary, it is a heavy smoke screen destined to misdirect 
the attention of the people from problems such as 
electricity and gas that have a real impact in their lives." 
 
"To get to a point where the debtor country suspends the 
debt it must subscribe itself to formal agreements that will 
guarantee execution calendars and control mechanisms and 
effective evaluations." 
 
"No multilateral agency has published instructions on the 
advertised debt forgiveness and we dare to suggest that it 
won't happen before November 27, the date on which Hondurans 
will elect a new government." 
 
"Once the president puts out the fires in the upcoming 
months [transport and educational crises, etc.] he can take 
care of what will happen with debt forgiveness funds that, 
according to all signs, the funds will remain in the 
refrigerator for the next few months." 
 
Palmer