US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA1564

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001564 
 
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 28, 2005 
 
 
1. On 07/28 the Tegucigalpa-based moderate daily "El 
Heraldo" carried an op-ed by Dr. Nicolas Odeh-Nasrala 
entitled "Debt Forgiveness and Poverty Reduction."  "In a 
television forum on the use of debt relief funds, the 
president of BCH (Honduran Central Bank), Gustavo Alfaro, 
representatives of FONAC, and representatives of the 
consultative board of the Poverty Reduction Strategy made 
some sensible and patriotic statements. They also 
acknowledged the importance of health and education." 
 
"The discussion was insufficient and did not focus enough on 
job creation, which is a source of wealth and the natural 
antidote to poverty. Personal security and judicial issues 
were mentioned in that they are favorable for investment and 
job creation. However, no specific private or public 
investment was discussed." 
 
"We shouldn't stand still and wait for foreign investment to 
come to us. If we have the resources, we ourselves should 
invest in projects such as public infrastructure, massive 
private food industries, sugar cane, and organic fuel. We 
should handle public investment the same way we handle 
private investment." 
 
Tuebner