US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA1594

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001594 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC, DRL/PHD, AND DS 
STATE FOR INL/LP, INR/I, INR/C, INR/AN/IAA, EB, AND CA 
DOJ FOR NDIC/ORGANIZED CRIME AND VIOLENCE UNIT (LCASALE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, PINR, PGOV, SNAR, SOCI, PHUM, SMIG, ASEC, HO 
SUBJECT: KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY: RASH OF POLICE 
KILLINGS AROUND HONDURAS - 39 MURDERED FROM JANUARY TO JULY 
 
REF: TEGUCIGALPA 1488 
 
1.  According to the Honduran Government, 39 Honduran police 
officers have been murdered this year, five in the last week 
of July, some in spectacularly gruesome fashion.  In some of 
the murder cases, captured suspects have been linked to 
gangs, and speculation is rampant that the vast majority of 
the killings are related to gang violence.  The killings have 
also sparked responses from the presidential candidates and 
may play into electoral politics in the coming months. 
 
2.  All around the country, but particularly in the cities of 
San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, a wave of police killings has 
been garnering headlines.  Several of the murders have been 
extraordinarily gruesome, and local papers report police 
suspicions that the murders are an attempt by organized crime 
to terrorize the country's police officers.  Post previously 
reported grenade attacks against police stations in 
Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, crimes which may also have 
been perpetrated by gangs (see reftel). 
 
3.  Comment:  With the presidential campaign heating up, the 
issue of security can be expected to play a prominent role. 
National Party candidate Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo Sosa, currently 
President of the National Congress, trumpets security as one 
of his main themes.  He supports instituting the death 
penalty and has used the cop killings to highlight the 
barbaric nature of crimes he believes merit capital 
punishment.  Lobo's opponent, Liberal Party candidate Jose 
Manuel "Mel" Zelaya, opposes the death penalty and has 
criticized Lobo, accusing him of wanting to kill every 
criminal in the country rather than combat the causes of 
crime.  Local press coverage of the police killings has been 
overwhelmingly sympathetic, portraying the victims as fallen 
heroes and repeating allegations of gang involvement.  If 
that sympathy for the victims and concern over gang 
involvement carries over into general public opinion, Lobo 
(the "tough on crime" candidate) may experience an up-tick in 
support as a result.  It also appears to be translating into 
strong congressional support for amending the penal code to 
make murders of security officials a crime meriting a life 
sentence, rather than the current 30-year maximum sentence 
for murder.  End comment. 
Tuebner