US embassy cable - 02TEGUCIGALPA2928

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 002928 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR WHA/CEN, DS/OP/WHA, AND S/CT 
STATE PASS USTR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2012 
TAGS: PGOV, ASEC, PREL, PTER, ETRD, PHUM, SOCI, HO 
SUBJECT: PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION PROTESTS COLUMBUS DAY, 
GLOBALIZATION, AND U.S. POLICIES OUTSIDE EMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA 
 
REF: TEGUCIGALPA 2860 
 
Classified By: Political Chief Francisco Palmieri; 
Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U) On October 11 approximately 100 peaceful demonstrators 
protested outside Embassy Tegucigalpa.  The protesters 
included representatives of the Convergence of Movements of 
the Peoples of America (COMPA), the public university 
worker's union (SITRAUNAH), the Civil Council of Indigenous 
and Popular Organizations and Ethnic Groups of Honduras, and 
the loose political alliance known as the Popular Block. 
 
2. (U) The demonstrators protested against a number of 
issues, including Columbus Day, Plan Puebla Panama, Plan 
Colombia, the planned Free Trade of the Americas (FTAA), 
globalization, the proposed privatization of municipal water 
services, and U.S. policy on Iraq.  It received front page 
coverage in the major newspapers.  Aldo Mauricio Calderon, a 
journalist for the San Pedro Sula newspaper El Tiempo, helped 
choreograph the protest, something he has done at past 
anti-U.S demonstrations.  Ericka de Ramirez, the reigning 
Miss Honduras from the Garifuna community who has traded 
accusations with pageant organizers, led a similar peaceful 
protest in La Ceiba (the third largest city in Honduras) and 
called for observance of women's rights. 
 
3. (SBU) Honduran security forces notified RSO in the hours 
prior to the demonstration that two busloads of indigenous 
people had been sighted en route to Tegucigalpa from La 
Esperanza, a town four hours from Tegucigalpa.  The 
approximate number of occupants of the buses matched the 
rough number of indigenous protesters later witnessed in the 
demonstration outside the Embassy.  These "protesters for 
hire" had been allowed to enter the city and after completing 
a peaceful protest were most likely paid for their services 
prior to leaving Tegucigalpa, a pattern that has been 
observed many times in the past.  Post notes that few of the 
demonstrators, other than the leaders, appeared to be from 
Tegucigalpa. 
 
4. (C) COMMENT:  While much tamer than protests in previous 
years, the GOH has reacted very nervously to these 
demonstrations.  The Minister of Defense and the Minister of 
Public Security (Police) separately asked if the Embassy was 
noticing an increase in activities by leftists groups in the 
country or whether we had any information about these groups 
arming themselves again a la the 1980's armed Patriotic 
Morazan Front.  They acknowledged that their concerns were a 
bit exaggerated but noted that a recent spate of bomb threats 
in Tegucigalpa (directed at government offices) and San Pedro 
Sula had prompted them to ask their intelligence units to 
monitor the situation.  END COMMENT. 
PALMER