US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA2229

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002229 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR WHA/PD, IIP/T/ES, IIP/G/WHA, OES, AND WHA/CEN 
EMBASSIES FOR PAOS, IOS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, PREL, PGOV, SENV, KPAO, HO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON TROPICAL STORM BETA, OCTOBER 31, 
2005 
 
 
1. Editorial in Tegucigalpa-based liberal daily "La Tribuna" 
on 10/28 entitled "Beta."  "When we thought that `Wilma' was 
the last hurricane of the season we found out that another 
tropical storm is coming with possibilities of becoming a 
hurricane. `Beta' is on the verge of becoming a category 1 
hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale." 
 
"The Permanent Commission of Contingencies, COPECO, has 
declared Honduras in `green alert.' The forecast is that 
Beta will enter Nicaragua on Sunday and will cross Honduras, 
probably causing strong, heavy showers that will landslides. 
We do not know the intensity this natural phenomenon will 
have when it crosses Honduran territory and hopefully its 
transit will be fast and will cause the least damage 
possible." 
 
"As previously expressed, so many misfortunes have occurred 
this year, between hurricanes that caused serious damage; 
the complete destruction of New Orleans, earthquakes and 
tsunamis in the Asian continent have not allowed that the 
 
SIPDIS 
world-wide attention to center itself on one of the many 
tragedies when another keeps adding up.  Hurricane "Stan" 
left several dead in Central America and caused material 
loss, specifically in Guatemala and El Salvador, and the 
only international recognition received was by Queen Sofia 
of Spain." 
 
"In Honduras the effects of hurricane "Stan" were 
respectable and even left dead, although the government 
considered that it wasn't a good reason for the president to 
return from his trip to one of the `summits.'  There is 
another pending summit in Mar de Plata next month, so we 
hope that this hurricane won't hit us badly and won't delay 
the president's trip.  Let us pray that `Beta' would be 
benign because the country would have a hard time to receive 
the necessary attention of the international community in 
case the damages are greater." 
 
Williard