US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA161

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000161 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR PD/WHA (MBUCKLEY); IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; EB/EPPD DCLUNE; 
USTR AGASH 
INFO IIP/T/ES 
EMBASSIES FOR PAOS, IOs, 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KPAO, HO, PA, ETRD, USTR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: "CAFTA AND HONDURAS" 
 
 
1. TVC morning talk show 1/17/03: " Following the 
participation of the Minister of Labor and the Minister of 
Industry and Commerce as panelists in last week's AETN 
dialogue on CAFTA, several print, radio and TV news 
organizations featured them on CAFTA and its advantages. 
Renato Alvarez, Director of TV talk show " Frente a Frente" 
invited them to come on his one-hour to discuss CAFTA and 
its benefits for Honduras". 
 
2. Comments: Alvarez: " The United States won't negotiate 
bilaterally with any country but instead wants to complete 
an agreement with Central as a unit.  A fair justice system, 
strong anti- corruption efforts and the treaty are the 
fundamental pillars that will help grow the economy and 
consolidate democracy. We need to produce quality products 
for lower prices if we wish to avoid further increases in 
unemployment. This is a year of challenges for Honduras and 
we should be open to these challenges in order to achieve 
modernization, increased production, sustainable 
development, and low prices so that we can compete in the 
international market.  We also want foreign investment that 
will generate more job opportunities and strengthen 
democracy and the economy. 
 
 
3. "Vice Minister of Industry and Commerce Irvin Guerrero: 
"We should study the Mexico experience with NAFTA - they 
very successfully were able to increase exports and job 
opportunities over the past years. Free trade is 
important for the U.S. because it wants to consolidate 
NAFTA; the only area left behind is Central America, which 
is why is so important for us to be in the block and sign 
the treaty.  It is a great opportunity and we intend to 
take advantage of it. 
 
4. "Minister of Labor German Leitzelar: I agreed with Dr. 
Bowie-Whitman, the U.S. Representative for FTAA, when she 
said that free trade agreements benefit countries. In 
Honduras we have problems of attitude and creativity. 
There is the feeling that CAFTA is a political issue, but 
development and transformation is for our own benefit. Free 
trade won't transform Honduras but Honduras can. Foreign 
investment does not come to countries that do not 
offer adequate education, training, technology and high 
productivity. If the employment issue is not analyzed within 
the framework of production - Honduras will be part of CAFTA 
but other countries will be the ones opening 
business in Honduras not Hondurans.  Honduras has the 
advantage of having the most important port in the region. 
Honduras should seize the advantages that CAFTA offers-- if 
we succeed with CAFTA, we can became a prosperous 
country. All of us should support CAFTA. 
 
 
Palmer