US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA1258

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 001258 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR INL/LP, DRL/PHD, WHA/CEN, AND INR/B 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/03/2013 
TAGS: SNAR, PGOV, KCRM, KJUS, PHUM, PINR, PREL, HO 
SUBJECT: MUSICAL CHAIRS:  WHO'S WHO IN HONDURAN GOVERNMENT 
COUNTERNARCOTICS LEADERSHIP POSITIONS 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Roger Pierce; 
Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (SBU)  SUMMARY:  Several high-profile Honduran 
counternarcotics agencies are receiving a leadership 
makeover.  Gustavo Alfredo ((Landaverde)) Hernandez is 
leaving the Executive Secretary position at the National 
Council Against Narcotrafficking (CNCN), and has been 
replaced by the Direction in the Fight Against 
Narcotrafficking (DLCN) Acting Director Ofelia Margarita 
((Gutierrez)) Gonzalez.  In turn, taking Gutierrez's place at 
the DLCN will be retired Army Brigadier General Julian 
Aristides ((Gonzalez)) Irias.  Profiled below are the key 
players in these counternarcotics organizations.  END SUMMARY 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Gustavo Alfredo ((Landaverde)) Hernandez 
---------------------------------------- 
 
2. (C)  Landaverde was the Executive Secretary of the 
National Council Against Narcotrafficking (CNCN) until April 
30.  Landaverde, a Liberal party member, was dismissed due to 
ongoing public disagreements with the Nationalist Maduro 
Administration over counternarcotics policy.  A specific 
example was his criticism of Vice President Armida Lopez 
Contreras regarding her decision to leave her deputy, Manuel 
Euceda, in office after his indictment on fraud charges. 
Landaverde has a long-standing political career in Honduras 
and is an intelligent and outspoken person.  He was one of 
the founding members of the Honduran Christian Democratic 
Party (PDCH) and served as its President at one time. 
Landaverde also served in Congress while a member of the 
PDCH, before becoming a Liberal Party member.  He remains a 
close contact of the Embassy. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Ofelia Margarita ((Gutierrez)) Gonzalez 
--------------------------------------- 
 
3. (C)  In March 2000 Gutierrez began her work with the 
Direction in the Fight Against Narcotrafficking (DLCN), an 
office which reports to the Attorney General, as Sub Director 
under Fidel Omar ((Borjas)) Flores, and later Wilfredo 
Alvarado.  Gutierrez has been the Acting Director since 
Alvarado left the DLCN in September 2002.  With Landaverde's 
April 30 departure from the CNCN, she is also serving as the 
acting Executive Secretary of that organization.  Gutierrez 
graduated with a bachelor's degree from the Honduran National 
University (UNAH) in 1994 and obtained a law degree from UNAH 
April 30, 2002.  Gutierrez has a legal background and worked 
as a legal counsel at the National Preventative Police (PNP). 
 She is the widow of a police officer who died in the line of 
duty.  While she has not been particularly effective as 
Acting Director of the DLCN in mounting narcotics 
investigations, she has been cooperative and honest in 
implementing U.S. assistance projects, such as our maritime 
and canine units. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Julian Aristides ((Gonzalez)) Irias 
----------------------------------- 
 
4. (C)  Brigadier General Gonzalez, the new Director of the 
DLCN, is a 30-year military veteran with numerous awards and 
decorations.  Although in the past there were media 
allegations of corruption related to the military pension 
fund, throughout his military career General Gonzalez 
developed a reputation as a competent, results-oriented but 
stern and demanding field commander.  Prior to his mandatory 
retirement on December 11, 2002, General Gonzalez served as 
Special Assistant to Minister of Defense Federico Breve 
Travieso.  In July 1998 Gonzalez was named Deputy Minister of 
Defense in a controversial appointment.  His predecessor was 
suddenly removed from office by General Mario Hung Pacheco 
without approval or consultation with then President Carlos 
Flores.  There were allegations that Pacheco used this 
appointment to advance officials considered close to him.  A 
succession of promotions for Gonzalez continued as follows: 
July 1999 to Vice Chief of Joint Staff where he ran the 
day-to-day operations of the HOAF and then October 2001 to 
General. 
 
5. (SBU)  Born in La Ceiba, Honduras on February 24, 1952; he 
is married to Leslie Ondina Portillo Andino with whom he has 
one daughter.  His resume boasts of extensive military 
education and training in Taiwan and at the School of the 
Americas in the U.S.  Areas of study include airborne 
training, national security, anti-terrorism, and crisis 
management.  He holds Engineering and History degrees from 
the Honduran National University (UNAH) and has studied 
International Relations and Diplomacy at the Catholic 
University.  Gonzalez speaks Spanish, English, and Portuguese. 
 
6. (C)  Gonzalez brings some baggage to the position (he was 
particularly dogmatic while in the military that the Armed 
Forces did not have Constitutional authority to carry out 
counternarcotics activities).  However, Post is hopeful that 
Gonzalez will bring order and enhanced command and control to 
what has been an ineffective law enforcement agency.  In 
order to do this, he will have to clean house in the DLCN. 
Gonzalez brings to the DLCN a strong operational background 
and superb organizational skills.  He also will benefit from 
the essential contacts within the Ministries of Defense and 
Public Security that he holds.  Post supported his 
appointment for exactly this reason and with the hope that he 
might bring the zeal of a convert to the nation's 
counternarcotics efforts.  However, he will face strong 
resistance from the leadership of the Public Ministry that 
preferred an insider for the position of DLCN Director. 
Currently, more than 80 percent of the DLCN budget goes to 
personnel costs.  Gonzalez will have to change this ratio if 
he hopes to be successful.  If Gonzalez fails to invigorate 
the DLCN, it could be on the chopping block for elimination 
when a new Attorney General is appointed in 2004. 
 
------------------------------- 
Embassy Thoughts on the Changes 
------------------------------- 
 
7. (C)  COMMENT:  Post was not surprised to see Landaverde 
ousted at the CNCN and is not particularly enthused with 
Gutierrez as his replacement.  Landaverde was often a 
solitary voice, praising the recent INCSR report and 
disputing official GOH criticism of the USG counternarcotics 
assistance.  He was an excellent source on the Honduran 
counternarcotics community.  As noted, Gonzalez may be the 
last (somewhat) best hope for the DLCN, which has become a 
major disappointment to the Embassy.  Post is increasingly 
focusing counternarcotics cooperation on the Frontier Police 
due to the ineffectiveness of the DLCN. Only new vigorous 
leadership at the DLCN might be able to reverse this new 
Embassy focus.  END COMMENT. 
Pierce