US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA1636

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001636 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/PDA (MBUCKLEY); WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, PREL, KPAO, PGOV, IZ, HO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON DRUG TRAFFICKING, JULY 9, 2003 
 
 
1.Editorial in Tegucigalpa-based moderate daily "El Heraldo" on 
7/9 entitled "Narco trafficking and corruption". "Drug 
trafficking has a considerable corrupting power, so much that 
even the U.S. government has financed wars with funds coming from 
this illegal source, such as the fight against the Sandinistas 
during the `lost decade'." 
 
"Drug trafficking does not exclusively promote corruption within 
judicial institutions, public officials and politicians. It can 
also overturn the moral values of common and ordinary people who 
receive `aid' from drug traffickers, no matter that such `aid' 
comes from the demise of millions of young people victims of 
drugs and their tormented parents." 
 
"Honduras still has time to avoid that the powerful tentacles of 
drug trafficking take advantage of the immorality and excessive 
ambition of a few, as well as the needs and reversed values of 
many. The fight against this current threat should concern all of 
us, without regard of social class." 
 
2. Op-ed by Edmundo Orellana Mercado (former Attorney General in 
a Liberal Party administration and Law Professor in the National 
University) in Tegucigalpa-based liberal daily "La Tribuna" on 
7/9 entitled "Narco trafficking". "For some years now, our 
society has been threatened by one of the most devastating 
problems in modern times: narco trafficking. the environment in 
which narco trafficking operates the best is through corruption. 
Consequently, those societies who are headed by leaders inclined 
to corruption are easy victims." 
 
"Then, we should not be surprised that our neighbors north of 
Bravo River are repeatedly warning us that the failure of 
Honduras's efforts on the fight against drug trafficking are 
caused by the corruption of our leaders. The consequences of 
ignoring those warnings could lead to the decertification of 
Honduras, which could have a serious cost for the country by 
reducing the international cooperation for Honduras." 
 
"We should fight against narco trafficking and corruption 
relentlessly, in every front, and with all resources available. 
Otherwise, corruption will asphyxiate us, and as a result of the 
decertification we will be isolated from the world and suffering 
its consequences by ourselves." 
 
 
Palmer