VZCZCXRO4300
RR RUEHLMC
DE RUEHTG #1080/01 3371926
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021926Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8955
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 8007
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHINGTON DC 0847
RHMFIUU/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RUMIAAA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL//CINC/POLAD//
RUMIAAA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEAHND/CDRJTFB SOTO CANO HO
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DIRJIATF SOUTH
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUMIAAA/USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 001080 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PREL KDEM KCOR KCRM MASS EAID ECON KJUS
PHUM, KPAO, HO 
SUBJECT: MISSION HONDURAS LAUNCHES MERIDA COORDINATION 
WORKING GROUP GOALS 
 
REF: TEGUCIGALPA 997 
 
¶1. Embassy Honduras has formed a plan to coordinate Merida 
Initiative efforts both mission-wide and bilaterally.  We 
have created a Merida Working Group that meets monthly and 
includes senior-level representatives from POL/NAS, DEA, 
USAID, MILGROUP, DHS/ICE, DAO, RSO, PAS, MCC, JTF-B, RAO and 
TAT.  The DCM chairs the WG meetings and coordinates 
information sharing between the member offices and agencies. 
The WG will produce a mission-wide Merida strategy document 
to lay out overall goals, establish lead offices and 
coordinate Merida-funded programs with other related security 
and prevention activities to ensure all Mission elements work 
in concert. 
 
¶2. USAID will primarily focus on the "soft" side of the 
overall effort by supporting community-led initiatives to 
address the root social and economic causes of youth 
vulnerability to gangs and remote communities' vulnerability 
to drug traffickers as a source of income.  USAID will 
address the gang problem by focusing three program elements 
on select urban "hot spots" and rural areas affected by drug 
trafficking: 1) community gang prevention; 2) education and 
job opportunities; and 3) municipal response.  USAID's Merida 
programs will work in tandem with -- and enhance -- other 
existing USAID programs, as well as coordinate with the 
efforts of other agencies in the Mission.  PAS will work 
closely with AID in identifying counterpart NGOs and 
individuals, as well as consider Merida benefits in their 
International Visitor programs. 
 
¶3. The primary action office for Merida's "hard" programs 
will be POL/NAS, managing INL-directed funding.  NAS will 
focus on providing equipment, training and capacity-building 
efforts to police, prosecutors and other security sector 
actors.  While INL funds -- both Honduras-specific and 
regionally managed -- will also be directed to anti-gang 
initiatives, they will be designed to remain complementary to 
USAID efforts.  Understanding that Merida funds are in 
addition to already-existing programs to promote peace and 
security in Honduras and the region, these two offices will 
also work in coordination with DEA, MILGROUP, DAO, RSO, RAO, 
PAS, JTF-B, TAT and MCC to ensure all efforts are managed in 
concert. 
 
¶4. The Ambassador has proposed to President Zelaya that the 
U.S. and Honduras develop a two country, multi-agency 
(taskforce) approach to implementing Merida and asked that 
Honduras designate a Merida Coordinator to serve as the 
counterpart to the DCM.  President Zelaya has appointed 
Security Minister Rodas to serve as the Honduran coordinator 
and the President and the Ambassador agreed to convene the 
Merida coordination task force before the end of CY 2008. 
The task force would bring together all relevant ministries 
within the GOH, and the President and the Ambassador would 
co-chair the first meeting involving senior Cabinet ministers 
and Country Team members.  Subsequently, Minister Rodas and 
the DCM would chair quarterly meetings to operationalize the 
task force.  The goals of the bilateral TF will be to 
maximize the effectiveness of Merida projects and ensure GOH 
input into deciding priorities and also ensure its 
participation as a contributing partner, rather than just a 
recipient of USG assistance.  The Ambassador has discussed 
further ways to coordinate security sector efforts with the 
Minister of Security (reftel). 
 
¶5. Embassy Honduras also will seek to emphasize the regional 
elements of the Merida Initiative.  The Tegucigalpa Merida WG 
will have regular meetings with mission personnel and reach 
out to counterparts from the U.S. Embassies in other Merida 
countries to boost economies of scale, the sharing of lessons 
learned and coordination of efforts across borders.  Further 
to this goal, the Ambassador believes it would be beneficial 
 
TEGUCIGALP 00001080  002 OF 002 
 
 
to have Ministers of Security and U.S. Ambassadors of the 
region meet periodically to promote regional cooperation on 
Merida measures. 
 
¶6. The Honduran Military was transformed into a positive 
defender of democratic principles through coordinated effort 
with the USG in the 1990s.  We hope that we will be able to 
make use of the Merida Initiative as a seed for making a 
similarly positive transition of the Honduran law enforcement 
community in order to tackle the shared threats of 
transnational crime and drug trafficking. Furthermore, the 
Merida Initiative also offers an opportunity for the Central 
American countries to expand their regional cooperative 
efforts, a long-standing U.S. policy goal. 
LLORENS