VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTG #0203/01 0832234
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 242234Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9461
RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000203 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, CA/OCS/ACS/WHA 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV CASC MOPS HO
SUBJECT: Ambassador Llorens Makes First Visit to Bay Islands 
 
¶1. Summary: The Ambassador emphasized the positive cooperation 
between Honduras and the USG during his first visit to the Honduran 
Bay Islands on March 12-13.  The Ambassador's wide-ranging schedule 
included participation in community and development assistance 
events related to a U.S. Navy ship visit, speaking at a tourism 
ministry seminar, meetings with local leaders, and a town hall 
meeting with American citizens.  While the Ambassador's message of 
good cooperation with Honduras and progress on issues of joint 
concern was well-received, many island residents are focused on how 
security and infrastructure issues may impact on the islands' 
growing reputation as a tourist destination.  End Summary. 
 
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Cooperation on Security and Development 
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¶2.  The Ambassador combined a ship visit, official meetings, and a 
U.S. citizen town hall during his first visit to the principal 
Honduran Bay Island of Roatan on March 12-13.  During several public 
events the Ambassador conveyed USG support for democratic principles 
in Honduras, with emphasis on the positive aspects of the bilateral 
relationship.  During a well-attended forum hosted by the Tourism 
Ministry, the Ambassador noted the growth of Honduras's economy 
under CAFTA-DR, and touched on how growth of the tourist economy on 
Roatan could be a model for other aspects of the Honduran economy. 
In his presentation, the Ambassador noted the great potential 
Honduras has as a tourism haven and praised the dramatic growth in 
the industry during the last decade with the Bay Islands leading the 
way.  The Ambassador stressed the importance of creating an optimal 
investment climate for tourism.  In this regard, he discussed the 
importance of ensuring full respect for property rights, an issue of 
great relevance in the Bay Islands because of the many property 
dispute cases affecting U.S. citizens that have purchased properties 
with questionable title.  The Ambassador also raised the critical 
importance of safety and security for tourists coming to Honduras. 
The Ambassador warned that continued rise in crime rates and the 
growing presence of drug trafficking organizations were a direct 
threat to the expansion of the tourism industry. 
 
¶3.  The Ambassador's messages was well-received by the islanders, 
many of whom have U.S. citizen family members, or are familiar with 
the U.S. through the tourist trade or commercial shipping and 
fishing.  Moreover, the Bay Islands received 430,000 cruise ship 
visitors last year, and expects an increase up to 700,000 by 2011 
when a second cruise ship terminal is fully operational.  The 
Tourism Minister estimates 90 percent of these cruise ship visitors 
are American. 
 
¶4.  The trip included a visit to the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58). 
  The Ambassador, accompanied by Honduran Inspector General Carlos 
Antonio Cuellar, Honduran Deputy Chief of the Navy Ivis Uvaldo 
Moreno, Honduran Colonel Isaula, Mayor of Roatan Dale Jackson, 
Roatan Director of Education Juana Aguilar and an Embassy team 
visited the ship and then viewed a community relations project 
carried out by crewmembers at the Elfreda Brooks Elementary School. 
A total of $8,985 SOUTHCOM Humanitarian Assistance Project funds 
were spent on the school for the construction and renovation of two 
classrooms, more than doubling the schools current size and 
increasing the school's capacity to 140 students, as well as for 
school supplies.  The ship's crew also participated in Theater 
Security and Cooperation Military to Military exercises on March 11, 
¶2009.  The visit received prominent media coverage in the Bay 
Islands and nationwide. 
 
¶5.  The Ambassador also met privately with the mayors, governor, and 
congress member for the Bay Islands.  The discussion during this 
event ranged from security and narcotics trafficking to 
infrastructure development.  The local officials noted their belief 
that the GOH pays less attention and devotes fewer resources to the 
islands because they are wealthier and safer than the mainland. In 
particular the group expressed a collective concern that crime was 
increasing while national police presence and enforcement was 
lacking.  Further, all agreed that local infrastructure would need 
further development to support the increase in tourists.  In 
particular, Roatan's mayor and the Bay Islands governor are 
interested in paving 11 kilometers of road on the north side of the 
island in order to relieve traffic congestion and the overuse of the 
current sole east west route, well as to increase areas available 
for development on the island. 
 
¶6.  On the positive side, the officials noted they were breaking 
ground on a 120 room hospital that would drastically improve medical 
services on the island.  The officials also appeared to support the 
building of a small Honduran naval base on the island of Guanaja 
(funded with U.S. Defense Department money) that would be 
principally aimed at fighting narco-trafficking.  The Mayor of 
Guanaja noted Guanaja's need for the jobs the naval base would 
bring. 
 
¶7.  The Ambassador and the officials discussed ways the Bay Islands 
could address these issues locally, noting that tourism revenue and 
local taxes may be sufficient to address certain Bay Islands' 
issues.  The Ambassador also suggested bringing a Bay Islands 
contingent to Tegucigalpa to meet with public and private 
international organizations that may be interested in supporting 
projects in the Bay Islands. The Ambassador and the local officials 
agreed to meet again in several weeks in Tegucigalpa to further 
discuss their goals. 
 
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Comment 
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¶8.  Both the officials and the American Citizens the Ambassador met 
on the islands seemed very concerned about security issues, but also 
seemed to recognize that the situation in the Bay Islands is better 
than in most of Honduras.  The islands' movers and shakers also 
appear to have a vested interest in improving security and 
infrastructure as nearly all have a stake in the tourism industry. 
The Ambassador's invitation to the leadership that they come to 
Tegucigalpa for meetings related to their security and 
infrastructure goals was well-received; we will plan to have it in 
May. 
End Comment. 
 
LLORENS