VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0544/01 1801312
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291312Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0990
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS IMMEDIATE 1154
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000544 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA, WHA/CEN AND USOAS; SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CS HO KDEM PGOV PINR PREL
SUBJECT: HONDURAN PRESIDENT IS SURPRISE GUEST IN COSTA RICA 
 
REF: A. SAN JOSE-OPS CENTER TELECONS 
     ¶B. 6/28/09 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  President Manuel Zelaya, whisked out of 
Tegucigalpa early on June 28 under military guard, found 
himself a surprise guest in San Jose a few hours later.  The 
GOCR evidently was not advised in advance, and both Zelaya 
and President Oscar Arias made clear that the Honduran was 
not seeking, nor had been granted political asylum.  Strongly 
condemning the military action against Zelaya, and calling 
for a swift, democratic resolution, Arias publicly invited 
his counterpart to travel with him to Managua on June 29 for 
the previously-schedule Central American Integration System 
(SICA) summit.  Arias also announced that the GOCR, to assume 
the rotating SICA presidency on July 1, was urging all Rio 
Group members to attend the Managua event, in order to 
address the Honduran situation on a broader, hemispheric 
basis. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. A NOT-SO-QUIET SUNDAY:  For the record, the following is 
the Costa Rican state-of-play of the Honduran crisis, as of 
1400 hours local on June 28.  The Costa Rican portion of this 
story unfolded at 0818 hours local, when an Honduran military 
aircraft unceremoniously deposited the pajama-clad Zelaya at 
San Jose's Juan Santamaria International Airport, then 
returned immediately to Honduras.  Senior MFA officials, 
including VM Edgard Ugalde and Chief of Protocol Javier 
Sancho, scrambled to meet Zelaya.  The local ambassadors from 
Nicaragua and Venezuela, and the Cuban Consul General soon 
joined them, with President Arias following shortly after. 
The small operations center for the GOCR's police air unit 
became Zelaya's base.  Borrowing cell phones, he as able to 
take calls from regional leaders including Presidents Chavez, 
Ortega and Funes, as well as from A/S Shannon.  Shannon also 
spoke with FM Bruno Stagno (already in Managua for the SICA 
preparations).  The Embassy facilitated the Shannon calls. 
 
¶3.  A KIDNAPPING, NOT ASYLUM: At a well-attended airport 
press conference which began at 1120, Zelaya said he had been 
"kidnapped" by "a few ambitious members" of the Honduran 
military and taken to Costa Rica.  He made clear he was not 
seeking political asylum, but expressed deep gratitude to 
"Nobel laureate" Arias, and to "democratic" Costa Rica, for 
accepting him as a "guest."  Zelaya reiterated his hope to 
return soon to Honduras, since he remained the elected 
president, and he called on all the democracies in the 
region, especially the United States, to help restore 
"democratic rights" to the Honduran people.  (NOTE:  The 
press conference concluded before the Honduran legislature 
stripped Zelaya of the presidency.) 
 
¶4.  COSTA RICA CONDEMNS COUP:  To the media before departing 
for the airport, and during the press conference, Arias 
called the events in Honduras a clear coup, or "golpe de 
estado," which threatened constitutional democracy in 
Honduras, and was a blow to democracy in Central America and 
in the hemisphere.  He said that "all Costa Rica" condemns 
the coup -- a "lamentable regression" for democracy in Latin 
America -- and he called for swift re-establishment of 
democratic order in Honduras. 
 
¶5.  Arias confirmed that Zelaya had not requested political 
asylum, but Costa Rica was pleased to offer him "hospitality" 
in the "Costa Rican tradition."  Arias said that he had 
invited Zelaya to travel with him to the SICA summit in 
Managua, during which the Honduran situation would be the top 
agenda item.  Arias added that the GOCR was inviting all Rio 
Group members to attend, in order to give the meeting the 
broadest base possible.  (NOTE: Despite rumors that the BGRV 
would dispatch an aircraft to fetch Zelaya later on June 28 
and take him to Caracas instead of the SICA summit, both 
Zelaya and Arias reassured the media that they would travel 
together to Managua on June 29.) 
 
¶6.  LOCAL MEDIA TRIES TO STIR TROUBLE:  Most of the media 
peppered Zelaya with questions, but some local outlets, 
reflecting Tico legalism, hammered the GOCR officials on who 
had actually cleared Zelaya's military flight to land. 
Minister of Public Security Janina del Vecchio responded that 
the aircraft was not armed, and had filed a flight plan 
following regular civilian routes and therefore did not need 
special (i.e., legislative) approval to land.  Indicative of 
the importance the GOCR placed on the Zelaya situation (and 
of explaining and defending the GOCR's response to same), 
Ministers Rodrigo Arias (Presidency) and Mayi Antillon 
(Communications) also attended the press conference, with 
Antillon acting as MC. 
BRENNAN