VZCZCXYZ0007
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0587/01 1912141
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 102141Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1029
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS IMMEDIATE 1156
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN JOSE 000587 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA, WHA/CEN AND USOAS; SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR FPA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2019 
TAGS: HO PGOV PINR PREL CS KDEM
SUBJECT: HONDURAS TALKS: ARIAS MEDIATION BEGINS BUT NO FACE 
TO FACE MEETING BETWEEN ZELAYA AND MICHELETTI 
 
REF: A. SAN JOSE 544 
     ¶B. SAN JOSE 565 
     ¶C. SAN JOSE 570 
     ¶D. BRENNAN/WEBSTER EMAILS 7/9/09 
 
Classified By: CDA Peter M. Brennan for reason 1.4 (d). 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On July 9, talks hosted by President Arias 
between the Zelaya delegation and the Micheletti delegation 
began, but no face to face meeting occurred between the 
principals and no substantive agreements were reached.  Arias 
met separately with Zelaya and Micheletti but no details have 
emerged from those high level discussions.  Micheletti 
departed Costa Rica after three hours of discussion and 
Zelaya departed early on July 10 for possible meetings in the 
Dominican Republic with President Fernandez.  On July 10, the 
two delegations continued to meet but according to local 
press reporting there had been no progress on key issues such 
as the return of Zelaya to Honduras.  President Arias, though 
clearly pleased that he is able to host the talks, 
acknowledged that this process will take longer than he 
predicted and was less optimistic on a quick resolution.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On July 9, talks began in San Jose to try and 
mediate the Honduran political crisis sparked by the June 28 
removal of President Zelaya from office.  Both Zelaya and de 
facto President Micheletti separately met with President 
Arias but not face to face.  Their delegations did meet after 
Micheletti had departed the country after his three hour 
meeting with Arias.  Little of substance has emerged as of 
the afternoon of July 10, but prospects for a quick 
resolution have dimmed. 
 
¶3. (C) Minister of the Presidency/Chief of Staff Rodrigo 
Arias, who is also President Arias' brother, told us on the 
evening of July 9 that overall "things were not going well." 
Micheletti was determined to leave Costa Rica as soon as he 
could and Zelaya was not very interested in 
dialogue/negotiation either.  The two never met face to face 
or even with their negotiation teams.  Apparently both sides 
came in initially with their entire entourage of supporters, 
which Arias received, but insisted that for the discussions 
they keep it to their core negotiating team.  (Core teams 
listed at end below). 
 
¶4. (C) After his meeting with President Arias, Zelaya stayed 
in his hotel along with his larger entourage and the 
Venezuelan Vice Foreign Minister and Ambassador, the 
Nicaraguan Ambassador, and Cuban Consul, amongst others. 
Zelaya had given a calm, moderate statement at a brief press 
conference with Arias, saying that he hoped these discussions 
would lead to a restoration of the constitutional order in 
Honduras.  Both he and Micheletti (in his own conference 
later on with Arias) talked about holding elections as 
planned in November, but there was no word of moving them up. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Costa Ricans, for their part, are quite proud to 
be hosting the talks and emphasized that just beginning these 
talks is a huge step.  President Arias, though less 
optimistic now than a day or two ago, could try and get the 
parties to sign a "road map."  The fact that the two 
delegations are at the same table is notable, but there does 
not seem to be any meaningful progress yet at that table. 
 
¶5. (U) Local TV media reported during the Noon-time media 
news cycle on July 10 that: 
 
 -- Zelaya's group would not accept Micheletti to continue as 
President and are agreeable to dialogue only to coordinate 
Zelaya's return; 
 -- Micheletti's group listed the offenses that Zelaya had 
committed and reaffirmed that there was a violation of the 
constitution; 
 -- Micheletti's group will let Zelaya return but only to 
appear before a tribunal; and 
 -- there is discussion of whether or not there was a coup 
and the Honduran Prosecutor's Office is investigating why 
Zelaya was taken to Costa Rica in the first place. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6. (C) Clearly the two sides are not close to an agreement, 
but the fact that the delegations stayed on for the talks on 
 
 
 
Friday are encouraging.  During a long-scheduled visit and 
unrelated trip to SOUTHCOM on July 8, Minister Rodrigo Arias 
told us that they believe Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's 
control over Zelaya was very high.  Arias said that when he 
went to the airport that fateful Sunday morning (June 28), 
Zelaya was already on the cell phone with Chavez and they 
spoke for 45 minutes.  Arias questioned whether either side 
would cede on the issue of who occupies the Presidency over 
the next few months and speculated that it may be necessary 
to tap some third person agreeable to both.  Post sees these 
discussions as positive but anticipates that as more time 
passes without resolution the negotiations will be long and 
drawn out. 
 
------------ 
PARTICIPANTS 
------------ 
 
Zelaya's core delegation: 
 
-Patricia Rodas (former foreign minister); 
-Silvia Ayala (ex-presidential candidate of Unification 
Democratic Party-PUD); 
-Salvador Zuniga (head of PUD); and 
-Milton Jimenez (former foreign minister). 
 
Micheletti's core delegation: 
 
-Carlos Lopez (former foreign minister); 
-Arturo Corrales (ex-presidential candidate for Christian 
Democratic Party-PDC); 
-Mauricio Villeda (lawyer); and 
-Vilma Cecilia Morales (ex-president of Supreme Court of 
Justice). 
 
Costa Rica's mediation team: 
 
-President Oscar Arias; 
-Minister Rodrigo Arias; 
-FM Bruno Stagno; and 
-Minister of Justice Viviana Martin. 
BRENNAN