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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TEGUCIGALPA 000535 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV MARR MASS EAID KDEM PHUM SNAR HO
SUBJECT: HONDURAN COUP SITREP #10 (UNCLASSIFIED) 07/04/09 
AS OF NOON LOCAL (1400 EDT) 
 
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 532 AND OTHERS 
     ¶B. STATE 69221 
 
TEGUCIGALP 00000535  001.3 OF 003 
 
 
 ---------------------------------------- 
Protests Peaked Friday, Quieter Saturday 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶1. (U) All demonstrations have remained peaceful.  Today's 
pro-Zelaya protest, numbering approximately 4,000 to 5,000 
people, began at the Pedagogical University, then moved to 
the Clarion Hotel and onward toward the Supreme Court 
building.  That group, then numbering 10,000, proceeded to 
Toncontin International Airport, blocking traffic into and 
out of the airport.  Airport officials reported that flight 
operations were not disrupted, though a small number of 
passengers did not make their flights.  The demonstration 
disbursed at 1500 local (1700 EST); the demonstrators plan to 
follow the same path on July 5.  A pro-coup rally failed to 
materialize, possibly to avoid coming into contact and 
conflict with the pro-Zelaya group.  Beyond Tegucigalpa, the 
Honduran countryside remains largely peaceful with some 
small, isolated demonstrations on both sides of the issue. 
In Tegucigalpa, Friday saw the city's largest protests to 
date, with the pro-coup rally peaking at over 10,000 people 
and the pro-Zelaya group passing 5,000.  By midday July 2, 
approximately 300 Nicaraguan protesters had blocked the Las 
Manos border crossing, demonstrating in favor of Zelaya, 
while approximately 100 Salvadoran protesters did the same at 
the El Amatillo crossing.  Both groups dispersed by 
mid-afternoon.  Honduran Police (HNP) report the El Amatillo 
protest resumed briefly today, but had ended by 11:00 local. 
There was no parallel demonstration at Las Manos today. 
(Note: these protests lend further support to the HNP and de 
facto regime's claims that the pro-Zelaya movement has a 
significant foreign element. End note) 
 
¶2. (U) Ironically, at 1500 local, the pro-Zelaya protest 
group prevented OAS SYG Insulza from entering the OAS 
Mission for his scheduled meeting with the G-16 international 
donor group.  The same crowd, chanting pro-U.S. slogans, then 
granted the Ambassador and the other G-16 representatives 
safe passage out to join Insulza at a nearby hotel. 
 
¶3. (U) Buildings along the march routes now bear graffiti 
from both sides, including depictions of de facto president 
Micheletti with a Hitler moustache, "Pinocheletti," hammer 
and sickle symbols from one side, and a caricature of Zelaya 
and his two closest advisors as the Three Stooges from the 
other. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Political Developments; Public Opinion 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Just after 2100 local (2300 EDT) July 2, the de facto 
regime announced via television that it renounced 
Article 21 of the OAS Democratic Charter and was formally 
removing Honduras from the organization.  (Note: USOAS 
Poloff noted the OAS was unlikely to recognize this move 
because OAS does not recognize the legitimacy of the de 
facto regime, and that the process for a member state to exit 
the OAS takes two years anyway.  End note.)  Post is 
preparing talking points for our contacts here stressing the 
automatic sanctions and other repercussions an OAS suspension 
will trigger.  Regime supporters have generally given the 
impression they intend to simply weather the storm until 
November elections with the expectation the elections will be 
enough to absolve them of sanctions. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Post is adhering to Washington guidance regarding a 
no-contact policy (Ref B) with the Micheletti regime, while 
continuing to seek back-channel progress through non-regime 
contacts. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador met with OAS SYG Insulza during the 
 
TEGUCIGALP 00000535  002.3 OF 003 
 
 
SYG's meeting with the G-16, and again at the end of his 
one-day mission July 3.  Insulza expressed disappointment at 
the response he had received from the Supreme Court and 
Cardinal Rodriguez, as well as surprise at the strong 
defiance of many Hondurans in general to the OAS,s 
resolution.  Insulza said that Liberal Party presidential 
candidate Santos and National Party presidential candidate 
Lobo had not, he believed, been involved in the coup, but 
were uncertain whether to condemn it. 
Insulza believed the OAS would vote to expel Honduras on July 
¶4. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Catholic Church issued a communique this morning 
which was signed by the Cardinal and all of his bishops that 
appeared to support the coup.  Cardinal Rodriguez called the 
Ambassador to report that once the communique was released he 
received a death threat and another threat from the Bloque 
Popular (a local left-wing organization) to burn down the 
cathedral.  He said that this week the Bloque Popular 
demonstrators had on three o occasions written graffiti and 
thrown paint on the cathedral walls.  He also said that the 
pro-Zelaya demonstrators were breaking windows and 
vandalizing cars.  He said by contrast the pro-Micheletti 
group were well behaved and law abiding.  The Ambassador 
repeated his points from an earlier meeting, laying out the 
U.S. position condemning the coup and supporting the 
re-establishment of the constitutional order.  The Ambassador 
also mentioned concerns about suppression of civil liberties 
and press freedoms, but noted that efforts to limit press 
freedom had declined significantly in the last several days, 
although some media outlets were practicing self-censorship. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Approximately a dozen members of Congress from the 
ruling Liberal and leftist opposition Democratic 
Unification parties held a press conference the evening of 
July 3 to decry irregularities in the June 28 Congressional 
action that installed Micheletti as interim president and to 
label the actions of that day a coup.  Some participants in 
the news conference have contacted the Embassy today through 
intermediaries to say they feel threatened.  Two members of 
Congress -- Elvia Argentina Valle (Liberal, Copan) and 
Carolina Echeverria (Liberal, Gracias a Dios) made similar 
statements on national radio July 2.  At least three other 
members of Congress told EconCouns they attempted to issue 
similar statements on local radio stations but were 
prevented.  Echeverria contacted EconCouns today to state 
that she is receiving threats that her husband will be 
arrested.  She is planning to file a complaint with human 
rights groups and is debating whether she should assume her 
seat when Congress resumes session Tuesday. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Post continues also to reach out to NGO and other 
informal contacts with more direct ties to outlying regions 
of the country in an effort to gauge public opinion.  One NGO 
with outreach programs in Gracias a Dios, Yoro and poor 
neighborhoods within Tegucigalpa notes they are hearing an 
overwhelmingly anti-Zelaya sentiment, though some temper this 
with concerns over how the coup might affect their daily 
lives.  They also state that people in Gracias a Dios have 
observed, speaking with a tinge of irony, the presence of 
prominent Zelaya Administration figures in their 
long-neglected region.  Human rights NGOs continue to report 
claims that the de facto regime has been disrupting their 
ability to communicate, and a video of Honduran troops 
shooting out the tires of a pro-Zelaya indigenous group's 
buses on June 29 is now circulating on YouTube. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
Diplomatic Status of Other Missions; Assistance Programs 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Prior to the July 3 meeting with OAS SYG Insulza, 
the G-16 member country missions discussed their diplomatic 
posture in Honduras and the current status of their 
development assistance programs.  The Ambassador and USAID 
 
TEGUCIGALP 00000535  003.3 OF 003 
 
 
Country Director attended.  The EU has recalled their 
ambassadors serving in Honduras; the ambassadors from Italy, 
France and Spain are now in their respective countries.  The 
German representative, however, noted Germany intended to 
maintain an ambassador in Honduras, though one was not 
present at the moment.  Other European countries continue to 
maintain their ambassadorial representation from neighboring 
countries.  Other G-16 countries, including Japan and Canada 
stated they would continue to do the same. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Regarding development assistance, the UN plan is 
continuing support, though it will increase its focus on 
human rights issues emanating from the current crisis.  EU 
and other European countries are continuing their 
development programs for the moment.  This includes the 
bilateral assistance programs of Spain, France, Sweden, 
Switzerland, and Germany, as well as the EU itself.  The one 
exception is the budget support the EU provides the 
GOH, which has been suspended.  Canada and Japan are also 
continuing their assistance programs.  The World Bank has 
halted discussions on new loans and activities, but existing 
activities are continuing.  As the inter-American Development 
Bank is directly tied to the OAS, their representative 
anticipated a suspension of its activities following 
Saturday's vote by the OAS on Honduras.  The USG initiated a 
partial suspension of some development activities on July 3. 
This included some USAID activities that provide technical 
support to GOH ministries.  USAID programs supporting 
democracy and governance, child survival, HIV/AIDS 
prevention, and rural development are currently continuing. 
The posture of most G-16 countries on assistance remains 
"wait and see." 
 
--------------------------------- 
Infrastructure and Communications 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶12. (U) Toncontin and San Pedro Sula airports remain open for 
international flights (despite today's demonstration at 
Toncontin), and American, Continental and Delta airlines 
continue to operate flights as usual.  TACA continues to have 
difficulties as a result of an unrelated commercial dispute. 
As reported previously, some ad hoc roadblocks exist.  Land 
borders remain open to all traffic, save for brief 
disruptions as noted above.  Power, water, telephone, and 
Internet continue at normal levels.  Only pro-Zelaya 
television channel 36 remains off the air. 
LLORENS