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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000607 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV CASC MARR KDEM PHUM ASEC HO
SUBJECT: HONDURAS COUP SITREP #20, 07/16/2009 AS OF 15:00 
LOCAL (17:00 EDT) 
 
REF: TEGUCIGALPA 600 AND PREVIOUS 
 
--------------------------------- 
DEMONSTRATIONS AND OTHER ACTIVITY 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶1. (U) At 09:15 local (11:15 EDT), approximately 300 
pro-Zelaya demonstrators gathered on the southern edge of 
Tegucigalpa to block the CA-5, Honduras's main highway.  An 
additional 700 Zelaya supporters were en route to the CA-5 
north of the city to do the same.  At the same time there 
were also approximately 100 pro-Zelaya protestors gathered 
in front of the National Autonomous University of Honduras 
(UNAH) in town.  As of 10:01 local (12:01 EDT), the 
pro-Zelaya protests had grown to approximately 1,000 to 
1,500 people blocking transit on the CA-5 in the north and 
1,000 blocking the south.  At 11:44 local (13:44 EDT), the 
numbers of protestors blocking north and south CA-5 transit 
were reportedly the same with 100 pro-Zelaya protestors 
blocking the entrance to UNAH.  At 11:55 local (13:55 EDT), 
approximately 800 to 1,000 pro-Micheletti supporters 
gathered in front of the country's national electoral 
commission (TSE) building blocking the street.  At 12:45 
local (14:45 EDT) this group dispersed and traffic resumed. 
At 13:30 local (15:30 EDT), the UNAH demonstrators 
dispersed.  At about 15:00 local (17:00 EDT), the 
demonstrators 
on the CA-5 and the southern artery dispersed and 
vehicles began to transit. 
 
¶2. (U) At 09:15 local (11:15 EDT), protestors gathered 
to block portions of the highway connecting the north 
coast cities of San Pedro Sula and Puerto Cortes.  They 
dispersed after several hours. 
 
¶3. (U) A homemade explosive device was placed in the 
parking lot of a Burger King near the Toncontin Airport the 
evening of July 15.  No damages were reported following its 
detonation. 
 
¶4. (U) The de facto government reinstated the curfew last 
night following a heightened state of alert by the national 
police force. The curfew will be imposed from 00:30 to 
04:30 local time (02:30 to 06:30 EDT) until further notice. 
Police contacts confirmed that 40 people were arrested 
nationwide last night for violating the curfew. 
 
¶5. (U) Post has observed a general escalation of rumors and 
alarmist comments regarding violence in recent days.  Post 
will comment more on this via SepTel. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Infrastructure and Communications 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Toncontin Airport remains open and has been 
operating since Tuesday afternoon, July 7.  All American 
Airlines flights were cancelled today, July 16; no 
cancellations are planned for July 17. 
Continental and Delta flights continue operating as 
normal.  San Pedro Sula airport remains open for 
international flights, and American, Continental and Delta 
Airlines continue to operate flights as usual to and from 
that destination. 
 
¶7. (U) As of 11:04 local (13:04 EDT), approximately 50 
people affiliated with the Nicaraguan Social Movement 
gathered on the Nicaragua side of the Las Manos border 
crossing.  The crowd dispersed about two hours later. 
Despite early reports that Nicaragua and El 
Salvador were planning to close land border crossings July 
16-17, all land borders are reportedly still open to both 
private and commercial traffic. 
 
¶8. (U) Bus services remain partially interrupted as several 
companies cancelled routes for the day while others 
plan to operate under their normal schedules barring 
potential road blockages. 
 
TEGUCIGALP 00000607  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶9. (U) As of the afternoon of July 16, there were no reports 
of abnormal public utility outages in the country. 
 
------------------------------- 
Consular and Embassy Operations 
------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (U) DHS/ICE reports that logistical problems have been 
resolved with repatriation flights, which will continue at 
a rate of one flight per day until further notice. 
 
¶11. (U) The Embassy remains open for all regular consular 
services today, July 16.  Barring a change in the security 
situation, the consular section plans to be open for 
regular consular services until further notice. 
 
¶12. (U) The Consular Section continues to receive 
approximately 50 inquiries each day from AmCits regarding 
the political situation.  Post issued an updated Warden 
Message the afternoon of July 16 with information on the 
reinstatement of the curfew.  The Consular Section 
continues to regularly update ACS information on the 
Embassy website. 
LLORENS