VZCZCXRO4667
RR RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHME #2922/01 2801800
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 071800Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8528
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0358
RUETKEN/USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFISS/HQS USNORTHCOM
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 002922 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC TO SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR WHA RESTREPO, WHA FOR DAS 
ROBERTA JACOBSON, WHA FOR MEX DIRECTOR LEE AND STAFF 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2019 
TAGS: PREL PINR MX HN
SUBJECT: GOM REMAINS CAUTIOUS ON HONDURAS 
 
REF: 09MEXICO2339) 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Gustavo Delgado for Reasons 
: 1.4 (b),(d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary.  Mexico regards as hollow the threat by 
Honduras' de facto president, Roberto Micheletti, to suspend 
the diplomatic privileges of several states, including 
Mexico, if they continue to deny his government recognition. 
Nevertheless, the GOM is reluctant to inject the Rio Group, 
of which it is the current president, into the burgeoning 
controversy in Honduras, out of concern about a potential 
backlash for the Mexican diplomatic corps there.  Mexico 
continues to look to the OAS to broker a solution to the 
crisis.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Jose Galvan Corona, Director for Central America at 
the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE), told Poloff 
on October 1 that Honduras' de facto president Roberto 
Micholetti had threatened to suspend the diplomatic 
privileges of Argentina, Mexico, Spain, and Venezuela 
September 27 in the hope that states would back off their 
unconditional call for the reinstatement of President Zelaya. 
 However, Mexico regards this threat as a hollow tactic and 
did not believe that Micheletti would follow through. 
President Calderon recalled Mexico's Ambassador to Honduras 
on June 29, one day after the coup. However, the Mexican 
Embassy otherwise operates normally in Honduras. According to 
Galvan Corona, the GOM has developed no plans to suspend 
normal operations of its Embassy in Honduras or pull any 
personnel back to Mexico.  FM Espinosa told the Mexican 
Congress on September 30 that under the Vienna Convention the 
Honduran Government is obligated to respect the immunity of 
diplomatic personal and property. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Corona further remarked that the GOM continued to 
look to the OAS to assume the lead in producing a resolution 
to the crisis in Honduras.  He noted an OAS delegation was 
scheduled to arrive in Honduras October 7, including OAS SYG 
Jose Miguel Insulza and Mexican Foreign Minister Espinosa 
(along with foreign ministers from Ecuador, El Salvador, 
Panama, and other high-level international representatives). 
Mexico saw this delegation assuming a key role in settling 
the stalemate between Micheletti and Zelaya. On October 7, FM 
Espinosa published an op-ed in El Universal that clearly lays 
out the GOM's support for the OAS process to resolve the 
crisis in Honduras. 
 
¶4. (C) Separately, Colombian Embassy Officer told Poloff that 
she had attended an October 1 meeting of the Rio Group in 
Mexico City that dealt with Honduras.  Mexico had previously 
issued a strong statement on September 23 in support of 
Honduran stability, Zelaya's reinstatement, and the role of 
the OAS in mediation.  However, a week later, following 
Micheletti's 9/29 threat, Monroy told Poloff that the GOM 
backed off a Rio Group statement that referenced Zelaya, 
despite considerable support from other member states.  The 
result was a statement by the Rio Group that endorsed 
mediation by the OAS, but made no mention of Zelaya.  Monroy 
was uncertain of the GOM's reasoning - it may have been 
because they believed such a public message could have 
interfered with the beginning of the OAS mediation mission 
over the weekend.  Alternatively, they may have been 
concerned about the potential impact on their Embassy in 
Honduras. 
¶5. (C) Since Michelleti took control of the Honduran 
Government June 28, Mexico has continued to recognize the 
Government of Zelaya and work closely with the Honduran 
Embassy in Mexico, which is headed by Zelaya-loyalist 
Rosalinda Bueso Asfuera.  Bueso Asfuera sent Post (and other 
diplomatic missions) a dipnote September 25 requesting funds 
to assist in the upkeep of her Embassy during the stalemate 
in Honduras.  (Note: Per WHA guidance, we will politely 
dcline.)  Bueso Asfuera told us that the Mexican Government 
was providing financial support to the Honduran Mission. 
SRE Director General for Central America and the Caribbean, 
Omar Hurtado Contreras denied this.  He conceded to Poloff 
that that the SRE had received a solicitation from the 
Honduran Embassy, but said Mexico was not providing funding. 
 
¶4.  (C) Comment:  Mexico appears relatively confident 
Honduras will continue to honor its obligations under the 
Vienna Convention and not lift the protections of the 
diplomatic community working in Honduras.  At the same, it 
exhibited some reticence about having the Rio Group which it 
 
MEXICO 00002922  002 OF 002 
 
 
presently leads assume a higher profile on the matter. 
Instead, the GOM continues to look to the OAS to retain the 
lead for forging a solution to the political crisis there. 
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American 
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / 
 
PASCUAL