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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000092 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI HO
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT LOBO URGES NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND 
PLEDGES IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE 
 
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 27 
     ¶B. 09 TEGUCIGALPA 1302 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  The speech delivered by President Porfirio 
Lobo at his January 27 inauguration focused on national 
reconciliation and Honduras' reintegration into the community 
of nations.  He pledged to implement the Tegucigalpa-San Jose 
Accord and to quickly establish the truth commission called 
for by the accord.  He highlighted his commitment to the 
three pillars of his campaign plan: creating jobs and 
reducing poverty, expanding the reach and quality of 
education and health, and ensuring security.  End Summary. 
 
National Unity and Reconciliation 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) President Lobo acknowledged the political crisis that 
beset Honduras following the June 29 coup d'etat early on in 
his inaugural address.  He said Honduras had just emerged 
from the worst crisis in its democratic history, but showed 
the world that it is a country that loves liberty and peace. 
Lobo thanked all those who did not vote for his political 
party, the National Party, noting that with their 
participation in the November 29 general election they had 
strengthened Honduran democracy.  He told them that he will 
be "the President for all" because "Honduras is all of us" 
and "Honduras belongs to all."  Lobo said there had been "no 
winners or losers" and only one winner - Honduras.  Lobo said 
the reconciliation of the Honduran family began on 
inauguration day and that the country is now on the path 
towards understanding and national unity, adding that 
Hondurans have overcome their differences and are leaving the 
past behind and moving forward towards a shining and 
promising horizon.  (Note: Surprisingly, Lobo's calls for 
national unity were greeted by boos from many in the 
audience.  End Note.) 
 
¶3. (U) Lobo, as he had forecast, said his cabinet would 
include all political parties.  Lobo then interrupted his 
inaugural address to sign the amnesty decree passed by the 
National Congress on January 26.  Lobo underscored that the 
decree applies only to political offenses.  He pledged to 
implement the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord and install as soon 
as possible the truth commission called for by the accord. 
Lobo said that it is just that the Honduran people and the 
world know the reality of the events before, during and after 
June 28. 
 
International Community 
----------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Lobo thanked Costa Rican President Oscar Arias for 
seeking a just and peaceful solution to the Honduran crisis 
and said the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord marked the beginning 
of the end of the crisis.  Lobo thanked the Organization of 
American States (OAS) for being in constant contact with him 
as they monitored the Honduran crisis and said he is sure 
that Honduras will soon be re-admitted to the OAS.  (Note: 
Lobo's remarks about the OAS were met with boos from some in 
the audience.  End Note.)  Lobo also thanked the Secretary of 
State and the Ambassador for their efforts towards 
normalization of the bilateral relationship.  (Note: The 
mention of the Secretary was met by boos and some applause 
and the mention of the Ambassador by boos.  End Note.)  Lobo 
said his government wants to maintain the best relations 
possible with all countries of the world within the framework 
of mutual respect and civility.  He noted his firm belief in 
peoples' self-determination.  Lobo said he wants Honduras' 
national reconciliation to extend to reconciliation with the 
international community.  Lobo stated that Honduras needs to 
look back so as to never forget where it came from, but also 
needs to have a clear vision of where it is going as a member 
of the international community in a globalized world that 
offers great opportunities. 
 
Improved Standard of Living 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Lobo told his fellow citizens that his success as 
President will be measured by how the standard of living of 
 
TEGUCIGALP 00000092  002 OF 002 
 
 
all citizens, especially the poorest, improves.  He said a 
new page is being written as of inauguration day and that the 
letters and words on that new page will refer to the dignity 
of the human person, the common good, solidarity, and making 
the person the basis of society as well as the government's 
primary objective.  Lobo said it is not possible to ask 
people to put their lives in jeopardy for democracy if they 
are hungry or if social cohesion is not strengthened.  He 
promised to seek an improved quality of life for all 
Hondurans.  Lobo said the wealth of a nation cannot be 
measured by the earnings of the wealthiest, but should be 
measured by the quality of life of the poorest.  He said no 
family should be allowed to go to bed hungry because the 
parents cannot find a decent job.  Lobo, who developed his 
family's holding into one of the largest grain and cattle 
producing ranches in Honduras, underscored his knowledge of 
the agricultural sector and said he understood the challenges 
faced by small scale and large scale farmers.  He said the 
agricultural sector must be supported and its products 
exported. 
 
¶6. (U) Lobo warned that improving the standard of living 
would not be easy.  He stated that his government is 
inheriting a country with serious financial problems 
including an immense and almost unmanageable foreign debt and 
rampant internal debt.  He noted that, due to the political 
crisis, more than USD 2 billion in assistance was terminated. 
 Lobo said that that amount of money could have purchased all 
the medicine needed by the country's public hospitals for a 
period of twenty years.  Lobo said tourism and foreign 
investment must be attracted and promised investors they 
would find fair and clear laws. 
 
¶7. (U) Lobo said the country's health care system must be 
modernized and improved.  He said the health of a nation is 
not measured by the care received in private hospitals and 
clinics, but by the care received in public hospitals and 
clinics.  He promised to quickly implement his campaign 
pledges of making education bilingual (Spanish and English) 
and donating laptops to school-aged children.  He also 
promised to carry through on his campaign promise to improve 
education and said the key word is opportunity.  Lobo 
promised to turn Honduras into a country where all can live 
in safety, tranquillity, peace, and liberty.  Lobo said that 
without security there is no prosperity.  Lobo stated that 
the security of a nation is not measured by those who live 
with fences, alarms, high walls and guards, but how those in 
the country's poorest neighborhoods live. 
 
¶8. (U) Lobo said a country's justice system is not measured 
by the number of its laws, judges, prosecutors, attorneys, 
police or jails but by whether justice is applied in a prompt 
and impartial way to all citizens.  Lobo promised to fight 
corruption in both the government and the private sector and 
at all levels; he said the way to fight corruption is by 
ending impunity. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Lobo's speech could have been written by us, 
touching on all the points we believe essential to moving 
Honduras forward: seeking reconciliation, tackling poverty, 
and fighting corruption.  The boos from the audience came 
primarily from the elite stands, not from the parts of the 
stadium open to the general public, and reflect their 
majority support for Zelaya.  Booing at inauguration is 
somewhat of a tradition at Honduran inaugurations - outgoing 
and former presidents often loath attending - and the elite 
is bitter about international rejection of the Micheletti 
regime.  It was disappointing, however, to hear the booing of 
Lobo's call for reconciliation, demonstrating that the 
country has a distance to go in that respect. 
LLORENS