Viewing cable 09TEGUCIGALPA474, AMBASSADOR WARNS HONDURAN MILITARY ON COUP RUMORS

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C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 000474 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/CEN DAS DAVE ROBINSON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM HO
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR WARNS HONDURAN MILITARY ON COUP RUMORS 
 
REF: TEGUCIGALPA 465 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Hugo Llorens, reason 1.4 (B&D) 
 
¶1. (C) Ambassador, accompanied by DCM, hosted Honduran 
Military Joint Chief Romeo Vazquez Velasquez and Deputy Chief 
Miguel Garcia Padgett for breakfast on June 18 and conveyed 
in the strongest terms USG concerns about rumors that the 
military would move against the government if Honduran 
politicians did not reach a consensus on the legality of poll 
on a referendum for a constituent assembly to rewrite the 
constitution (reftel). The Ambassador told the two military 
leaders that the &heavens would fall8 if the military made 
any unconstitutional move, that the USG and international 
community would condemn them and that democracy in Honduras 
and the military as an institution would be set back for 
years. Vazquez assured the Ambassador that the military 
would not make any move against the government, though 
admitting that they had privately threatened to do so in 
order to put pressure on politicians to reach a consensus. 
 
¶2. (C) Rumors have been circulating for more than a week that 
the military had threatened political leaders with action 
&to restore democracy8 if an agreement was not reached on 
the poll issue. The military is under pressure on the issue 
as President Manuel &Mel8 Zelaya has ordered them to 
provide logistical support for the poll while an appellate 
court has ordered the poll illegally, and threatened any 
government agency that supports it with legal action. 
Military leaders have therefore told senior politicians from 
both of Honduras, two major political parties that if a 
resolution is not found they may have to take unspecified 
action against the Zelaya government. (Note: Senior 
Honduran military officers have told DATT that they would 
consider creating an &administrative junta8 until elections 
are held in December for a new president and congress. In 
these meetings we have also made clear that such action would 
be totally unacceptable to the U.S.)

¶3. (C) Vasquez admitted to the Ambassador that these threats 
had been made, but said that their purpose was to prod 
politicians into reaching an agreement. Vazquez described 
the military's situation as intolerable, with being told by 
their commander-in-chief to carry out an order while being 
told by a court that order was illegal. Nevertheless he 
denied any intention to actually take action and assured the 
Ambassador that the military would never do anything that was 
not/not supported by the USG. Besides telling Vasquez that 
any unconstitutional action would be unacceptable, the 
Ambassador urged patience, telling him that we were in 
contact with Zelaya and senior Honduran politicians (to be 
reported septel) and that there was a possibility of a last 
minute compromise. The meeting concluded with the Ambassador 
and Vasquez agreeing to stay in touch.

¶4. (C) Comment: The military has found itself between a rock 
and a hard place, being ordered by their commander-in-chief 
to carry out an order ruled illegal by an appellate court. 
They have decided to push back and insist that Honduran 
politicians reach a consensus that removes the military from 
this dilemma. That they have made these threats is both a 
sign of the severity of the situation. Nevertheless, we do 
not/not believe that military leaders have any intention of 
actually moving against the legitimate government, at this 
time. We are actively engaged with all key actors and will 
continue to monitor their situation while encouraging 
Honduran politicians to reach an equitable solution. 
LLORENS