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Viewing cable 09PANAMA698, MARTINELLI AND VARELA STAND BEHIND SAN JOSE ACCORD

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09PANAMA698 2009-09-18 13:44 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Panama
VZCZCXRO9171
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHZP #0698 2611344
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181344Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3749
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA IMMEDIATE 2854
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA IMMEDIATE 0001
RUEHMU/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA IMMEDIATE 0656
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO IMMEDIATE 3865
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE IMMEDIATE 2052
RUEHSN/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR IMMEDIATE 1585
RUEHTG/AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA IMMEDIATE 0451
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN IMMEDIATE
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI IMMEDIATE 0128
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS PANAMA 000698 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR WHA AND ISN/RA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KNNP MNUC ECON HO AA IR PM
SUBJECT: MARTINELLI AND VARELA STAND BEHIND SAN JOSE ACCORD 
 
REF: STATE 95073 
 
1.  (SBU) At a September 16 breakfast meeting with Panamanian 
President Ricardo Martinelli and Vice President/Foreign 
Minister Juan Carlos Varela, WHA Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary Craig Kelly reviewed in detail the situation in 
Honduras, looking forward to the meeting between Costa Rican 
President Arias and the Honduran presidential candidates in 
San Jose later the same day.  Martinelli fully backed the 
U.S. approach.  He said the de facto regime had legitimate 
fears about Zelaya, but added "They shouldn't have done what 
they did."  Martinelli agreed it was necessary to send a 
strong signal that this sort of change in government was 
unacceptable, saying, "This could happen to anyone, even me." 
 He was in full agreement that the San Jose Accord was the 
best vehicle to do this. 
 
2. (SBU)  VP/FM Varela said one possible way forward was to 
have both parties sign the accord, but leave open the date of 
Zelaya's return.  P/DAS Kelly stressed that ideally we would 
get Zelaya to return well before the election, to send the 
signal that we had corrected the unconstitutional change in 
government, and with controls in place to ensure the de facto 
government that Zelaya would not be able to create 
disturbances and undermine the electoral process.  Martinell 
and Varela both agreed the de facto regime had more 
assurances under the San Jose Accord than in going forward 
alone. P/DAS Kelly pointed out that by continuing the crisis, 
the de factos were playing into Venezuelan President Chavez's 
hands.  Martinelli responded, "That's a very good point." 
 
3. (SBU) Martinelli and Varela had returned from Italy on 
September 15, and said the Vatican seemed very strong in 
supporting the Cardinal in Tegucigalpa.  Martinelli did not 
think the visa revocations were an effective tool, and only 
created resentment.  Separately, Varela disagreed, saying he 
thought the visa revocations were motivating people in the 
regime to urge Micheletti to seek a solution.  Varela told 
Kelly that he would follow up by reaching out to the de facto 
regime, arguing that they are better off with the San Jose 
Accord than without it.  Varela and Kelly also agreed it was 
vital to involve the region's private sectors in seeking an 
enduring solution. 
 
4. (SBU) P/DAS Kelly made a similar pitch and obtained a 
similar positive response with the American Chamber of 
Commerce.  Former AmCham president Urriola spoke for all when 
he said "We will support you" by carrying the message to 
business leaders in Honduras and throughout the region that 
the San Jose Accord is the best way forward.  The business 
leaders voiced concern that Zelaya would not be a responsible 
actor and that Chavez would benefit from Zelaya,s return in 
the short run, but accepted that it would be worse to 
continue to have to discuss Honduras and to provide Chavez 
the opportunity to exploit the coup.  Executive Director 
David Hunt said he greatly benefited from having a 
face-to-face conversation about the issue, and suggested 
using DVCs to increase the number of interactions between 
Washington officials and regional AmChams on this subject. 
 
Iran 
---- 
5. (SBU) P/DAS Kelly encouraged Martinelli and Varela to 
press Iran, publicly and/or privately, to accept the P5 1 
offer to meet and to fully cooperate with IAEA inspections. 
Martinelli said Panama would be supportive. 
 
This message has been cleared by WHA P/DAS Kelly. 
STEPHENSON