ZAPOTILLO CAYS DISPUTE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP08C01297R000400150019-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2012
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: April 28, 1981
• Content Type: CABLE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/28: CIA-RDP08C01297R000400150019-4
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81 6311032
PAGE 001
TORS 281737Z APR 81
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25X1
PP RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
STU7815
PP RUEHC
DE RUESTE 42868 1101604
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 281555Z APR 81
FM AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHOC PRIORITY 2757
INFO RUEHCR/AMCDNSUL BELIZE 0534
RUESGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0286
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0168
BY
ENT4AL
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE TEGUCIGALPA 2868
? E0 12065 N/A
TAGS; PBOR, HO
SUBJECTS ZAPOTILLO CATS DISPUTE
REFI STATE 95269
14 SINCE RECENT DISPUTE BEGAN, HONDURANS HAVE CONSISTENTLY
REFERRED TO DISPUTED ISLETS AS "GATOS ZAPOTILLOS" ALTHOUGH
EMBASSY POSSESSES MAPS WHICH SPELL THESE CATS AS SAPODILLA
OR ZAPOTILLA. WE ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THAT ZAPODILLA
MIGHT ALSO BE USED FOR THESE SAME SPECKS ()PIANO. HOWEVER,
ON MARCH 25. EL HERALD() .CARRIED LENGTHY EXCERPT FROM A
REFERENCE WORK PUBLISHED IN 1939 BY GUSTAVO A. CASTANEDA
ENTITLED "EL SOMINIO INSULAR ?DE HONDURAS", IN WHICH AUTHOR
STATES THAT ZAPODILLA tAYS. WHICH ARE NOT UNDER HONDURAN
SOVEREIGNTY, ARE "TWO SMALL ISLANDS FARTHER TO THE NORTH
OF OURS" (THE ZAPOTILLOS). WE DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THESE TWO
OTHER ISLETS IN FACT* EXIST OR NOT, AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO
FIND THEM ON A MAP.
2. THE SAME EXCERPT FROM CITED WORK LISTS THE SIX
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/28: CIA-RDP08C01297R000400150019-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/28: CIA-RDP08C01297R000400150019-4
CONFIDENTIAL
81 6311032
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ISLETS COLLECTIVELY CALLED THE ZAPOTILLO GAYS, TOGETHER
WITH THEIR AREA IN HECTARES AS: RACKED CAY (1.21):
LIME CAY (2.85): HUNTING CAY (4.86)1 NICHOLAS CAY
(4,06); FRANCK CAY (3.64); ANO NORTH EAST CAY (0.81).
TO DATE. THE GCS HAS NOT PUBLISHED ANY SPECIFIC
DESCRIPTION OF ITS CLAIM. FONOFF HAS INFORMED EMBASSY
THAT FORMAL EXPOSITION OF HONDURAN CASE IS ONLY NOW
BEING PREPARED BY WORKING GROUP, BUT THAT CAYS LISTED
ABOVE ACCuTATELY REPRESENT HONDURAN CLAIM. WE WILL
CONFIRM THIS WITH WORKING GROUP ANO ATTEMPT TO SECURE
FURTHER INFORMATION ON BASIS OF CLAIM.
BINNS
'.ENO OF mESSAGE.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/28 : CIA-RDP08C01297R000400150019-4