The cable was among those on U.S. officials’ travel abroad obtained by McClatchy Newspapers from WikiLeaks, the controversial, self-described “nonprofit media organization” that in the past year has released tens of thousands of U.S. diplomatic documents in defiance of government secrecy laws.

Former Gov. Mark Sanford, too, was among S.C. officials named in official U.S. Embassy cables released by WikiLeaks.

* Story: WIKILEAKS: Graham has ear of world leaders

DeMint, accompanied by three other GOP House members, arrived in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa on Oct. 2, 2009, three-plus months after Honduran soldiers had whisked away President Mel Zelaya in his pajamas in a predawn raid.

DeMint backed Zelaya’s interim successor, Roberto Micheletti. When President Barack Obama froze U.S. aid and insisted Zelaya be restored to power, DeMint blocked the president’s nominations to fill two senior State Department posts for Latin America.

A U.S. Embassy cable noted U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens had briefed DeMint during his visit, but it provided no details.

“The CODEL (congressional delegation) had arranged its own meetings at the Presidential Palace with de facto regime President Micheletti, the Supreme Court, the Elections Tribunal (TSE) and representatives of civil society,” the cable reported. “The CODEL received a briefing from the Ambassador en route to the airport. They departed at 1345 local (time).”

If DeMint received cursory treatment during his brief visit to Honduras, U.S. Embassy personnel there closely tracked his statements about the crisis for months leading up to his arrival.

At least seven earlier cables reported Honduran news coverage and commentary about DeMint.

A cable summarizing a July 23, 2009, article in the Diario Financiero business newspaper reported: “Senator Jim DeMint asked to postpone Arturo Valenzuela’s nomination, arguing that the nominee ‘told me he was unaware of the events taking place in Honduras.’”

By JAMES ROSEN – McClatchy Newspapers
Read more: http://www.thestate.com/2011/05/02/1801447/wikileaks-cable-demint-caused.html