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Princess Anne inspects UK-funded projects in Honduras

Kimberly Aguilar, a child benefited by Save the Children through the Compartir Association, smiles with emotion as she greets the royal visitor.

By C.F. AGURCIA 

TEGUCIGALPA -- Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne of England completed a successful tour of Honduras last week.  The Princess Royal came to the nation as part of a five-country tour through Central America and the Caribbean.  During her visit to different parts of Honduras, she observed bilateral UK-Honduras reconstruction projects as well as projects involving the country's youth.

The Princess Royal arrived to Tegucigalpa on Friday, April 20, flying in from El Salvador, where she toured sites damaged by the earthquakes that have devastated the smallest Central American country.  As president of the international organization Save the Children, the main purpose of her visit was to inspect the projects this charity is sponsoring in Honduras.

On Saturday morning, the Princess Royal began her tour in the main offices of Save the Children.  She then moved on to inspect some of the projects that Save the Children has been working on around Tegucigalpa.  Accompanying her highness were Lizzy Flores, daughter of the president and Labor Minister Rosa Miranda Galo.  Saturday's tour culminated in the afternoon when the Princess Royal arrived in the Villanueva neighborhood.

Villanueva is a low-class neighborhood with many young residents who have been benefitted by Save the Children through an association called "Compartir" (Share).  The Compartir Association has several programs to aid the situation of poverty stricken families.  One of the main individualities of Compartir is that they place emphasis on the family environment, helping the child improve his or her home situation without being removed from it.  The main Compartir project financed by Save the Children is called "Nino a Nino" (Child to child).  This program sets up a mentorship between the children themselves and is aimed mainly toward providing educational support and preventing the formation of gangs.

When Princess Anne arrived in the Villanueva neighborhood, she was greeted by the sight of dozens of children waiting in the streets for the opportunity to see her.  The children, and other residents of the neighborhood, cheered as they waved both Honduran and U.K. flags excitedly.  The tour began in the center of the neighborhood, after which the Princess Royal walked through its streets until reaching the School of the United Nations where a small ceremony took place.  Before reaching the school, a little girl fulfilled her dreams and gave her royal highness a bouquet of flowers.

The ceremony at the U.N. School was short, but very emotional.  Kimberly Aguilar, an 8-year-old girl from Nueva Suyapa, said she would "never forget April 21, 2001; the day that I was able to say thank you to this nice lady for the help she has given her."

Seven-year-old Cristela Yaneth Marquez from Villanueva could not hold back her emotions and cried with joy during her speech, where she said she "felt special to be in front of the Princess."  After the presentation, Princess Anne spoke with the children, asking them about their lives and how they were doing.  Ana Margarita Valencia, a member of Compartir present during the proceedings, said the Princess Royal was "warm and caring towards the children, not just hearing, but listening."

The Princess Royal concluded the day at a state dinner held in downtown Tegucigalpa's Museum of the Honduran Man.  Amidst Honduran works of art, Princess Anne dined along with First Daughter Lizzie Flores; British Ambassador David Osborne; the head of the Museum of the Honduran Man foundation, Gerardo Haddad; Vice President Gladys Caballero and other high government functionaries.

Sunday saw her highness on the road to San Pedro Sula, via the department of Intibuca.  She stopped in the town of La Esperanza and visited the Escuela Normal.  This school has benefitted by both British projects and Save the Children.  Some thousand children were present at the school to greet her and show gratitude for the aid her government has brought to their community.

As a representative of the United Kingdom, Princess Anne also oversaw different bilateral projects between her government and Honduras.  After her visit to La Esperanza, she traveled to the town of Jesus de Otoro and inspected the newly reconstructed bridge that has provided access to the town.

Eventually, her highness made her way north to San Pedro Sula.  In the evening, a grand reception was held for her by the Mayor's office and the Cortes Chamber of Commerce at the Honduran-Arab Social Club.  San Pedro Sula Mayor Roberto Larios Silva declared the Princess Royal an "Illustrious Guest" of the city.  After the presentation, Princess Anne mingled with the high-profile guests.

On Monday morning, her highness visited St. Joseph's Hospice and the AIDS patients lodged there, brightening up the center as well as its residents.  Afterward, the Princess Royal went to visit the Forest Products Utilization Center (CUPROFOR).  This is an environmental-friendly training workshop center that was created and built with the aid of the British government.  After a brief tour of the facilities, her highness boarded her plane and continued her tour on the island of Dominica.

Neal Carlin, deputy head of mission of the British Embassy, said the trip was a "success."  The Princess Royal seemed to be pleased with the projects she saw, noting the hard work put into them and the good effect they are having.  Furthermore, he said her highness was delighted with the enthusiastic welcome she received from children and grown-ups of every place she went to.  She left Honduras charmed, with hopes of returning in the future.  

For more on The Princess Royal's visit visit www.royalinsight.gov.uk

Casa Alianza:

673 children, teens murdered since 1998 

Representatives of Casa Alianza presented the outcome of an investigation last week in Tegucigalpa concerning the extra-judicial assassination of 673 Honduran children and teenagers between January 1998 and March 2001.

Members of the Casa Alianza legal support team who investigated these crimes, as the United Nations has defined them, said "we are concerned about the possibility that Honduran youth has been the object of a social cleansing campaign."

According to their statistics, of the 673 victims, 615 were male.  The most affected areas were Cortes, with 42 percent of all the male victims, and 45 percent of the assassinated females.  In Francisco Morazan, the percentages in the same categories reached 35 and 27 percent, respectively.

Most of the minors killed ranged in age between 16 and 18.  Moreover, a large number of women, nearly 31 percent of the total, were between 11 and 15 years old.

Casa Alianza is the Latin American branch of the New York-based Covenant House, a non-profit advocacy group for children. -- S. Carias 

Cabbies pressure for 5th passenger 

As a reaction to the unprecedented Lps. 3 hike in gas prices, taxi drivers in Tegucigalpa held a protest in front of the Presidential Palace on Monday demanding that they be allowed to carry five instead of four passengers.  Any cab driver who attempted to drive through the strike was forced to stop and join the protest.

The drivers have also proposed a tariff hike as a viable alternative, but have so far received no answer from the government. - El Heraldo

238 hepatitis cases reported 

Health authorities have reported 238 cases of hepatitis A since the beginning of the year.  Delia Tercero, head of the epidemiology department of health region number three, said this number is alarming in comparison to prior years.  She said the leading cause of contagion is lack of sanitation.

Tercero added that buying fruit from street vendors and using water that has not been treated were high-risk factors in contracting the disease. - La Prensa

Soccer players arrested on drug charges

Two players from two of the most popular first division soccer teams were arrested last Friday in La Ceiba for drug possession.

Carlos Paes of Olimpia and Marlon Godoy of Motagua were apprehended after police stopped and searched their car, finding two grams of cocaine under one of the seats.

The players were released the same day, but have since been suspended by their respective teams. - La Tribuna

Conversations in the skies 

'Wings of Change' is flying people over Honduras' natural treasures to increase environmental awareness and to help find new conservation solutions   

Photographer Peter Hughes takes shots of the protected area Guaimoreto lagoon near Trujillo for the benefit of the Calentura-Guaimoreto Foundation (FUCAGUA) and the Pico Bonito National Park Foundation (FUPNAPIB) during one of the flights of Wings of Change, a US-based conservation organization that is in Honduras "to start new conversations about the environment." (Photo by Kymberley Snarr.)

By JON KOHL

Special to Honduras This Week 

Opening doors wouldn't seem like a wise thing to do on an airplane in flight, but that's precisely what the pilots of Wings of Change do.  Flying over the North Coast of Honduras, they are trying to open doors, says Bryce Appleton, executive director of the US-based conservation organization, "to start new conversations about the environment."

While flying over an oil slick or a shrinking forest corridor between Pico Bonito National Park and Texiguat Wildlife Refuge, passengers at the very least have eyes wide open.  The silvery-haired director beams with the intensity of conviction as he explains his lofty strategy.  By flying people over landscapes, even ones in which they have lived all their lives, "You increase the number of possible results through this new perspective."  In search of new conservation solutions, Wings of Change almost literally flies through an aerial brainstorm.

Ever since this two-man show broke off from Lighthawk, the well known US-based environmental flying organization that uses the power of a high-up perspective to influence environmental decisions, they have been shooting for the skies.  G.L. Scarborough, the president and chief pilot, once flew for Lighthawk but didn't want to make the move with the organization from New Mexico to San Francisco.  Ironically, his non-profit organization instead, in its third year, decided to head south to add the North Coast of Honduras to its flying portfolio.

G.L. Scarborough, the president and chief pilot of Wings of Change, stands next to the Alejandra, the organization's airplane. (Photo by Kymberley Snarr.)

VERSATILE TOOL

Appleton explains that the plane they use, a Piper Cherokee Six, is a tool far more versatile and opinion-changing than many people realize.  You can:

* Photograph or video a landscape which can later be used for management, advocacy, or education, such as the photos of the badly damaged Cangrejal River watershed.

* Air truth data collected on the ground.

* Fly important people such as politicians over protected areas to win their support.  One time they flew the old mayor of Negrito over Pico Pijol National Park, and he saw a 20-manzana cut upstream of his community.  He became visibly upset, angry, and promised to call the police the next day to put a stop to it.

* Monitoring of any kind of change on the landscape, such as a dwindling forest corridor.

* Fly potential donors, with the hope that the winds of change might blew some benefit toward conservation.  They recently flew some potential donors for Pico Bonito who have committed money to building a tourist trail.

* Fly the media.  They flew a Channel 7 cameraman from La Ceiba over an oil palm processing plant upstream of Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge to document toxic contamination of the refuge.

But why does a Colorado-based organization take up interest in the North Coast of Honduras?  The pilots look to the land for their answer.  "If you look around the world for natural treasures, Honduras and the North Coast is one of those areas, and at the same time has tremendous pressure right up against it," notes Appleton.  "We're at a key time in its development between sustainable living and the natural environment."

NUMEROUS MISSIONS

But certainly a major reason is the people.  Appleton and Scarborough have been received with open wings on the North Coast.  La Ceiba's two environmental ambassadors, Pepe Herrero and Fito Steiner, presidents of Cuero y Salado and Pico Bonito, respectively, have made their transition a breeze.  Herrero is on their board of directors and Steiner sets everything up when they fly down to Honduras.  They have flown now over 150 missions there.

On Wings of Change's most recent visit a couple of weeks ago, they took on a variety of missions.  They flew Pico Bonito personnel in search of a location to place a deep wilderness trail in the park that without a plane, Appleton attests, could take months or years to locate.  They flew conservationists over the biological corridor that connects Texiguat and Pico Bonito.  They discovered what was once a corridor over a kilometer wide has been chopped to only a few hundred meters, requiring immediate conservation action.  They flew over dry forest in the Aguan Valley, mapping out the territory of Honduras' only endemic bird species, a hummingbird called the Honduran emerald.  This information, they hope, can be used as part of the argument to annex this area to Pico Bonito.  They also flew missions over Jeannette Kawas National Park in Tela, Capiro-Calentura National Park in Trujillo, and over Utila.

But by far, one of the newest ventures that excites the Wings of Change folk is flying politicians, especially mayors.  Scarborough recalls a previous trip when he had brought up the mayor of Tela.  They were flying over Laguna de los Micos to map its perimeter when the mayor observed an illegal cutting.  He grimaced and referred to the invader by name.  Surprised, Scarborough asked how he knew whom he was from 4,000 feet up.  "Because he had applied for a permit to cut there and we rejected it.  I'll take care of that next week."  Scarborough later found at that he did send in police.

FLYING ALCALDES

Recently, Wings of Change had brought up mayors from Olanchito, Morazan, Yoro and others.  Each time they go up, they see potential for change.  "We want to expand the alcalde-flying program," Appleton asserts.

They also have other plans for increasing their effectiveness in the air (by purchasing a better plane, GPS system, and an aerial camera mounted in the floor), as well as on the ground.  They plan on using their Web site for greater citizen involvement and as an educational tool.  They imagine putting reports and photos up so that school groups can see their country from above.  Even though they can only port three people plus the pilot, these people are the ambassadors from the sky.  If students fly, they are expected to report to their peers about their high-flying discoveries.  If politicians go up, Wings of Change tries to track a decision process leading to greater conservation.  They posit that if they bring the same mayors up in successive years, their results may be even higher. 

Appleton sums up their approach: "We want to change the way we see the world and the way we make policy decisions about it."  And those are words of change.

For more information, visit <http://www.wingsofchange.org>.

Flag raising causes stir  

By BLANCA MORENO  

TEGUCIGALPA -- The raising of the Panamanian flag at a public monument for what appears to be political ends has caused considerable anger and consternation in political circles.

Last Monday morning, a group of unknown persons knocked on the watchman's door and demanded that he open the gates to a national monument because they were going to carry out a civic act.

The frightened man did not open the gate, but heard gunshots, and when he got up again saw that another flag was flying atop the monument.

The flagpole in question is located at the Monument to Peace atop Mount Juan A. Lainez in the heart of Tegucigalpa.  The national flag was not flying at the moment, making it easier for the intruders to raise a Panamanian flag.

Members of the Liberal Party immediately accused Nationalists of the offense to the national monument, substituting the flag because their candidate, Ricardo Maduro, is Panamanian.

Ricardo Maduro himself regretted that such a lamentable situation has come to pass and asked authorities to capture those guilty of the misdeed.

Both the Liberal and National parties deny any responsibility in the incident.  Both claim that none of their activists would be capable of raising the Panamanian flag in the center of the capital.

The head of the Christian Democracy Party, Orlando Iriarte, condemned the "dirty campaigning" by Liberals and Nationalists.  He said the nationality of Ricardo Maduro is a closed case because he has been decreed Honduran by birth, according to an interpretation of the Constitution.

In the meantime, the Attorney General's Office for Ethnic Affairs is investigating what it calls a "desecration of national dignity."

Controversial priest deported to Guatemala 

The much talked about priest of Ajuterique, Comayagua has been deported back to his home country of Guatemala.  In the midst of a heated debate splitting the town apart, government agencies have enforced the law and removed the priest from national territory.

Eduardo Velasquez was first assigned to work in the town of Ajuterique 14 years ago.  The priest's troubles began in 1995 when he was arrested and accused of raping a minor.  The parents of the minor later dropped the charges, but Velasquez's situation remained critical.

Church authorities expelled him from the priesthood, ordering him to stop holding religious services in the Comayagua town.  No other priest was sent in his stead, though, so Velasquez continued to celebrate mass.  The situation came to a head about a month ago when the mayor of the town removed the priest from the church grounds and forbade him to return.

Among the immoral activities that the priest has been accused of is the inebriation of minors.  The daily La Prensa reported that when the mayor entered the priest's residence to remove him, photographs were found.  The photographs were reported to contain images of the half-naked priest serving alcohol to young boys and girls.

Aside from revoking his priesthood, the Catholic church took little action in the events involving the accused priest.  La Prensa reported that the Bishop of Comayagua spoke against the priest, but was waiting for secular authorities to take care of the matter.

Once Velasquez stopped practicing as a priest, the terms of his visa expired, and government authorities took action by evicitng him from national territory.  An Associated Press report stated that a large police escort accompanied the priest during his emotional trip across the border.  "I will return in a couple of months," the weeping priest shouted to those gathered present, "because I am like the Phoenix.  I will rise again from my own ashes."

Praise and criticism:

Liberal Party includes sons of bigwigs in positions of power 

By BLANCA MORENO

TEGUCIGALPA -- Some think it "revitalizing blood" for a centenary-old institution, while critics view the inclusion of the sons of political bigwigs in the Central Executive Council of the Liberal Party (CCEPL) as "dynastical" and a blatant intent on keeping power in the same hands.

Last March 31 to April 1, the Liberal Party held a national convention where militants from all parts of the country came to elect their new authorities.

The convention held surprises. Although party activists asserted that they did not want a new cabal, presidential candidate Rafael Pineda Ponce imposed his candidates for several posts including Ramon Villeda Bermudez (the son of former President Ramon Villeda Morales), Gloria Oqueli and Antonio Ortez Turcios, even though the latter two currently hold public office. Another surprise was the appointment of Jorge Yllescas, who has at one time or another been a militant of several different political parties.

Pineda Ponce was elected president of the CCEPL and Villeda Bermudez as his alternate. The secretary general is now Jaime Rosenthal Oliva, with his son, Yani Rosenthal as his alternate.

The new secretary of finances is Adolfo Lionel Sevilla, with Jorge Alejandro Aldana as his alternate. Organization and Propaganda is now headed by Manuel "Mel" Zelaya Rosales, Lucio Izaguirre is his alternate. Antonio Ortez Turcios is now head of Political Training, with Jose Azcona Bocock as his alternate. International Affairs will be dealt with by Octavio Pineda Espinoza, backed up by Rodolfo Padilla Suncery. Youth Affairs will be taken over by the President Carlos Flores' daughter, Mary Elizabeth "Lizzy" Flores Flake, and Hector Briceno.  Worker and Farmer's Affairs will be run by Jorge Yllescas with Angel Andres Matuty as his alternate.  Finally, Social and Feminine Affairs will be handled by Gloria Oqueli, who will have Blanca Lilian Cabanas as her alternate.

The selection of Oqueli was the only one that satisfied unhappy Liberals.  The council tried to impose Lila Ucles for the position, but was turned down by the tremendous verbal rejection of those present.  Ucles is accused of irregular acts for which she is currently being investigated.

The rising new and young figures in the arena were not highly acclaimed.  The only merit adversaries seemed to find in the new Secretary of International Affairs, Octavio Pineda Espinoza, is that he is Rafael Pineda Ponce's son.  Pineda Espinoza is currently registering absentee voters in the United States at the Honduran Consulate in New York for the upcoming general elections.

Yani Rosenthal Hidalgo is the son of former presidential candidate and prominent businessman Jaime Rosenthal Oliva.

The third youth is Jose Simon Azcona Bocock, son of former President Jose Azcona Hoyo.  Although only 28 years old, he garnered a lot of votes in his run for the mayorship of Tegucigalpa.  It was only by a few votes that he was defeated by Marco Antonio Andino in the primaries.

Lizzy Flores Flake is the daughter of President Flores.  Ignoring all the criticisms aimed at her, the day after the convention she organized a group of college students and began her activities.

Public Ministry requires illegal HIV test  

In violation of the Fight Against HIV/AIDS Law that states that HIV tests can only be required for medical purposes, the Public Ministry is requesting the test of potential employees.

According to the Spanish daily El Heraldo, "Miguel" inquired a few weeks ago about an office job at the ministry and was informed that the result of a recent HIV exam was one of the requisites that should accompany his employment application.

Later this week, the ministry publicly denied this allegation, while El Heraldo held steadfast to their story. - El Heraldo

Garifunas demand land titles in the Mosquitia  

Representatives of nearly 20 Garifuna communities in La Mosquitia met with National Agrarian Institute (INA) Director Anibal Delgado Fiallos last week to demand that the land titling process of their communities be extended.

The Garifunas claim that while nearly 2,000 hectares have been titled, many municipal limits are still unclear and that the process came to a halt nearly four years ago.

The Garifuna state that rural titles urgently need to be extended because communities are growing and production also needs to increase in order to satisfy basic food demands. -- El Heraldo

800 drivers lost licenses during Easter

During the Easter holiday, the National Police Force seized 800 drivers' licenses from motorists driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages.

Armed with special equipment for detecting drunk drivers, police operations throughout the country were able to reduce deaths from traffic accidents during Holy Week.  As of Monday (April 16), only 14 vacationer's had died from traffic accidents, down from 35 last year. - El Heraldo

Princess Anne coming to Honduras 

By C.F. AGURCIA

TEGUCIGALPA -- It seems that Honduras has become a place of interest for European royalty.  Princess Anne, the Princess Royal of England, will be coming to visit the nation this coming Friday, April 20.  Her royal highness' visit will be part of a tour she has planned through the region.

Princess Anne will be visiting Belize, El Salvador, Bermuda and the Commonwealth of Dominica, aside from her trip to Honduras.  The Princess' visit to the country will last five days and will include visits to oversee programs in Tegucigalpa, Intibuca and San Pedro Sula.

Princess Anne is the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.  She was born to the then heir presumptive in August of 1950.  Her royal highness is president or patron of over 200 organizations and is recognized world-wide for her philanthropic efforts.

The princess is also renowned for her horsemanship.  Since youth, she has been very passionate about riding the quadrupeds.  So great is her passion and skill that, in 1976, she competed in the Montreal Olympic Games as a member of Britain's Olympic Three-Day Event team.

Princess Anne is currently married to Royal Navy officer, Capt. Timothy Laurence.  She has two children, from a previous marriage, named Peter and Zara.  The family lives in Gloucester, England.

Princess Anne will be the second noble representative of Europe visiting Honduras this year.  Along with the Queen Sofia of Spain's visit, it demonstrates a large interest, by part of the nobility, in the reconstruction and transformation efforts going on throughout the nation.  The British embassy denied rumors that Prince William, the most popular of the British royals, will be visiting with his aunt while she tours the area.

Mayor asks for assistance with mentally ill 

Mayor of Tegucigalpa Vilma Castellanos has requested that the Ministry of Health and the Honduran Institute of Family and Children assist in the effort to remove mentally ill street people from downtown Tegucigalpa.

According to the Mayor, municipal employees do not have the necessary training to effectively deal with aggressive mentally ill people, and have sustained injuries attempting to do so.  She said that it is the responsibility of the health ministry to see that these persons receive adequate medical attention. - La Tribuna

57 cases of meningitis reported 

Health officials announced last week that in the first quarter of this year, 57 suspected cases of meningitis have been reported, 35 of which originated in Tegucigalpa.  As of last week, two new cases were reported in the capital. - La Tribuna

TV Espanola will air "Central American Paradises" 

Starting next Sunday, the public television station, Television Espanola, will begin a six part series about the "most positive aspects" of El Salvador, Panama, Honduras, Costa, Nicaragua and Guatemala.  Each program will be dedicated to showing the rich cultural and scenic aspects of one country. - La Tribuna

Youth who refused to join gang murdered 

Police have confirmed that the murder of 19-year-old Jose Leonardo Baca Godoy on Monday was by gang members from his neighborhood.

According to witnesses, Baca, a resident of San Juancito, was sitting on the sidewalk with a girlfriend when two gang members rode by on a bicycle, stopped, and asked Baca what gang he belonged to.  When Baca stated he didn't belong to any gang, one of the assailants pulled out a gun and shot him nine times. - El Heraldo    

Priest causing controversy in Comayagua 

The town of Ajuterique, Comayagua is in an upheaval.  Inhabitants of the town are torn apart over the accusations aimed at a Catholic priest named Eduardo Velasquez.  The mayor of the town has closed the church grounds and is prohibiting the priest from entering them.

Eduardo Velasquez first arrived in the town of Ajuterique some 14 years ago as a newly ordained priest.  The now 40-year-old man's troubles began in the mid-90s when he was accused of raping and impregnating a young girl.  Soon after, he was accused of drunkenness and of having sexual relations with girls and boys.

As the late 90s approached, church authorities prohibited him from practicing his priesthood.  Velasquez defied their orders and continued performing mass.  According to the daily La Prensa, the townspeople accused him of continuing his debauched entertainment.

The situation grew critical last Thursday, March 22, when the mayor of Ajuterique, along with other townspeople, entered the house where Velasquez lived.  La Prensa reported that the mayor found the priest in his underwear and in a state of inebriation.  The mayor said the priest dressed himself and fled the scene.  The priest claims he fled because the mayor and other townspeople began to beat him.

The following day, agents of the General Department of Criminal Investigation (DGIC) entered the clerical house and found several empty and full bottles of beer and different liquors.  Along with the alcohol, the agents reported finding pictures of Velasquez in a drunken state with minors drinking alcohol as well as some pictures described as pornographic.

Mayor of Ajuterique Mario Rodriguez now prepares to bring in the priest, which some claim is his friend, on charges of corruption of minors.  He says the pictures found in the clerical house contained images of Velasquez serving alcoholic drinks to minors, pictures of naked young men and women, as well as pictures of the priest abusing boys.  Rodriguez denies the priest's accusations of the beatings and also ignores the further accusations Velasquez hurled against him.  These include the charges of cattle thief and being a witch doctor.

Another neighbor of Ajuterique accuses the priest of having raped her daughter.  She states that on an evening in October of 1998, Velasquez came by and asked if her 16-year-old daughter could help him store some things in his house.  When the hour grew late and the young girl did not return home, her mother went to look for her and found her sitting in a chair, half-naked while the priest walked around wearing nothing but his underwear.

The Bishop of Comayagua, Gerardo Scarpone, has spoken to the governor of the department and is waiting for secular authorities to handle the case.  Velasquez, in the meantime, continues practicing his craft at friends' houses.

On top of the charges being brought up against him by the mayor of Ajuterique, the priest has other legal issues to face.  Velasquez is Guatemalan, and authorities are moving to deport him despite his efforts to acquire Honduran citizenship.

In the meantime, the town of Ajuterique is split by debate.  Some townspeople refuse to lay down their faith in "Father" Velasquez, claiming that the evidence was planted at the scene and believing that he is truly innocent.  Others back up the mayor's position and stand guard at the church gates to make sure the priest does not return there.