A somber anniversary: 1958-1997

Unavenged but not forgotten, Candido Amador continues to inspire his people from the grave

By W. E. GUTMAN

On April 12, 1997, as night draped the village of Copan Ruinas in a mantle of darkness, Candido Amador Recinos, a charismatic champion of Indian rights and a rising star in the Maya-Chorti leadership, was brutally, senselessly murdered.

Unsolved and unpunished, his assassination has plunged indigenous and Black communities alike under a pall of fear and suspicion. In galvanizing Honduras’ minorities, the crime — then the 25th slaying of an indigenous leader in less than five years — has also put an end to decades of silence, irresolution and self-restraint. Cándido’s death has re-awakened tribal pride, buoyed ethnic unity and fed a tide of revulsion and impatience at Honduras’ Byzantine justice system. Frequent and increasingly large demonstrations in the capital have added both substance and poignancy to their collective plight. They have also helped expose the nation’s sluggish civil and human rights apparatus. In the case of Candido Amador, these peaceful but vocal rallies have also underscored the outrage that Government inaction and absurd rationalizations have inspired.

Few, if any, believe that Candido’s death (as infomercials planted in various dailies soon after the killing and paid for by landowners in the Copán and Ocotepeque regions imply) was “engineered to fabricate an indigenous martyr,” or was the result “of intra-ethnic disputes,” or the culmination of “insurmountable personal problems.” “Next, they’ll tell us that Candido died of self-inflicted stab and bullet wounds, and that, for dramatic effect, he also scalped himself!” quipped a Garifuna demonstrator during a human rights rally.

Instead, as maturing evidence suggests, most Hondurans have quietly concluded that Candido Amador was eliminated by landowners and cattle ranchers who felt threatened by his activism and his mandate that ancestral lands be returned to their rightful owners.

“Since colonial times,” says a perceptive and eloquent Maya-Chortí informant who has provided me with invaluable leads and insights, “foreigners have contrived various strategies to usurp our national patrimony, plunder our resources and deprive us of our hereditary rights. Not only did they snatch and parcel out among themselves the ill-gotten booty — gold, arable lands, wells, water rights and large stretches of pristine riparian and coastal areas — they also assumed political and economic supremacy, a self-granted status that has empowered them to steal and exploit regions traditionally inhabited by our people.”

“We are not against progress, but we condemn attempts to achieve it without the knowledge and participation of affected indigenous communities. We also oppose any activity that infringes upon or degrades our natural environment, corrupts our culture, abridges our ancestral traditions and vitiates our very identity.”

Contrary to assertions made in the press over the years, the Chorti have only grudgingly endured the “passive role” imposed on them by tourism. Candido is said to have characterized tourism as “a mercenary commerce controlled by the State and local landed gentry, and ‘sewn up’ by foreign developers assured of a ‘non-intrusive’ government and afforded significant political and economic leverage.”

Candido is also quoted as having asked: “What? [tourists] will trudge up the mountain and gawk a the ‘quaint Indians’ and take pictures of our grass huts and womenfolk and children, and commiserate with our elders, perhaps buy a few trinkets? Or they will marvel, for an hour or two, at the tattered vestiges of the ‘mighty Maya’ before retiring to air-conditioned hotels — none of which we own — and dine in eateries none of us can afford to patronize? We’ve never seen a centavo from the proceeds collected at the Archeological Park or a fraction of the tourist dollars spent in local establishments....”

Candido was also openly critical of the cattle ranchers and farmers in Ocotepeque, whom he described as “a small but all-powerful elite single-mindedly engaged in protecting their private interests without regard to the legitimate needs and concerns of our people.”

It was in 1995 that the Chorti, spurred by an energetic but relatively unknown visionary named Candido Amador, began to organize and formulate clear objectives, two of which infuriated the local power structure: one, the restitution of land from which they had been displaced or which they had been coerced to sell; the other, the regeneration of their ethnic selfhood through political empowerment.

Chief herald of other historic, if unpopular, demands articulated by a now fortified Chorti council of elders — of which he was a member — Candido, a symbol of ethnic pride revived, knew that his idealism and fiery rhetoric could cost him his life. He unhesitatingly accepted the risks and publicly declared that he was ready to shed his blood for his people.

Chorti activism, Candido predicted, would meet with intimidation, threats, illegal detentions, evictions, arson, calumny, fraudulent lawsuits, even assassinations, all designed to quell dissent and dismember his people.

His predictions came true.

It’s been six years since Candido Amador was murdered. For two years, indigenous and Black communities have demanded that his killers be apprehended and tried.
The Maya-Chorti, whom Candido Amador represented, appealed to two successive administrations, those of President Carlos Roberto Flores and Ricardo Maduro, to heed “our urgent call for justice and to help us in our struggle to regain our ancestral lands — two of the causes for which Candido Amador sacrificed his life.”

Candido’s assassins must be unmasked, brought to trial and punished. For once, Honduran justice must side with the nation’s ethnic minorities. Such a victory would help expiate the darkest pages of its history and vindicate thousands of innocent victims of institutionalized brutality and repression. Admittedly, this is a tall order in a nation where politics drives justice, where might speaks loudest, where generations of peaceful native and transplanted Black minorities are being denied their past, stripped of a future. It is not too late for the Government of Honduras to do the right thing. Solving Candido’s murder is a fitting first step.

 

THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE UNITED STATES MARINES

Dear HTW:

As a retired Marine Master Sergeant, I found the ¨Reformed Casa Alianza child is first marine to die in Iraq, ¨ posting in your newspaper a little harsh on the United States. Jose Gutierrez became one of “The Few, The Proud, The United States Marines.”

Were Jose still with us, he would disagree with your comments. I guarantee it!
You may not be aware of it, but everyone in the Marine Corps is “Green” No color, racial, or religious bigotry is permitted, condoned, or practiced.

JFK once said, and I paraphrase, “Every 18 year old in America should have the experience of having been a United States Marine. ¨

I suspect that your newspaper is a little “pink.”

Al Loreth
Via Internet


HELP! HONDURAS NEEDS SOMEONE

Dear HTW:

HELP! Can you help us find Senor Maduro, now that he is been elected? A multitude of people had high hopes for his presidency. But, where is He: at one of his wife’s photo session, a party, dinner, or a concert? Nothing has changed or is in the process of changing. The same roads are being washed out, due to lack of engineering and omission of proper drainage facilities. The same power poles are toppling, the same signs bringing down the same wire in the windstorm, knocking out the power systems in large parts of the country. At this writing out town has been without electricity for almost 48 hours the bureaucracy is still inept and corrupt, the spoils system exacting a high price from the exploited public, when trained and experienced personnel ranging from managers, over specialist with years of experience, down to the janitorial help are replaced with greenhorns because they are loud screamers at party rallies. All for the good of one party. Question: to whose advantage? The country, community, or the political party? The naive and indulgent populace loses every time. This being the twenty-first century, nothing much has changed. Royalty, nobility and proletarians are still with us. Royalty being the elected politicians who can commit murder, and claim immunity.

Señor Maduro: Did you not promise to eliminate immunity? We have not heard the subject matter mentioned since. Some of the most annoying incidents being the banking scandals and the female ex-Mayor of Tegucigalpa getting away with public money, subsequently cloaked in immunity as she was parked in a comfortable seat at the Parlacen. When are we going to overcome the curse of the Middle Ages in this Country?

Suggestion: the end of corruption in government, transparency, etc., has been talked to death in recent months. A real step forward and a truly new beginning would be the total eradication of the concept of immunity. You screw up, you must answer to it and pay the price. Without that, nothing will ever improve. Why can’t all the aid organizations busy in this Country, North American and European, bunch together and put pressure on the Government? The old adage still holds! Money is power! If any of you people read this, won’t you try? That would be a service much greater to Honduras than your own taxpayer’s money disappearing down the rat holes.

Kurt Gruen
Via Internet

RE: PREDICTIONS NEVER COME TRUE

Dear HTW:

Mr. Mills makes a positive appeal for immigration that touches on every argument for allowing immigration to the United States. The history and progress of the United States, making it today the leader it is in the world is based on immigration. Every citizen of the United States has an ancestor who in fact was at one time himself an immigrant.

So what is wrong with his assessment? It is that one word...illegal.
He melds the two groups, legal and illegal, into one group called immigrants and lists their contributions. The vast majority of the people of the United States want immigration: legal, controlled immigration.

Be it Latino immigrants slipping across the Southern borders, or European ‘tourists’ overstaying their visas, or Asia ‘students’ overstaying their student visas or the flow of the Middle Easterners coming across from Canada, Americans do not want them coming into the country in these manners. There are systems in place that were meant to control the flow and protect all the citizens of the United States from people that should not be there in the first place.

Illegal immigrants go around those safeguards and although we all would like to maintain the illusion of honesty and nobility of the poor, there are also some criminals looking to both escape their country and find fertile grounds to continue their activities. After 9/11 we also realize that there are people who look to enter for the purpose of inflicting harm on America.

Taking a stand against illegal immigration in not the moral equivalent of supporting hate groups and narrow minded people. Immigration must be based on a sane policy of verification of the information given, and the ability to support oneself for a period of time until a legal job can be found.

The first responsibility of any government has always been to protect its people and control its borders.

James Lakes
New York
Via Internet

 

Economic deliberations

In light of the current global economic recession and the disruption in current world orders, it seems an appropriate time for an extensive study into the economic injustices created by our developed nations. Unfortunately all the economic advantages belong exclusively to the rich countries of the world. Surely our concern should be to find an economic balance through the satisfaction of basic human needs?

Although we cannot count on national statistics (often unavailable or inaccurate), we can see that businesses are shutting down at an alarming rate. The current tax levels are set at such a rate that most enterprises are faced with impossible, unreachable targets. Existing international financial organizations lead only to the total economic and political control of developing countries; the countries most desperately requiring refinancing and credit.

Our worldwide recession appears to have turned into a worldwide depression. More than ever, the global economy is so complex and unpredictable that we need global upheavals such as war in order to take stock of, and reboot the global economic situation.

The neediest and most dependent countries are in a vicious cycle and have few alternatives for their development. They have no resources for experimentation in new forms of economic growth, and remain trapped to the confines of the economic markets dictated by the industrialized nations.

Internal problems have a tendency to exacerbate exterior ones. When politicians and leaders of poor countries react slowly to economic crises, it is their citizens alone that suffer the consequences.

The formula for straightening out the economies of the poorest countries is easy and has a clear objective; rich counties must be prepared to make less profit from the developing nations. Industrialized nations must be willing to take poor countries´ ability to pay into consideration, for example charging poor counties less for computer technology and paying more for bananas and coffee, currently bought for a pittance.

Ireland and Japan are two of the best examples of countries that have successfully transformed their economic situation. Both were heavily in debt only a few decades ago and were receiving economic aid from the international economic community. With the combined efforts of their population and government, they have been able to rise to an enviable economic level.

Clearly what distinguishes Ireland and Japan is that they are civilized nations with progressive attitudes. Their loans did not come with strings attached and they have kept very clear financial accounts.

In theory, the financial deterioration occasioned by international credit organizations has been far more detrimental than the effects of hurricane Mitch in 1998. That our private enterprises are becoming exhausted is clearly evident. Tax evasion has fast become an essential factor in economic survival. The Central American economic zone has lost a lot of ground thanks to two factors. Firstly the rich Hondurans globalize their money and secondly the clumsy behavior of the central government in its conflict with Nicaragua. Furthermore, international markets can only serve and support rich countries because the interest demanded cannot be afforded by the least developed.

Things have simply gotten out of control and we need practical means to make world economic systems function more fairly. The poor do not enjoy their suffering at the hands of the rich.

What can be done about powerful drug-traffickers?


A recent report from the United States Department of State informed our government about the causes of notorious drug trafficking in our country.

It is believed that 90 percent of the drugs that enter Honduras are just in transit on their way to final markets. The report mentions that our police are working a little too slowly and have only recently begun to interrupt the passage of traffic that maintains a stable frequency. If they are on the ground, the traffickers escape, if they come in by airplane they escape too. It would seem both sides are well informed.

The present administration under Maduro has determined to achieve some success in the face of growing criminality. He has committed a serious amount of funding to the prevention and fight against drug related crime. However, although little success has been made on his part, there have been numerous triumphs on the part of the criminals.

We consulted the inhabitants of various areas of Tegucigalpa and they have assured us that recent crime originates from new cartels, as previous criminals were eradicated. It is to say that the current crime wave initiated with this government and has come to fill the vacuum left before them.

However, drug traffickers are another matter, they are not common street thugs. This group of abusers goes on to become guerillas, presidents, congressmen, church preachers and major investors. These are the active citizens with much potential stemming from their personal fortunes.

Those who carry the drug, better known as “mules,” are only taking their first steps in their long and arduous drug trafficking careers.

Guatemala is possibly the country that has spent the most time fighting this social burden. We know that during the 1960s they were already fighting drug crimes, and many criminals have been executed for their actions.

In our country not even the banks want to collaborate in the effort to prevent drugs. It is known that there are many accounts remaining in the system that belong to individuals of questionable repute. Nevertheless the banks have no interest in eliminating these customers; on the contrary, more accounts of this nature would be agreeable.
All you have to do is imagine fastidious dealers getting close to children in schools trying to push drugs to realize how much you hate this issue.

There are many large cartels that have moved in to replace the mini cartels that previously ruled local neighborhoods. International cooperation cannot be postponed in the face of this serious crime. The amount of money that these criminals are handling is enormous, and it will be a difficult job for police to combat them. They need to employ more specialized personnel in order to obtain more positive results.




 

IMPROVE MUNICIPAL TAX COLLECTION

Dear HTW:

As a long time reader of “Honduras This Week,” I am often struck by the idea that many of Honduras problems from policing or education to the basic necessity of providing clean drinking water all require money to solve. It is mystifying to me then, why the Municipal government on Roatan is so willing to disregard proper tax collection as a solution. A single auditor could easily find hundreds of immigrants working without visas, dozens of hotels and lodges without business permits as well as gringo plumbers, carpenters and trades men of all sorts working illegally under the table. Last I checked services were taxable, weren’t they?

My frustration with this situation is that the tax money being missed out on could be going towards bettering education and health care that would clearly benefit us all. More importantly to me, we legitimate business owners are being forced to pick up the slack with higher permit costs and increased fees. By increasing the costs to legitimate business owners you decrease our cost competitiveness, giving a greater cost benefit to the illegal workers and businesses, which reduces again the taxes collected. If I lose the sale, I can’t collect the tax. Nobody wins! If the Municipality of Roatan wants to increase its tax revenue, all it has to do is start paying attention.

Mike and Sue
Mariposa-lodge.com
Via Internet

IMMIGRATION STRENGTHENS ECONOMY

Dear HTW:

In a recent Letter to The Editor, the author Silencia Cruz laid out the flagrantly flawed and often repeated thesis that illegal immigration is a prime cause of the current economic troubles in the United States. The truth cannot be further from her fiction. Every study I have read has come to the opposite conclusion, simply stated that immigration, both illegal and legal, serve to strengthen the United States economy, not weaken it. According to the 2000 census of roughly seven million immigrants were living illegally in the United States, Mexicans made up 69 percent, or 4.8 million. These seven million workers may be illegal but they still put in an honest days labor for an honest days wage and consume a broad spectrum of goods and services. Consumer spending has been called the motor of the US economy because it is the largest segment of the economy. Do some illegal workers take jobs from US citizens? Of course they do. Are illegal immigrants breaking the law? Sure they are. Don’t get me wrong here; I am not in favor of illegal immigration. In order for ordered and fair immigration to take place, potential immigrants should follow established procedures set forth by the United States government. Simply put, they should wait their turn in line with all the other millions of immigrant applicants from around the world who would like to immigrate by the book. But as this is not a perfect world and the needs of potential immigrants are great, many turn to illegal entry to the United States as their only viable option. Are they breaking the law? Yes, and if caught they should be duly deported. However, the argument that illegal aliens are dragging down the United States economy into the dirt is nowhere based on reality. Illegal workers may be breaking the law, but their overall effect on the U.S. economy is a positive one. These immigrants work hard, play hard, study hard, consume goods and services in abundance and in the end have a net positive effect on the economy.

Howard Rosenzweig
Copan Ruinas
Via Internet

ABORTION IS NOT THE ANSWER

Dear HTW:

After a lengthy period of abstinence from participation in this confused and confusing bazaar of opinions, I feel compelled to once more throw my nickel into the pot.

Having read your editorial of March 22, I continue to be amazed at the never-ending barrage of articles dealing with protests against the murder of children and juveniles. (to the age of 23) . I was married and supporting a family at 23, and would have resented being called a child or juvenile. Not withstanding this enduring position toward the regrettable fate of these for the most part juvenile delinquents who made their choices. Yes, children make choices, mostly the wrong ones, when their parents refuse or neglect to assume and carry their responsibilities.

You now advocate the murder of unborn children in your editorial. Yes, using abortion as a method of birth control is murder! Consider the frequently heroic struggle when responsible women or parents attempt to save the life of their unborn while experiencing complications in midterm. There is a multitude of birth control methods available. The most effective and cost-saving one being: Keep your pants on! It boils down to strictly being a matter of personal responsibility. What do you suggest the National Congress should do about this situation? Create another law to never be enforced, as so many hundreds of laws on the books? Education and society’s pressure would be of assistance. However with the daily onslaught of filth on television it isn’t going to happen. I seem to recall that as recently as one generation ago, most girls were trying to prevent pregnancy without benefit of wedlock because it was shameful and generally frowned upon. So what happened? Did we forget, that we are not animals?

But imbued with intellect, are to consider consequences prior to surrendering control of our actions and emotions? To this day, other societies still stone to death women impregnated without benefit of marriage. While I don’t recommend or condone this practice, if they must do this I would ask: why not the participating male as well?

In closing, I would like you to answer a question, perhaps in one of your future editorials: How would you suggest, we shut the mouths of those who speak out against abortion, by aborting the tongues?

Kurt Gruen
Vía Internet

Taxes, the easy way

Barely a year after the current government took office international pressures have forced the country to establish new economic measures, making the working and professional class of Honduras weaker still.

The trend to apply these new taxes is spreading throughout Latin America. This uniformity is an insult to the intelligence of money oriented governments, as it underestimates their creativity.

Frequently, we have it pointed out that we are responsible for our poverty and our affluence. The imbalance in the distribution of the world’s wealth is overwhelming. This is why international credit organizations are forced to destabilize and demoralize emerging economies by designing policies that are clearly oriented for benefiting the most developed countries.

Those who face impoverished lifestyles have only one option: to accept such miserable offers, knowing that their economy is becoming weaker every day.

We are aware that president Maduro’s administration is acting under pressure, since our politicians have already learned to discuss and approve measures for the national interest. We are not here to accuse the current government, the control of this country’s destiny was lost a long time ago.