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Monday, May 26, 2003 Online Edition 20

Honduras celebrates European Union Day with the signing of six subsidy contracts

Representatives of the European Union

By FARAH LITTLE

TEGUCIGALPA — Thursday evening on May 15 in the Salon Vienna of the Hotel Clarion, a cocktail party was held in honor of the Day of Europe. The event was celebrated with the signing of six subsidy contracts between European and Honduran Non-Government Organizations. High public officials of the Government of Honduras, the Diplomatic Corps and members of civil society were all in attendance.

The celebration of the Day of Europe salutes the historic declaration by Robert Schuman on May 9, 1950. Originally, the European Union was an organization that concentrated on European peace and security. It began with six member states, today consists of 15 members, and next year will count 25 member states to “plant the seed of peace, democracy, and prosperity in 25 nations of the world.”

The contracts signed correspond to projects under the Regional Reconstruction Program for Central America (Programa Regional de Reconstruccion para America Central), which is disbursing 119 million euros in Honduras. The signing organizations include Water for the People, Foundation of International Solidarity and Cooperation, Foundation Action Against Hunger, Honduran Red Cross, International Cooperation, and the Honduran Foundation of Agricultural Research. All the projects are designed to improve the social conditions of their benefactors and cover issues such as water, health, small watersheds, the environment, illness and the organization of ethnic groups.

The projects are located in the Departments of Olancho, Paraiso and Colon, the Municipality of Sonaguera, the Aguan River Valley, and areas of the Caribbean coast. The subsidy contracts of the national and international organizations total over two million euros, or approximately 37 million lempiras, and form part of the 38 European Union projects currently being executed in Honduras for a promised total of 307,567,625 Euros.

The event was presided over by the First Presidential Designate Vicente Williams, the Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Commission, Giorgio Mamberto, the Ambassador of Italy and pro-tempore President of the European Union, Mr. Stefano Cacciaguera, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abogado Guillermo Perez Cadalso and the Minister of Technical Cooperation, Mrs. Brenie Matute.

Wrongful arrests of indigenous leaders

By VAS TRAJKOVSKI

TEGUCIGALPA — Brothers Marcelino and Leonardo Miranda will shortly begin serving a sixth month in jail after being arrested on January 8 of this year for unknown reasons.

The two are leaders of the Civil Council of Popular Indigenous Nations (COPINH) and like so many other indigenous people, it seems they are being persecuted for defending their land.

The Miranda brothers were arrested by twenty-one policemen and armed civilians masked to protect their identity, in the community of Montana Verde in the Department of Gracias. According to given information, they were tortured in front of their families and on their journey to the prison of Gracias, in the Department of Lempira. Here, they were beaten more and Marcelino was forced to sign a confession of which the contents are unknown.

The abuse continued and it is reported that on April 6 during routine prison checks, two Cobra agents, members of the elite group of Honduran National Police, beat and kicked the brothers. The hands of Leonardo were thrashed with a steel pole, the signs still visible after two weeks.

According to COPINH, a popular organization with representation in five departments in Honduras, the Mirandas were taken into custody and tortured because they “would not abandon the land on which they were born,” and are loved and respected leaders of their community. A member of COPINH continued, “since they can not figure out what to accuse them of, they are being held as terrorists,” for which there is no proof.

Amnesty International wrote to the Ministry of Public Security after the brothers had been detained expressing their concern for the sibling’s safety, and it continues to lobby for their release.

They have requested that the Government of Honduras carry out all necessary investigations into the tortures, and request that their human rights as members of an indigenous group be respected. Sadly, this seems to be lacking throughout the indigenous populations of Honduras.

Seaplots in Utila: Good fences don’t always make for good neighbors

New construction over the sea is no longer permitted in Honduras

By MARIA FIALLOS

UTILA – In a relentless battle to preserve the beauty of coastal areas, the government of Honduras enacted a law in 1990 prohibiting building over the sea. However, it seems as though some islanders are ignorant of this law or choose to flout it.

On the Utila Cays, in the late 1980s, seaplots were granted to poor fishermen to offset housing shortages, but with the condition they be built upon within six months. When the new law prohibiting construction over the sea was passed in 1990, those who had not built their homes could no longer do so.

John Norburn, a U.S. citizen who resides half his time in Honduras, said that it was just after he bought his house in 1989 — which had been erected on a former seaplot — that the new law went into effect. When that happened, entire buildings were torn down on both Roatan and Utila, including a dock that had been built in front of Norburn’s new cay.

Norburn’s troubles began in 1995, when Annie McLaughlin, the owner of the adjacent seaplot, in disregard of the law, built a fence in the ocean surrounding her property. The structure obstructed tidal ebb and flow, causing an accumulation of trash and creating currents that might submerge his cay.

Norburn filed a complaint against the owner, a native islander from Roatan, with the environmental District Attorney’s office in Roatan, to no avail. Norburn alleges an official retorted, “She gets the permit because she’s from the islands, and you get nothing because you’re from the States.”

Norburn took his complaint to Tegucigalpa, where after a site inspection, the D.A. judged in favor of Norburn and advised the Municipality of Utila of the decision. The Municipality is responsible for granting building permits. The fence was eventually torn down, and prevailed until August of 2002, when a relative of McLaughlin’s accompanied by someone claiming to be from the Municipality took measurements of the area and installed fence posts in the ocean along the perimeter of the former seaplot.

Norburn returned to Tegucigalpa to denounce the building activities. The environmental office informed HTW that the complaint had already been sent to the regional office in Roatan, requesting an inspection. However, as of this week, the Roatan office states it has not received the case — another example of government inefficiency in Honduras that so many complain about. When HTW called the mayor of Utila, Alton Cooper, to inquire about the case, the mayor denied that a municipal authority had been measuring the seaplot and added that building over the ocean is categorically forbidden.

Norburn, a seashell collector (the Honduran postal service has enlisted his help in designing a stamp series based on his collection) is now disheartened.

“I wanted to invest more in Honduras, but I am having second thoughts about it. What really bothers me is the fact that half the island lives in my country (the U.S.), including the owner of the former seaplot who hasn’t lived in Honduras since she was a teenager. When I come here, look at the way I am treated.”

Week in Review

Oil should be exploited in Honduras

Delegates and petroleum experts Jack Arevalo Fuentes and Manuel Arriaga Yacaman recommended to the Honduran government that they accelerate their bid for a maritime platform in search of petroleum, as the first explorations in 1957 extracted 42 barrels.

Arevalo Fuentes indicated that the majority of petroleum rich zones in Honduras are already concessioned and belong to big exploration companies, such as Shell, Texaco, and Chevron, that would rather leave the territory as a reserve area. Arevalo says that many more zones are potentially petroleum rich and ¨the state should be trying to promote their oil supplies to places such as Norway, Russia, and China, so that they come and exploit oil in Honduras. ¨

Due to new satellite technology, which easily identifies the richest zones, it would not cost the state anything but promotional and concessional costs to search for petroleum, says Arevalo Fuentes.

Congress continued to point out that the conflicts between Honduras and Nicaragua are partially due to disputes between potential petroleum zone borders. — El Heraldo

New job creation plan to be announced

The government and private national enterprise have completed the strategy, which will create 100,000 new jobs during the next three years. President Ricardo Maduro will announce the new plan within the next few days.

Assistant Secretary of Employment and Social Security, Angel Escobar Escalante, confirmed that they will earn a minimum salary of 2079 lempiras monthly.

The people that form this project are part of a special contract that lasts three years and the compromise is that 70 percent of business employees will be permanent and the rest on contract, enjoying many labor benefits, such as monthly loans and social security. The majority of contract workers are from the free zone or maquila industry.

The assistant secretary added that the labor market is better than last year as only two, rather than twenty, businesses have ceased operations.

However unemployment continues to increase, but there are hopes that this will be alleviated in the short term through President Maduro´s soon to be announced plan. — El Heraldo

15 illegal Honduran migrants rescued

Of the 98 Central American illegal migrants captured on the Mexican-Guatemalan border, 15 were Hondurans. The Preventive Federal Police (PFP) rescued them from under the platform of a Kenwork trailer. They received water, food, and medical attention from the Mexican Red Cross as they suffered from respiratory problems and muscular contractions.

According to Hondurans, Luis Arturo Chitorrel and Amalia Alvarez de Sandoval, each one paid at least 3000 dollars to be transported to the northern frontier where another middleman or ¨coyote¨ would help them cross to the United States.

The driver and presumed human trafficker, Javier Tamayo Sofo, was arrested and fined 1800 dollars and 850 Mexican pesos.

The migrants cried and shouted to be released from where they were found hidden. One of the survivors, Abel Rosas Vinel, swore ¨never to return to Mexico as an illegal immigrant. The trip was hell, everyone urinating, crying, asking for forgiveness. Everything was dark, we didn’t know what to do, no one helped us, and there was an unbearable heat. Some shouted with pain, others with desperation.¨ — El Heraldo

FBI and Scotland Yard to help in investigation

BY EMMA BOYLE

TEGUCIGALPA – President Maduro, together with Oscar Alvarez, the Minister of Security, and Jorge Ramon Hernandez Alcerro, the Minister of Government and Justice held a press conference on Wednesday, to announce that the law will be applied to those people directly responsible for the massacre at the Central Prison of El Porvenir, Atlantida, last month. At the same time, the government will enlist the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States, and of Scotland Yard of England to investigate the case.

Investigations into the events had already begun by the beginning of May when the president ordered an urgent inquiry into the matter be carried out. A special commission was formed to investigate why these events occurred, who was responsible for them and to make recommendations.

“I believe it is necessary for investigations of this type to be carried speedily and with a high degree of professionalism,” said Maduro,has already requested advice from the G-15 states of the International Community.

A preliminary report points out that during the tragic events that occurred at the central prison of El Porvenir last April 5, both inmates and prison authorities were involved in the violence.

War Veterans receive benefits after 34 years

BY EMMA BOYLE

TEGUCIGALPA – On Monday, the President of the Republic, Ricardo Maduro the achievements of those soldiers who fought in the conflict between Honduras and El Salvador in 1969. The ceremony that was celebrated in the Parque El Soldado gave recognition to the 1,488 war veterans for their sacrifice and service to the country.

Maduro spoke of his proud sentiments of the War Veterans, they “bravely defended our flag and our sovereignty” to an abundant crowd of combatants.
During the war nicknamed by some historians as the ‘Football War’ or the 10-Day War. He continued “for more than 34 years we have carried with us the debt of our war veterans and it is the time to resolve it and show them our gratitude,” he went on to say. This gratitude will be demonstrated in the form of government pension equating to L.1, 000, as agreed on by National Congress.

The government stated that the soldiers are an example for all Hondurans to follow. “Members of our Armed Forces have left an example for others, they march if necessary to their deaths to defend the interests of their country and of our compatriots.” They underlined that people must not stand alone to pursue their own interests but unite to stand together.

Also present in this celebration was the Minister of Defense, Federico Breve Travieso and the Head of the Estado Mayor Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas, Isias Baratona, giving important presence to the ceremony.

Honduran Paintings

Las Lavanderas (Blue)

Benigno Gomez Lopez
Honduras 1988

Born January 17, 1934 in Naranjito, Honduras. Graduated Escuela Nacional Bellas Artes, Honduras 1959. Academia Bellas Artes, Italy 1960.

3/4 X 17 3/4 24 1/2 X 18 1/2

$1,500.00
Vivid Colors

More artists at www.honduraspaintings.com

Monday, May 26, 2003 Online Edition 20

Honduras celebrates European Union Day with the signing of six subsidy contracts

Representatives of the European Union

New construction over the sea is no longer permitted in Honduras

Week in Review

A preliminary report points out that during the tragic events that occurred at the central prison of El Porvenir last April 5, both inmates and prison authorities were involved in the violence.

Monday, May 19, 2003 Online Edition 19

Congress battles Supreme Court over Constitution

By STEVE BUSSEN

TEGUCIGALPA – The National Congress of Honduras has found itself in a state of listless gridlock on account of a nasty power struggle with the Supreme Court. The ambience of the Congreso Nacional certainly does not suggest that there is much getting done besides heated and indecipherable bickering. The big disagreement that has been putting a stop to all real work at congress is a basic misunderstanding of exactly who is responsible for the interpretation of the Constitution. Congress is adamant, it is their responsibility. Incidentally the Supreme Court is also adamant, it is their responsibility.

Seemingly the argument comes down to philosophical differences rooted in the interpretation of the exact wording the Constitution employs as it spells out the different responsibilities of the three branches of government. According to article 205:1, which outlines the principal responsibilities of the legislative branch states that they include the right to, “Create, decree, interpret, reform, and overturn the laws.” Sounds simple enough right? Clearly the legislative branch should have the right, specifically stated in black and white, to interpret the Constitution? Well it is apparently not as simple as that, at least in the eyes of lawyers, judges, and politicians.

According to Salustio Aguilar, an attorney in San Pedro Sula who contributed an enlightening commentary to the May 15 daily La Tribuna, the language used in Article 205 indeed applies to the interpretation of laws but not the interpretation of the Constitution of the Republic. Strangely no specific distinction between the two is made in the Constitution itself and the only apparent solution is an open battle between these two principal branches of government regarding difference between laws that are either primary or secondary in nature. The former being those forming part of the structure of the Constitution and the latter being those based on the first.

The Supreme court essentially argues that if those who drafted the Constitution of the Republic had intended the legislative branch to interpret the Constitution, they would have worded the responsibilities outlined by article 205 as: “Create, decree, interpret, reform, and overturn The Constitution of the Republic.” Congressman Jorge Arturo Reina and others disagree. They view the Constitution as a set of laws just like any set of laws and thus make no distinction between fundamental or primary laws and secondary laws. Likewise such a philosophy would treat the term laws as employed in Article 205 and The Constitution of the Republic as effective synonyms.

Naturally Magistrates tend to go with the strict interpretation whereas Congressman prefers the loose broad interpretation. Those with no personal interest one way or the other have a wide range of opinions.

The opinion of Mr. Salustio Aguilar is that indeed a difference does exist between the Constitution and laws and that if it has been the custom to allow the legislative branch to interpret the Constitution, it is a bad precedent and the power of the judicial branch should be respected.

Whatever the opinions may be on either side, this battle is sure to continue for some time. Hopefully the upcoming meeting between the judicial and legislative powers will bring about some answers. The two warring factions hope to answer three questions: 1. What is the magistrate’s interpretation of the Constitution and does it correspond to that of the National Congress? 2. What were the fundamental reasons for declaring decree 161-99 (the disagreement that started this whole battle) unconstitutional? 3. Can the Supreme Court of Justice overturn a constitutional law? We will have to wait and see what the next few congressional sessions bring insofar as resolving this conflict that, if left unresolved, could continue to consume valuable congressional time that should be devoted to solving Honduras’ problems.

Week in Review

Honduras to erect memorial for ‘Left Eye’

A memorial to the American pop singer Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes, from the band TLC, has been commissioned in Honduras. The memorial is due to be revealed on May 27 in La Ceiba. Lopes had purchased land in the area, shortly before her death, where she was planning to build a health spa.

Lopes was a regular visitor to Honduras and often worked at a children’s center when possible. The singer died in April last year from severe head injuries after losing control of the vehicle she was driving, at high speeds.

The band, TLC, was internationally successful, having sold over 20 million records worldwide. Their top hits included the songs ‘Waterfall’ and ‘No Scrubs’.

The monument will be unveiled by the singer’s family with President Ricardo Maduro and other dignitaries. -– BBC World News

Search is on for missing embassy worker

Honduran Embassy employee, Marie Rubenia, has been missing since May 3, after leaving the Honduran embassy on Portsmouth Road, Washington D.C.

According to the police, Rubenia ate dinner at a local restaurant at around 5 pm, but then did not return to the embassy as expected. Friends and family have not had any contact with her since that morning. Montgomery County police are now enlisting public help with their search for the missing woman. – Associated Press

Body of North American found buried in his home

The body of U.S national, Joel Dan Dumar, 47, has been found after approximately two months buried underground. Dumar disappeared on 6th February after returning home from a visit to the States to see his family. The body was found buried under the patio of the house that Dumar rented in the region of Alvarado.

Dumar’s father, William Dumar, reported the case to the authorities on the May 2 after his son had been missing for almost three months. Officers from the Department of Criminal Investigation (DGIC), coordinated by Marvin Flores immediately began the search.

After an initial investigation of the house, officers discovered irregularities in the patio of the American’s house. An excavation of the area revealed the partially decomposed body.

Although no motive has yet been established, Flores has confirmed ‘that there is enough evidence to charge our main suspect, whose name we are unable reveal until after a trial and verdict’.

Joel Dan Dumar, originally from Oklahoma, was a refrigeration technician who worked for companies such as ‘Standar Fruit de Honduras’, ‘Caribbean’ and ‘Helados Castillo,’ and was highly respected amongst his colleagues.

The body has now been transported to San Pedro Sula for autopsy. – La Tribuna

18 die in Texas truck terror

VICTORIA, TEXAS — A New York-based trucker, identified as Tyrone Williams, was charged on Thursday in federal court for transporting and harboring aliens and conspiracy to transport and harbor aliens. This is the deadliest attempt to smuggle immigrants over the U.S. border in 15 years.

As many as 70 people from across Central America, attempted the cross. When the trailer was abandoned local sheriffs found the bodies of 17 victims with a further casualty dying shortly afterwards in hospital.

The immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras had been left 175 miles from the Mexican border in the town of Victoria, Texas, where the smugglers had apparently unhitched the trailer, and driven off.

“In desperation the people broke out the truck taillights, to try and attract someone’s attention and perhaps get some air” said Marco Nunez, press officer for Eduardo Ibarrola, Mexico’s council in Houston.

A 911 call had also been made from a cellular phone of one of the immigrants in the trailer.

The call had been in Spanish but by the time a translator had been found the call was lost. When authorities reached the trailer it was too late, the survivors had fled the scene leaving many teens, and a boy of only five dead.

The police quickly picked up 31 of the stowaways, most of the casualties appeared to have succumbed to heat exhaustion, and were given food and water at a local shelter.

Local enforcement officers are still searching for up to 40 stowaways who ran from the incident. Victoria County sheriff Michael Ratcliff stressed that “these individuals are crime victims in our state. They have undergone trauma. They are not in any type of legal trouble at this time. Our goal is to take care of them”.
Presently, two other people are being sought, thought to have accompanied Tyrone Williams, and other suspects could still be identified.

Victoria County District Attorney M. P., “Dexter” Eaves - “We want to get every bit of justice for these guys. I want this insurance for these 18 people - that they did not die in vain.”

Wife murderer jailed in Tamara

By MATT CONRAD

TEGUCIGALPA — The principal suspect in the grizzly murder of Martha Isabel Moncada (28) a former resident of San Pedro Sula is Andrew Stephen Gole (46) from New York, a former police officer and a Vietnam veteran. He was arrested in Colonia Palmira on Wednesday with his baby boy of seven months in his arms. The infant and Martha’s child from her first marriage (Wilson Rene) are both in the custody of the Honduran Institute for Children and the family (IHNFA). The couple had arrived in Honduras last Wednesday and was staying in a hotel near the United Nations building in the Colonia Palmira.

Gole is thought to have strangled and then dismembered his young wife in front of his baby son and Martha’s disabled child from her first marriage. It is suspected that Gole, a former New York City policeman, could not find a discrete moment to get rid of the body. He allegedly held the mutilated corpse for 24 hours refusing room service and cleaning staff entry and thus arousing suspicion. The accused was seen earlier this week in a hard ware store, purchasing an electric saw and other tools for his subsequent butchery. The sickening murder took place on the Saturday only to be followed by a grizzly dismemberment on Sunday. Martha, the second of seven children was cut into six parts and dumped in the suburbs.

The young bride had hoped for a happy and comfortable life in the United States expecting that Gole would help her handicapped son but a year or so after the marriage things started to go sour. Martha had responded to a personal of an older American man looking for a Latino bride. The couple had got into contact on the Internet and eventually Gole asked Martha to marry him. But after a while Martha, who moved to New York to live with Gole, grew lonely and began to miss her family. Gole became abusive. He allegedly became furious a number of times when Moncada asked to use his car. Hilda Mejia, the mother of the deceased, said her child had wanted to move back to Honduras and to separate from Gole in November. She had decided to leave many times but did not want to leave her newborn son.

On this latest trip to Honduras, Martha told Andrew in San Pedro Sula that she didn’t want to go back to the States. Gole then decided to take the baby and leave on Thursday, May 8. In desperation Martha went to the police, but when the police arrived Gole embraced her feigning normalcy as he pressed a concealed pistol into her ribs. The young woman would sometimes half seriously say that Andrew would kill her so he and his child could inherit a life insurance payout of up to a million dollars that the couple had recently renewed. She had said that she was worth more to her husband if she was dead than if she was alive. At the very least she would be killed if she didn’t get back to the hotel on time, she joked. No one had any idea that this idle banter would come back to haunt them.

Officials say Gole committed the murder in Honduras, placing his hopes of impunity on the ineptitude of the Honduran police force. Gole will face the maximum penalty of 40 years in prison if he is found guilty.

Monday, May 12, 2003 Online Edition 18

Former director of prisons murdered

By STEPHEN McGOVERN

TEGUCIGALPA — The divisional police commander and former director of prisons, Dimias Carbajal, was killed by a shot to the face on Wednesday, apparently by a passenger riding in his vehicle.

The attack took place around 9:00 p.m. in Calle Lourdes, close to the Ministry of Finance in the center of Tegucigalpa.

Unofficial sources suggested that Carbajal had left the night club district on Boulevard Juan Pablo II with an acquaintance and was on his way to the municipal police station at the time of his murder.

Local residents called the Red Cross informing them of a man injured in a car, however when paramedics arrived they found Carbajal already dead from a wound to his head.

Some witnesses claimed to have seen the suspect escape on a motorcycle driven by an accomplice that had been seen following Carbajal’s vehicle though this was still to be confirmed by officials from the Ministry of Security.

Police officers at the scene only realized that it was their boss who had been killed when they spotted his graduation ring from the National Police Academy.

The body of the police officer was removed from the scene after a fingertip search for clues as to the identity of Carbajal’s killer.

Police Sub-Commissioner, Napoleon Nazar Herrera, speculated that Carbajal was killed by personal enemies. “Creating enemies during a police career, especially while in charge of dangerous prisoners, is to be expected,” said Nazar Herrera. “These people can bear grudges for years and will exact revenge at any opportunity,” he added.

Scientific expedition makes new archaeological, biophysical, and anthropological discoveries

TEGUCIGALPA – A scientific expedition formed by several national and foreign researchers has made two momentous discoveries this week. The first is a series of animal species previously unknown and the second is the existence of an unregistered Pre-Columbian Settlement in the Botaderos Mountain area, in the Region of Olancho.

The 10-day expedition known as “Untamed Honduras,” was sponsored by the Secretary of Tourism and other collaborating institutions, ventured southwest of the Municipality of Gualaco, as well as to the Municipalities of Tocoa and Saba in the Region of Colon, with the purpose of researching the area’s biological diversity and obtaining information that could lead to the discovery of new archaeological sites in the country.

Arturo Sosa, expedition coordinator, said that the archeological significance of the Botaderos mountain region was discovered by Doctor Mark Bonta several years ago. Bonta concluded then that the area represents an enigma to the scientific community given its large territorial extension of 65 thousand hectares, containing enormous natural and cultural richness that are just now being revealed.

Given the importance of the findings in which eight new monticules (small rises in the earth under which ruins are often encountered) were discovered, it was announced that to protect the pre-Columbian discovery, the scientists intend to obtain archeological data to support the declaration of the mountain as a protected area.

That’s why it has been necessary to solicit support for the research from various institutions including the Secretary of Tourism, the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History, the Honduran Forestry Service (AFE-COHDEFOR), the Secretary of Natural Resources, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the Fire Department.

Some conclusions have already been made under the supervision of the Institute of Anthropology and History, said Sosa. Details will be released to the public a few days after diverse analyses are concluded, which will also aid other foreign universities researching the area and will inform the world of the beauty Honduras possesses, he said.

“The idea behind this investigation process, is to promote “academic tourism“ in Honduras through field trips to the country’s main protected areas,” said Sosa.

USAID improves milk production

By STEPHEN McGOVERN

TEGUCIGALPA — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the milk cooperative, Land O’Lakes, announced the start of operations in fifteen milk collection centers in the Valle de Aguan, in northern Honduras, at a press conference in the Clarion Hotel on Tuesday evening.

The project was initiated in 2000 by USAID in conjunction with Land O’Lakes, one of the largest milk cooperatives in the world, with the aim of improving the quality of milk and increasing the productivity of small milk producers who were seriously affected by the impact of Hurricane Mitch. Since then USAID has invested $5.6 million in the project.

The project strategy involves the location of small and medium sized milk producers around Milk Collection and Refrigeration Centers (Centros de Relocaccion y Enfriamiento de Leche, CREL). These centers provide a place for the collection and storage of milk for an increased length of time in refrigerated tanks. Furthermore, the training provided by the project guarantees milk of higher quality securing a stronger market for the product.

Initially thirteen centers were built by the project. Following the success of the initial phase, the alliance of USAID and Land O’Lakes together with the RERURAL project, run by the Secretary of Agriculture, have initiated the construction of forty nine additional CRELs to compliment the investment in plant and equipment from the private sector totaling more than US$5 million.

The producers invested in the purchase of land and construction, while USAID and Land O’Lakes invested in the organization of groups of milk producers, training and laboratory equipment. RERURAL, meanwhile, contributed to the purchase of refrigeration tanks and other miscellaneous equipment.

Since the initiation of the project, milk producers have tripled their income due the increased demand for chilled milk at a stable price. The CRELS have also enabled producers to increase their productivity additionally increasing their income.

Rural areas have seen the greatest benefit from the project with improved access to education and health facilities to these regions.
Additionally, the production of higher quality milk has enabled local producers to compete with imported products and should eventually see them enter into international markets.

The USAID/Land O’Lakes project has also focused on marketing the improved product, with publicity campaigns promoting the consumption of milk and milk derivatives. A web site has also been set up on the Internet that will help forge links between local milk producers and the milk industry in the United States. This should pave the way for local producers to have access to better technology, equipment and supplies, in the longer term.

Week in Review

Assassinated indigenous leader dug up

The district attorney for the protection of ethnicities, Yari del Cid, commissioned a team, on Wednesday, to the Montana de la Flor to dig up the body of Theodore Martinez, the former vice-president of the San Juan Tribe. Theodore and his son, Santos, were gunned down in the suburbs of Yerbabuena, in the early hours of last Sunday morning, killing Theodore and severely injuring Santos.

Extraordinarily the body was then handed over to the family without having followed the appropriate legal procedures. The municipality of Talanga, should have ordered an autopsy carried out by the Department of Forensic Medicine.

Yari del Cid deployed the forensic team on account of these irregularities. The Confederation of Autochthonous Peoples believes that marijuana traffickers who have already committed a series of crimes against this tribe could be behind the assassination and an autopsy could lead to an eventual prosecution. Detectives from the Department of Criminal Investigation (DGIC) have agreed to unravel the case and await the recovery of the body of Theodore Martinez that could provide vital evidence. — La Tribuna

Arnulfo Gutierrez, husband of kidnap victim murdered

Revenge is the motive that police have established for the kidnapping of Maria Carmen Gutierrez and the subsequent murder of her husband Arnulfo. The murdered businessman had planned to meet with Ricardo and Heriberto Villanueva, the suspected perpetrators of his wife’s kidnapping, on Wednesday afternoon. The death of Gutierrez has caused pain and consternation throughout the country; even President Maduro attended the funeral.

The suspects, the Villanueva brothers, are acquaintances of the Rivera family in particular Juan Ramon Rivera, the husband of Milania, Gutierrez´s ex–secretary and friend. Shortly after six p.m., the Villanuevas visited the Riveras and said they wished to speak to Gutierrez about the kidnapping of his wife, asking Milania to act as an intermediary. They claimed that they wished to clear their name, but the Rivera´s refused to be intermediaries and recommended that the brothers speak to Gutierrez´s brother. After informing Arnulfo of this meeting, he made his way over to the house. Shortly after agreeing to a meeting with the Villanueva brothers, the businessman was shot down in his car outside the house. — El Heraldo

SARS Emergency Plan

Further to speculative reports of a man with a suspected case of SARS entering a Honduran hospital, Merlyn Fernandez, director of the School Hospital, announced yesterday that a press conference regarding an emergency plan for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome will be held.

The plan will define the location in which patients will be examined, the manner in which they will be treated, as well as the proper protection and security that exposed employees will receive.

It consists of three stages: phase Green, which deals with organization; Yellow, which begins when there is a greater demand for attention; and Red, when the Hospital must be closed.

A group of medical doctors and assistants are taking action to acquire supplies and equipment, such as bathrobes, special masks, eye goggles, mechanical fans, and further medicines. — La Tribuna

“Zero tolerance” experts praise government security policy

TEGUCIGALPA — A group of advisors of the ex –Mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giulliani, from the Manhattan Institute of the United States, praised the security policy implemented by President Maduro for Honduras this week. The experts said that with these measures, Honduras is on its way to creating a safer country and a stronger economy.

“For two days we have had the opportunity to observe and talk to many people involved in the fight against crime in Honduras. We see that in just a short time progress has been made and enthusiasm has been raised, which I think will be part of the solution to the country’s crime problem,” said Carlos Medina, a member of the group that also includes Michael O´ Connor and Williams Andriwos. The group met with the president and other officials involved in security, to converse about the “zero tolerance” policy.

The advisors from New York, where the security policy implemented is the most successful globally, met with different national authorities during the week and made a series of recommendations that were successfully adopted in the United States.

During these meetings, the group was able to appreciate the fact that the current Honduran government possesses a real and comprehensive security plan. During the seven years he has been working in Central America, Honduras reflects the most satisfying results inasmuch as the decrease of common crimes is concerned, said Medina.

“If you look at the numbers, you will see that there has been a decrease in the crime rate. I think that with this focus Honduras will be a safe place and that with this base, the country can grow economically.” he said.

The security expert recommended that the citizens support the “zero tolerance” policy that Maduro’s government is executing because “it is a good plan that will help Honduras fight Crime.”

The strategies implemented until now have worked in many parts of the world, which is why the consensus is that the security problem will improve day by day, he added.

The security experts said that the armed conflict that occurred on Tuesday in the Vicente Caceres Central Institute or the High School is the result of overpopulation and pointed out that more than 10,000 students attend there.

“For us, one thousand students are too many, there have many studies that indicate that schools with too many students have a higher propensity towards violence,” said Medina. He recommended the government create smaller schools whenever possible for better control of student populations.

President Maduro said that the expert recommendations of the Institute of Manhattan will be taken into account for the adoption of measures to guarantee personal safety.

Some of which include: strengthening police investigative capacity, revising existing legislation to assure effectiveness in the war against crime, emphasizing gang problems, and taking adequate measures to incorporate citizens in the campaign against crime.

BCIE to finance hydro-electric plants in Honduras

By MATT CONRAD

TEGUCIGALPA — On May 2, the Central American Bank of Economic Integration (BCIE) approved a grant of US$6 million to the Honduran company “Consorcio de Inversiones de S.A. de C.V” (CISA) for the construction and the equipment of a new hydro-electric plant to be built in La Esperanza.

The project seeks to contribute significantly to the energy supply in Honduras by using the Rio Intibuca’s water flow to its fullest capacity.

The project is planned to be completed in 24 months time, producing 12.73 MW of clean energy with local renewable resources and saving of US$1.8 million in maintenance needed to sustain a thermal energy plant. The energy produced will be distributed by the ENEE, the national electric company for the next 15 years.

The site has been granted an environmental license that includes mitigation measures. It will supply much cheaper energy than a thermal plant can produce and will diminish the ecological contamination of the area, thus progressing the movement of substitution of fossil fuels for renewable energy sources.

The participation of BCIE in the financing represents 46 percent of the it’s overall investment in the country and signifies a commitment to clean energy. In total BCIE has pledged $23.4 million to Honduras this year alone. This January it approved a $12.7 grant to finance the program for “social electrification,” a project that will enable the construction of a more efficient electrical infrastructure and benefit 170, 000 people in the 413 poorest communities in 17 departments of the country.

Additionally $4.2 million has been donated for the construction of a hydroelectric project on the Rio Blanco, a Rio Ulua tributary, that will benefit 13,000 work places.

Monday, May 5, 2003 Online Edition 17

Forest fires advance towards the capital

Firefighters face dangerous flames near Valle de Angeles.

By STEPHEN MCGOVERN

TEGUCIGALPA — A ferocious forest fire close to the capital on Sunday further exacerbated the dense cloud of smoke and mist that has hung over Tegucigalpa in the past week.

The fire started at approximately 10:00AM in El Hatillo, Valle de Angeles and continued into the early hours of Monday morning, destroying 4000 hectares of woodland in the scenic tourist area.

Members of the Fire Department and the Municipal Emergency Committee (CODEM), as well as volunteers from the local communities, tackled the blaze as the flames, reaching five meters high, threatened nearby houses. Local inhabitants and wildlife alike were forced to flee for their lives as the flames advanced despite the valiant efforts of the emergency services. The work of the firefighters was further complicated by the inaccessibility of the terrain, forcing them to resort to the use of shovels where fire trucks were unable to get close to the flames.

Nine people, the majority children under seven years old, were evacuated from the scene by firefighters after suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. Their condition was described as stable after being given oxygen at the scene.

The fire also caused traffic chaos due to the closure of the road between Tegucigalpa and Valle de Angeles as the fires produced a thick wall of smoke, reducing visibility to zero.

The cause of the fire, described by CODEM officials as one of the worst this summer season, is under investigation, although criminal action was strongly suspected at an early stage.

The cloud of mist and smoke that has enveloped the capital has also affected flights in and out of Toncontin airport.

The airport has been closed on five occasions in the last seven days due to visibility being reduced to below minimum safety levels.

The authorities are hoping for the arrival of heavy rainfall to reduce the risk of further forest fires and to clear the air of the mist and smoke hovering over much of the country, although latest forecasts suggest the current heatwave is set to continue for some time to come.

Small businesses plead with their government for help

BY MATTHEW CONRAD

TEGUCIGALPA — Micro-companies are experiencing the worst crisis in years, says Jose Fernandez Garcia-the president of “La Asociacion Nacional de la Micro-Pequena Industria de Honduras,” ANMPIH. This year 2,500 small businesses have closed down in Honduras and Garcia indicates that with the government’s new “economic package” small businesses are doomed to disappear. In San Pedro Sula alone 200 privately owned businesses had to close this year and more will follow if the government does not stop pandering to big corporations.

A meeting between owners of micro-enterprises took place this week in Siguatepeque with the aim of constructing a formal proposal to present to the government. The document suggested exemption from import duties for industrial machinery from abroad. In addition, an agreement entitling them to small loans that would be payable over a longer period of time.
According to micro-enterprise representatives, Honduran businesses are treated atrociously compared to their El Salvadoran counterparts who enjoy a mere six percent interest on commercial loans compared to the astonishing 35 percent that Hondurans have to pay.

High import taxes renders local commerce unable to update now obsolete and outdated machinery and thus Honduras is unable to produce cheaper and higher quality goods. Moreover this holds back any efforts to develop their company preventing the creation of more jobs. Small factories, shoe shops and artisans simply do not have the resources to sustain themselves let alone expand.

Week in Review

Canine registration and sacrifice

Starting from April 29 all aggressive dogs, included in the Municipal decree of March 25, will have to be put down (via lethal injection) or their owners will face huge fines or even prosecution said Pavel Espinal, the secretary of Unidad de Control Animal, or the Animal Control Authorities. Aggressive breeds were defined American Pitbull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Dogo Argentino, fila Brasilero and all cross breads thereof are to be declared and henceforth destroyed. – La Tribuna

Ban on possession of AK-47s

Congress moved this week to introduce a special decree prohibiting the ownership and carrying of AK-47 assault rifles. The move comes as part of an effort to restrict the activities of the street gangs for whom the AK-47 is the weapon of choice in the execution of their criminal activities. According to government statistics, gangs armed with AK-47s commit at least 94 per cent of the assaults, kidnappings and other crimes committed. The decision to introduce the decree was taken following an outcry from citizens desperate to see a halt brought to street gang and other criminal activities. The decree has been introduced as an immediate measure to counter the rising tide of violence and deaths caused by the use of these weapons. – El Heraldo

Suffocating heat clobbers country and hails arrival of Hurricanes.

Scorching temperatures will continue to hound Honduras and its polluted urban cities for at least another 12 days and possibly the entire month, according to the national Meteorological Service. The El Nino effect, is principally blamed for exacerbating already intense temperatures, and will continue to generate temperatures of 39 degrees centigrade in the north and up to 40 in the south. Moreover, Meteorologists say that from the beginning of June the phenomenon known as the Nina effect will result in a very active hurricane season, which could well affect Honduras. Nevertheless this should produce a milder winter. — El Heraldo

Protestors demand of veto agriculture law

May 1 protest near the Presidential Palace in Tegucigalpa.

Nearly 3,000 campesinos (small farmers) and indigenous people protested peacefully on Labor Day, Thursday May 1, outside the presidential palace demanding the immediate veto of the new Strengthening of Agricultural Sector Law that they consider the biggest “hold-up” in the history of Honduras because it provides debt relief to “large landowners, congressmen, false producers and above all, saves the banks.”

The protestors threatened to take measures nationwide in the case that President Maduro does not veto the decree approved by the National Congress.

JICA – Providers of Honduran aid

By SARAH DAVIES

TEGUCIGALPA — Since 1975, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, otherwise known as JICA has, in conjunction with the Japanese Government, donated around $1,150,000,000 of aid to Honduras. This makes Japan the second largest donor of aid to Honduras after the United States.

JICA is a technical training program concentrating on the training of engineers and administrative officials from developing nations who then go on to form the core of their country’s developmental expertise. Training is aimed at issues of education, environment and local government administration. Participants in the program spend time in Japan learning new skills and interacting with the local community in order to bring these new-found experiences back to their own country.

In addition to in-country training JICA also operates an overseas volunteer service that dispatches experts around the world. The volunteer’s knowledge and practical abilities are carefully matched to a country’s particular need. The voluntary service sector currently specializes in a variety of fields including construction and civil engineering, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and health care. Finally, as their third main method of development cooperation, JICA also helps with the provision of equipment to help put into practice newly learnt skills and expertise.

JICA currently has approximately 4000 volunteers and experts working around the world, with 1000 in Honduras alone and 18 projects underway within the country. A project with particular economic importance has been the improvement of Toncontin International Airport, located in Tegucigalpa. The Japanese government, granted an aid package to the airport and entrusted JICA to distribute this aid and improve the facilities to bring the airport up to full international status. JICA has installed essential safety features within the airport, as well as guidance and obstacle lights on nearby local mountains. Not only are these essential safety features, but they have also helped the airport combat often dreadful weather conditions and pollution problems, along with facilitating the efficiency and punctuality of the airports schedule. This improvement in transportation has allowed for expectations for the airport’s contributions to the recovery of the capital’s functionality and the simulation of economic activities.

Another important role that JICA has played within the country has been its efforts towards reconstruction in the Sula Valley region. The Sula Valley district in Honduras is a vital area in the Honduran economy. A large number of factories, producing textiles, food and plastic goods are located in the region, centering mainly around the city San Pedro Sula. This area alone bears around 40-50 percent of the country’s Gross National Product (GNP).

The Sula Valley, though, was one of the regions to endure extensive damage during Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Flooding and landslides left much of the land around the river basins vulnerable and unusable. JICA have completed a study a developmental study of the area and have formatted a project for flood control that has a high potential for economic benefits. With further aid from the Japanese Government these methods of flood control have not only increased safety of the area but have also directly increased both local and notional economy with the rehabilitation of riverside roads and other essential transportation routes.

JICA, as an organization is becoming ever more popular within Japan and, with an increased budget of 7.6 percent from the Japanese government, will continue supporting Honduras and its surrounding Central American neighbors well into the twenty-first century.

News from other Sources

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