An Open letter to Cardinal Rodriguez and Congress

Cardinal Rodriguez I believe is a great man, but he let himself be suckered into a no-man situation right after having been ordained Cardinal, and unfortunately, is continuing to do so.

Let there be no misunderstanding: I am a Roman Catholic and an admirer of you, Cardinal Rodriguez, but wish that our prelates would stick to matters they should be prepared for, not to let themselves be drawn into situations siding with uninformed or misinformed civil action groups fostered by self-promoting ecological groups.

For example, right now you are pushing Congress for a ban on open-pit (cielo abierto) mining in Honduras, which, (supposedly) according to 'El Heraldo' is banned in 'other countries'. Which countries? Can you or they (El Heraldo) list them? More than 95% of all mining today is conducted by open-pit methods in Europe, North America (USA, Canada and Mexico), Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Suriname, the Guyanas and Venezuela, Argentina, and Colombia. The same for Asia and Australia. And, practically all gold mining everywhere makes use of the cyanide process. When properly monitored and used, cyanide does not present particular dangers to the populace. Furthermore, open-pit mining areas can and are being rehabilitated into excellent farming or forestry or whatever is desired areas, many as public parks.

I am a retired engineering geologist and have been convinced for some time that great wealth can and eventually will be extracted from the Honduran subsoil both from mining and possibly from petroleum. However, is this Country to be denied the benefits of the natural wealth God saw fit to bestow into it? Let us not forget that Honduras was one of the primary silver producers in the 'New World'. And, are the people of Honduras condemned by a few self-serving uninformed local environmental groups to continue without the benefit of the underlying wealth? Unfortunately, Cardinal Rodriguez, there are too many greedy, self-serving people ready to don any coat to become self-important.

What were the final findings on the accusations by locals of poisoning waters by the too few and harassed mining operating companies? And, have they not been paying their dues to local Alcaldias?

One must remember that mining is one of the most speculative and capital intensive industries on this planet; unless a corporation can see that, in the unlikely event of successfully developing an economic strategy, it can recoup it's investment in a reasonable period of time, there would be no incentive for it to pursue the matter; it might be best to invest in bonds at home.

I abhor contamination of the environment, whether it's open sewage from cities into rivers (all over Honduras), or smoke from set forest fires, oil spillage in garages and elsewhere, or trash thrown in the streets. Yet, in all the countries I names above, where open-pit mining does take place, strict (but fair and reasonable) ecological controls prevent disasters. Why should Honduras be different? Of course, there shall always be discontents: no-matter what you offer or give them, they'll always complain. But, am I wrong in stating that all mineral wealth in Honduras belongs to the Government, i.e., the people? Surely the complaints of a few individuals should be overruled by the Government for the good of the majority?

One last word: please remember that all major industrialized countries started with nothing; mining with agriculture built them up to their present strength.

Sincerely
John F.A. Nisco.

Bits n pieces

It is funny how things work in Honduras, Alice´s Wonderland, my country...my sometimes Godforsaken sometimes blessed country.

First things first…VIVA HONDURAS!!! We finally beat Costa Rica to a pulp in soccer!! 5-2..and in their own field! Thank goodness for Raul Martinez Sambula, the coach we were waiting for…one of our very own. These are the things that make Honduras great!! Tiny, gorgeous, sad Honduras….a place where 83% of the population lives in conditions of extreme poverty yet the miniscule group that dub themselves "high society" compete with each other for the most lavish wedding. A place where society magazines totally applaud luxury and practically ignore misery…Did you folks know that no other country in Central America has the huge, heavy, glossy magazines we hungrily buy every month? I do not recall seeing this display of wealth, property and names anywhere…not even in the United States, yet curiously…Honduras, poor miserable Honduras, has not one but two of these publications…spaces of expression that completely ignore the problems and focus on the personalities, specifically on the material things they own ….no doubt fueling competition amongst the "rich and famous" for the most expensive wardrobe, the greatest party, or even the best plastic surgery…in contrast, I have noticed Aguas de Maduro has worn the exact same designer dress the last three high profile gala events she has been invited to…last week in Hollywood, California,(eat your heart out ladies!) invited by none other than Tom Cruise and John Travolta themselves; another one this week to greet the Taiwanese Prime Minister, and the third one I forgot already…But I bet she's making a statement…she knew she was to be photographed…she knew her pictures would be published…round of applause for our gentle First Lady for making a smart point in austerity...and practicing what she preaches…

And speaking of wealth and wealthier societies, it is a fact that Honduras is getting these days more tourists than ever before, specially from Europe and the USA…and it makes me so angry at hearing some of them complain over a glass of orange juice for twenty lempiras..that is about a dollar…c'mon…when Hondurans travel to developed they have to pay five dollars for a cup of coffee, and even more for freshly squeezed juice…how are we to improve our lifestyle if dutch or german tourists bitch every time they come and see that we are finally waking up and making a living? Are they trying pretend to be as poor as we are? Don't we have a right to make some cash? No offense buddies..these are only thoughts…I am off now…nice to chat with you…see ya later.

IN NICARAGUA THE FISSURES OF THE COMMON MARKET

Again Nicaragua stands out for its imposition in the political environment of Central America. As you will remember, this country imposed a tax against our country for more than three years, schemed with merchants in Guatemala, El Salvador and at the same time Honduras to impose against the latter country a totally illegal tax of 35% on the value of Nicaraguan merchandise made in our country. Subtly now they present the same wolf with different skin by imposing completely invalid regulations in the sector of transportation. This is the classic maneuvering of unscrupulous merchants and industries in Central America for the purpose of procuring personal benefit.

And far from having an analytical Chancellory with initiative, the actual Chancellory masquerades itself for the President, who has a partial interest in Central American commerce. There are plenty of interests for which the Chancellory of the Republic is an organism of mere formality and not an active and reflective player working in the country's best interests.

And yet public opinion keeps us from alleging illegality against Nicaragua for this abominable act and the continued discrimination against Honduran commerce. We will be in a reunion of countries where everyone will give us reasons for voting in favor of Nicaragua to delay further measures against us rather than confronting them directly.
Nicaragua's impositions are already endemic and this pathology will continue. President Arnoldo Alemán of Nicaragua flaunts the money with which he has filled his pockets at the expense of Honduran commerce.

Meanwhile, Managua continues to sink into poverty (like us) and its officials continue to play this game which ends with both countries (which are in debt) and the other nations of the region will lose without sympathy from anyone.

To see Nicaragua's insistence on the deterioration of the Central American economic system you only have to look at our country and realize that it is a capricious appreciation of Nicaragua on the part of other countries that makes them ignore our existence and value.
Other nations have already threatened to block Nicaraguan goods from the natural trade corridor established for Honduran transporters who drive merchandise from more northerly countries, so that it is likely they will never arrive in Honduras.

That our sole recourse is to the Economic Integration of Central America is a useless one, because the tribunal is a complete failure and its mandate is inept and negligent.
Thus, we don't go anywhere with these difficult neighbors and already the opportunistic frontrunners of the 40 thieves are at our door.

Debating the Honduran Democracy

BY TONJE ROBERTSEN

Latin-Americans' belief in electoral democracy was one of the topics discussed when the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) presented its report "Democracy in Latin America" in Tegucigalpa, Tuesday August 10th. The report sought to analyze and recognize the democratic advances made in the region, but, said UNDP representative Kim Bolduc: "[...] our democracies are fragile."

Amongst the speakers were the Honduran president Ricardo Maduro, and Kofi Annan, general secretary of the United Nations. The topics most heavily emphasized were human rights in democratic states, the impacts of globalization and a free marked economy, the responsibilities of political parties, unequal distribution of resources and corruption.

"Today, almost all Latin-Americans live in democracies," said Annan in a recorded speech. "That is a great achievement of which you should all be proud." However, he added that: "Opinion polls tell us that today, only about fifty percent of Latin-Americans prefer democracy to authoritarian rule."

Opinion polls placed 46.2 percent of Hondurans in the category "democrats", defined as persons who answered in favor of democratic rule to all questions asked. They preferred democracy to "any other form of government", and also supported the application of democratic rules during difficult times.
16.7 percent were described as "non-democrats"; all their answers expressed opinions against democracy. They preferred authoritarian to democratic rule.

37.1 percent were placed in the category "ambivalents". Their answers expressed ambivalence, or contradiction. They agreed with democratic principals, but believed that undemocratic measures could be taken if the government found it necessary.

The figures for all of Latin-America place 43 percent in the category "democrats", 26.5 percent in the category "non-democrats", and 30.5 percent in "ambivalents".

In Honduras, the percentage of voters amongst the population with the right to vote was 68.3 percent, higher than the Latin-American average at 62.7 percent.

In terms of "the balance between political and economic reforms with social consequences", the UNDP could report that Honduras presents an "acceptable" level of economic reform.

The country also achieved value 1 on the Electoral Democracy Development Index, in which 0 indicates an undemocratic regime and 1 a democratic regime. The index measures the levels of rights to vote, freedom and access to electoral processes.

"Everyone tells me how we today have a Honduras very distinct from the Honduras that embraced democracy in 1980," said Kim Bolduc of the UNDP, "which has proven efficient by the progressive consolidation of a civil order. Nontheless, the need to combat poverty, inequality and corruption is still evident; these evils that prevent our countries from achieving the desired stability."
Honduras is today behind the rest of Latin-America in terms of gross national product per capita. While the rest of the region displays an average of 3060 US dollars per year, the Honduran average remains at 900 US dollars per year.

The report also shows that of all the countries examined in the report from 2001, Honduras present the highest levels of poverty. In 1990, 80.5 percent of the population lived in poverty, meaning that their incomes were insufficient with respect to basic needs.

To "have things work out", was the reason given by the 49.1 percent of the interviewees in the Latin-American countries who agreed with a certain degree of corruption. This attitude was found in all social and demographic groups. Transparency International uses a scale from 0 to 11 in order to measure the perceived level of corruption in a country. The scale indicate what information is not available, and the closer to 0; the higher the level of corruption.

Honduras registered at 2.7 in 2002, while the whole of Latin-America registered 3.7. This means that Honduras has a higher perception of corruption than the Latin-American average. Still, the region is far from for example Europe with 7.8.

The levels of inequality in Honduras have decreased, but at a low pace. In 1990, the richest twenty percent of the population received almost 55 percent of the country's total incomes, while the poorest twenty percent received four percent. In 1999, these numbers had changed to respectively 49.8 and 4.7 percent. This makes Honduras one of the Latin-American countries with the most unequal distribution of wealth, even though it is one of only a few countries that has managed to narrow the gap between 1990 and 2000.

Kim Bolduc said about the report that it asked how much poverty liberty can resist, how much inequality democracy can survive and how many sacrifices, difficulties and deprivations the right to vote can withstand.

For more information about the report "Democracy in Latin-America", visit www. democracia.undp.org or www. undp.un.hn

BITS - N - PIECES

Hondurans tend to laugh at things that have triggered a gun or two in many other societies, near and far. Where Nicaraguans shoot the bullet we shoot the joke.

Laughing instead of crying- or killing, for that matter- has become a coping mechanism for a society that stares injustice in the face and prefers to chuckle rather than make a difference, no matter how radical….I have no idea how this column will turn out. It is my first try and I only have forty minutes to send it over the web….Already instead of funny it is starting to sound cynical…sheez…yeap… ok...that is what I have become: A Cynic. It does feel good, though to have the chance to sit down and let you know, specially those of you who care fro fresh air and the environment, that last Monday August 9, 2004 between 7:30 am and 9:30 am I , Alice, personally counted twenty trucks heavily loaded with beautiful, fat, juicy tree trunks freshly cut from a Honduran forest somewhere down road from Olancho…I saw what could have easily been an entire forest drive past me (and a dozen police checkpoints) without anybody doing anything about it…the so called "New" forest law (if you get a copy PLEASE read it closely) will only make it easier for these rainforest predators to cut, ship and sell without anybody getting in their way…specially those who live around the forests and depend on them for life…yet the Honduran National Congress claims it is "necessary", to pass this law to make the loggers stop (talk about manipulative talk), Yeah...right... WHAT FOR? What we obviously need is proper law enforcement rather than "new laws"..And what the hell is wrong with "old laws" anyways? The Ten Commandments are a few thousand years old, yet if you respect them you WILL go to heaven, you know? OK ..On other matters, Honduras seems to be moving in the right direction regarding freedom of information or speech...If I may speak my mind, there are steps being taken to properly punish those who use their tounges and the media to manipulate the truth and publicly flog the innocent while covering up for the really bad guys…Although, if things do not change ( and this seems to be the trend here), some of the Court cases currently pending in the sacrosanct Honduran Courts of justice will end up being solved with a few pushups and maybe a little public spanky..tut-tut-tut...Although some cases, like Renato Alvarez´ deserve a good x-ray from local and international courts, others should have been solved-behind bars, mind you---a looong time ago. Like they say in my country, Wonderland, for all of you, (great to meet you, I am Alice) .. "you never know"….
Tegucigalpa, August, 2004

Dear Editor,

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry on reading Mr. CP Groothousens urinalysis - er - analysis of his predicament in the May 29, 2004 issue of HTW. Mr. John Nisco's follow-up letter to the HTW Editor last week shook me further. Originally, I thought Mr. Groothousens letter sounded suspiciously like another of WB Gutmans dribbling on with his endless list of reasons to hate the USA. However, Mr. Groothousens topic of public urination laws in the USA hit me right on the shoes as a topic of international relations that does not get the serious coverage it deserves. To be sure, the issue could indeed be a long and delicate one. On the one hand, the closer I get to Mr. Groothousens age, the more I find that the Need to "relieve ones self" (as it is delicately put by Mr. Groothousen) is not often contemporaneous with the ability to "relieve oneself" at will. After about 45 years of age the act of relieving oneself in public frequently becomes an act of prolonged public exposure. Thus, this simple, human act can become an alarming issue for all involved - including the innocent neighbors who must wonder what the poor "reliever" is up to for so long a time. It is a dilemma that I can grasp firmly and one I greatly empathize with. Like Mr. Groothousen standing at the edge of a stream, the sound of running water can drive me crazy with the desire to relieve myself, but I know the relief of doing so may, indeed be some time away. He's right, though. In the USA there are laws in nearly every jurisdiction that address the topic. Although it is rarely, if ever, an offense that would result in being arrested, "pubic urination" usually falls under statutes which address "indecent exposure" or "disorderly conduct." In the jurisdiction from which I retired from law enforcement, it was called "public indecency" and was an offense which one only received a written citation and fine for. Such laws in the USA can certainly feel oppressive - like a tight belt over a full bladder. While I'm certainly not prudish on the topic, I understand it can be a delicate matter. After spending the last several years working and living in Bosnia, Kosovo, and now Central America, I'm no stranger to watering the grass when the need strikes. Many of my countrymen and women, however, do have a prudish attitude about the issue, but come on; it's not as if the bar is set that high. When we remember back to grade school, as Mr. Groothousen encouraged us to, we also remember that in addition to being taught the difference between going "number 1 and number 2", I'm sure we've all heard this admonishment from our fathers and mothers: "I told you to use the toilet BEFORE we left home!" A person leaving a tavern should use the restroom provided BY LAW in every such establishment in the USA before going outside. Granted, it's a tough concept to expect many to remember when they can't even remember where they parked their car or that they shouldn't even be driving! Relieving themselves in a field next to the tavern might end up the least of their troubles.

They could find themselves relieving themselves in their own car due to the flashing lights of a Police Car appearing in the rear view mirror. Another way to look at it is this, Mr. Groothousen: imagine the innocent Grandmother and Grandfather, who - while relaxing on their porch in the warmth of a tranquil, golden Wisconsin (or Siguatepeque) sunset, sipping a cold lemon-aid and gazing out at the azaleas - are suddenly faced by two "potty-goers"..er…"party-goers" watering the azaleas right there in front of them! Well, following such a lengthy demonstration, an awe struck Grandmother could leave Grandfather to go off to the party with the "potty goers!" Clearly an example of a marital tragedy that could have been avoided had the errant younger men simply obeyed the law.

Removing my tongue from my cheek, I'll zip up with this last thought: there are indeed many things to complain about the USA, however, I'll leave the details of them to others. But please, comparing The United States' seemingly oppressive public urination laws to the lifting of oppression in Iraq is a far reach. In reading Mr. Groothousens letter to HTW, I felt an attraction and kinship with him. He shouldn't let such things trouble him about the USA. I think I can say, without a doubt, if Mr. Groothousen needs to relieve himself in his sister's garden in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, USA he would not be arrested unless his sister called the police and insisted upon it! Relax Mr. Groothousen!

Randy Patrick,
Tegucigalpa
Via Internet

WHAT COMES AFTER DEMOCRACY?

The current electoral democracies have not proved pillars of strength to support the basic needs of the Latin American countries. Latin American governments, with some exceptions, resemble crazy monkeys in search of food in a cage.

Principally, the political planning has been a response to the payment of the political debt of certain voters who are called to occupy governmental positions, having no experience in the matter and their sins paid beforehand.

The politicians use strict lineaments to support their voters, including the press. At the time, no one at any level, has talked about the incredible influence that the government of the republic has on the most renowne media industry in the country. We have to see the country as a client, because if we talk about the government we get no advertising at all. We have pointed out in the past that institutional advertising is used to disseminate information about situations in which there are warnings of the advantages and disadvantages. It is a moral obligation of the nation to efficiently communicate this to the population.

To make it worse, the national press has been compromised and takes advantage of the actual politicians. They are vultures who do not get involved with the decent people of the national press.
They choose the contributors of the means of communication to advertise the media where they belong. The defending media is the only one that gets advertised.

The tranquility of the country is tense. This time, they are well advised, even by the opposing party. They are carefully looking for a non screaming country, but with galloping problems.

The detonates are in every corner of the Latin American cities that at times long for the old military regimes… imagine if we had Hugo Chavez for president. The difficult part is to extract an ignorant populist, even if he has the military combination.

According to the UN, 43% of the Latin Americans support democracy, while another 30% are ambivalent. At least four Latin American presidents have been forced to step down from their command. There has not been an improvement in the income per capita. 59% of Latin American politicians have said that they are not complying with their obligations.

Nowadays, it is said that there are no difficulties with the political management of Latin American societies is being used. However there are grave difficulties. We can not guarantee a regional democracy that will impulse human development, peace, and prosperity…it all seems like a circumstance of political party corruption.

We will have to learn more about the people we choose for candidates. We have to submit them to a decent regime, less politics and more statistics, less violence, more professionalism, more ethics, more morals, more rights, more supervision; to develop more practical knowledge that detects and solves problems with more efficiency. If we do not find a functional method we will see ourselves paying off journalists for the rest of our lives.

AUTONOMY THROUGH A STRENGTHENED AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY

Between eighty and ninety per cent of Honduran crops are in the hands of small, unprotected farmers, although efforts are being made to help them. The deficits of our agricultural industry are indisputable, as the smaller farmers work with the weakest soil in Honduras. Natural goods not produced for exportation present problems, as our economy is in the hands of relatively unproductive cattle farms.

They do not take advantage of the resources they hold, and they do not allow more dedicated Hondurans to take over fertile lands in order to generate greater benefits for everyone. In addition, they only reap small portions of what they sow, due to expenses forced upon them by creditors.

Because the agricultural industry relies so heavily upon weather conditions, investment risks are high. Technical knowledge and support, and information about new inventions are scarce, leaving the poor farmers neglected.

With intelligent management of the land, through the cultivation of plants with high quality and productivity, we could satisfy the market's demands. Agricultural functionaries should go to the country side and experience the farmers' everyday life. They should bow their heads to the ground and see how the seeds are planted. This way, they could learn firsthand about the farmers' aspirations and shortages, and put together a program seeking to provide immediate assistance.

Other important aspects of the agricultural industry in need of stimulation, are the poultry farms and fishermen. They should be organized in cooperatives and orientated about nature conservation. Commercialization of their products for exportation must also be emphasized.

These are our only options if we wish to preserve the autonomy of the Honduran people. Through innovation and adaptation to new methods, we will be able to move forward. The responsibility lies on each and every one of us.

Dear Editor,

Since Mr. Groothousen's letter to you (26/05/04), other more important matters have come and gone. He berates the 'Victorian' Puritanism of not allowing men (or women, we assume?) to freely pee in the streets as they wish. Well, I partially, but only partially agree. The point is most Honduran cities and towns, as well of those of many other countries, lack any sort of public facilities which most cities in Europe have had for centuries. As far as I am concerned, it's much more a question of hygiene than one of prudishness, 'though I frankly do not enjoy seeing someone peeing or, worst, crapping, in a downtown street.
Certainly, SANAA should install some basic facilities in key downtown areas as a minimum, and the 'aseo' system should be charged with keeping them reasonably clean.

This might even encourage more tourists to venture into the 'great unknown' of Honduran cities.

Yours truly

John Nisco.
Via Internet

Citizen Manifestation

I: From the frustration of the hope the constitutional Government.
Author: Roberto Herrera Caceres.

There are plenty of diagnostics about the situation of the nation and of the government fulfillment, that proves the sub development condition in Honduras. We all have an equally clear perception of the lack of correspondence between the Honduras in which we live and the Honduras, which was designed, as a humanist state, in the Republic's constitution.

On September 4th 2001, with the approaching general elections, the political parties recognized that it was necessary to improve the states and to establish a new relationship with the society. Its major participation in public matters regarding the communities and its citizens

This year on September 18th, the five political parties, with organizations of civil society and the government's representatives contracted compromises for the integral sustainable development. According to the National Agreement of the 21st century Honduras has great issues, but at the same time has extensive resources and potentialities. The fragmentation of the society is the historic is a result of a lack of vision and direction for the country leading to politic instability and discontinuity of action and conduct that we have suffered. That is why we are aware that it is urgent to generate agreements and to fortify the Honduran's capacity for dialogue and the quest for concerted solutions.
The accomplishment of the majority of those national compromises are pending and the improvement has limited the normal democratic institutions. This was influenced by the personal attitudes and circumstances of the international evolution, which gives us a view of the State and of the decision of deepening democracy and sustainability imposed on human development

Due to this reason, the formal improvement has been accompanied by a notorious loss of credibility to this same institution. This includes the political parties because of the erratic behavior of many of their leaders and the abuse that several groups of interest have done to them.

In the year 2004, the end of society and of the state, that is the promotion of human dignity, has not experienced a significant change. The middle class is being seriously affected and consequently we habitants continue accumulating frustration, which progressively weakens the nation's social cohesion.

It isn't civic nor ethic, the silence or difference that tends to divide our country and national identity into Honduras for the rich and Honduras for the poor. That dangerous situation reveals the risks of the State's management who has only presented the security and economic growth conditions. Because of this, it is necessary to revert to the tendency and enlarge this management so that the State returns to its promontory trench of human development, understanding that the social policy is also a priority.

In effect, it is impossible to lift the nation's trust beyond the improvement of the institutional structures that they seek. From now on it is the wellbeing of the life of the people, reassured by the most efficient and honest functioning of the constitutional institution.

In this direction, we need to retake the National Agreement of 2001 and perfect it with a new knowledge between political parties, government, and civil society to make precise and verifiable actions to objectives and goals of democratic improvements and human developments of the Nation. This will aid in assuming as our own, a culture of mutual responsibility and fluid communication between the governing and the governed.

There are enough reasons and evidence of the need to accomplish a trustable guarantee in that, in any case, the elected ones by the majority of votes will respond to our fundamental hopes.

This is because of what is pre written in the republic's constitution which indicates the activity of the state and the society, with a special emphasis in the economic and security system. This is what will be the service of protection, dignity, and the quality of life for the Honduran people.

That induces to demand candidates to be aware of the importance of the constitutional governing of Honduras's development and to assume their civic responsibility before the Nation. This needs to be executed with efficiency and honesty, a public service that is given to them, and to undergo inexcusably, to the democratic and social State Empire that should last in Honduras.

II: From the suffrage to the most extensive exercise of the active citizenship.

The citizen participation in the public matters of the country is a right that implies the public suffrage and the active citizenship to contribute to the moral and material nation's enlargement. This depends on the honesty of the objective that the governmental management pro-claim and their correspondence with the desires and expectations of the Honduran society of social and democratic state's transformation.

To this goal, every responsible aspirant should make their thoughts public as a serious offer to the government. To apply to the constitution lineaments about what should be and what should be done about the democratic and social Honduran state. To assist to accomplish an advance democratic security for the human development in a state of right. This needs to be consolidated and with the support of citizenship to be more active and coordinated each time.

In this electoral offer and compromise before the Nation, the precise objectives and politics would be reflected. Programs and projects would be expressed concretely and rationally verbalized in a budget for the human development it attends. Its fist priority: poverty and corruption, the fomentation of jobs, health, education, productivity, and the democratic security's guarantees and productive participation of Honduras in the international order.

This way the citizen will be able to evaluate each electoral offer and will know if it will benefit the human development and reassure equal opportunities. The inhabitants of the 298 cities of our country have the possibility of participating in this process. If the local development would be intertwined with the regional development, it would then fortify constantly with the cohesion, solidarity, and sustainability that can only reassure the national development.

With this information the electoral will understand the decentralization and the transference of competitions could be a way to fortify the local democratic development. This would result in each city and region propicie for the progressive improvement of the quality of the neighbor's life.

The efficiency of a strategic thought by the State requires the major certainty of confirming a new Republic's government as a action instrument. With the compromise of going farther away than the governmental administration, to meet substantially in the creation and progressive improvement of the condition of habitant's to a worthy life.

By this we mean a public administration for the development of human security. This would demand that the public charges would be busy for men and women socially sensible, of public merits, of recognized experiences, with fundamental aspects that promote the human integral development of a country. They do this with the structured foundations of national identity values, justice, equality, solidarity, and honesty.

Overall, we need a government whose members can attend with professional competitions, and social aperture of it's sectarian responsibilities. This would generate the political capacity for a governmental team of understanding.

What is needed in order to accomplish this goal is responsible and consequent participation as a sovereign country, in picking the fittist citizens that can present themselves as candidates to govern our country. The placement of action, by them, in our social auditory and of the right to claim the redemption of bills to the ones who will perform the Republic's power.

ONE MORE STEP TO IMPROVING OUR SOCIETY

Tuesday 27th , the National Congress of the Republic abolished three constitutional articles and their respective numerals .These articles are directly related to the republic's deputies and public functionaries immunity.

For several decades, the law hid the political wrongdoers , leaving the right for justice impunity . Nothing is more upsetting than having to pay someone who criminally pays us back. But this is our country's situation , without control , under false political thoughts and lack of public scientific and professional administration which has driven us to the discrediting of all the national institutions.

But returning to the point, the lack of moral values in the candidates who emerge, not because of their merits and knowledge of the people they represent, but because of the money given to the presidential candidates which means being a deputy is not a representative. The precious immunity is bought in the past.

Other posts were also included in order to add more weight to the decision, which covered sectors like the supreme justice court where there had been a great need of taking the functionaries out handcuffed.

There were more than 20 interventions of the actual deputies who, in their speeches, stated that the deputies would lose a gift which was given to them by the country and that they had misused it for a long time in a fraudulent way.

From now on, we will see the deputies running with the demands because of their responsibilities.

Annexed to what was before mentioned the Honduran society also wants a change in election process of deputy candidates. The only possible elite for this personalities is the one of benefiting the nation's rates. They should be true patriots, fit, with great experience and capable of interpreting our country's needs.

We will benefit internally as well as externally because we will no longer be countries that protect delinquents with immunity.

Dear Mario, Gladys and friends

Thank you so much for your coverage of the Participation Development Workshop carried out by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency last week in Tegucigalpa. The event is a fine example of how this noble oriental country cooperates, not only through Grant Aid programs and Technical Cooperation, but as a firm hand in teaching Hondurans and other neighboring countries on how to help themselves.
The fact that the participants to the workshop were able to learn how to locate a problem and by means of teamwork learn to propose a project to solve this problem, is a positive step towards the efficient solution of the myriad of problems that plague our societies. Thumbs up for Mario, Gladys and the journalists in Honduras This Week!!

sincerely,
Alejandra Paredes L

Dear Editor,

I read with interest Howard Rosenzweig's list of 50 issues for Copan Ruinas. I have traveled to Copan for the past three years and I have to say, it is one of my favorite places in the world.
It reminds me of what the Rocky Mountain resort towns were like when I was a child, but I have to agree with Mr. Rosenzweig on the trash issue. I believe that, given efficient air transport from the U.S. to San Pedro Sula and good bus transport on to Copan, that Americans would love to visit your country.

The people are terrific, especially in Copan and the other small towns. But trash along the streets and spoiling the beauty along the
highways does detract from what you have to offer. When we traveled to Copan, We left Wichita, Kansas on Continental a little before 7 a.m. and touched down in San Pedro Sula at noon. We arrived at La Madraguda by mid afternoon. It was a wonderful trip, and staying at La Madrugada is a vacation in itself. What meals! I can't say enough good about Copan and in the past three years, I can see that you are working to improve your tourism, so keep up the good work and know that there are Gringos back here who are pulling for you.
All the best and may God Bless Honduras!

Chuck Smith, Great Bend, Kansas