|
NATIONAL NEWS |
|
NATIONAL NEWS |
|
|
| Monday, August 29, 2005 Online Edition 35 | |||
| Fuel Reduction Campaign
The Secretary of Commerce and Industry, Irving Guerrero, has proposed to the government a campaign to save energy and reduce the consumption of fuels whose increasingly high costs are affecting the economy of the Honduran society. The slogan of the energy and fuel saving campaign is “Bájale al gasto”, which means to reduce the expense. The propaganda advertisements will be placed in television, radio, and press. Posters will also be attached to taxi cabs and buses. The massive campaign contains educational, informative, and conscience generating components and it is oriented to all the Honduran citizens. Two of its main catchy phrases are “Ahorra combustible, ahorra dinero,” and “Ahorrando energía, ahorras dinero” which both emphasize in the saving of money through the saving of fuel and energy. The campaign, also supported by the Secretary of Natural Resources, is aimed towards the sensitization of Hondurans and convince them to prefer the use of liquefied petroleum gas or LPG and avoid the acceleration of their vehicle when it is not needed, among other actions. Liquefied petroleum gas, or LP gas, is one of the most common alternative fuels used in the world today. In fact, in many places, it isn’t an alternative fuel at all: LP gas is a mainstay for heating and cooking in certain areas of India and some other rural areas of the world. In Honduras, LPG is mostly used in kitchens to heat gas stoves in both rural and urban areas. Nonetheless, there is a small number of cars that are now running with LPG. According to the World Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (WLPGA), more than 9 million vehicles in 38 countries currently operate on LP gas. It is not a new idea. Propane-powered vehicles have been around for decades. The benefits include reduced emissions, quoted by WLPGA as “50% less carbon monoxide, 40% less hydrocarbons, 35% less nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 50% less ozone forming potential compared to gasoline”. With government incentives and tax breaks figured in, LP gas used in cars (known as autogas) can be much cheaper than gasoline. Even without the incentives, it is usually much cheaper. Autogas is a high-octane fuel, offering performance comparable to gasoline and diesel, and many owners claim that autogas runs more smoothly, resulting in less wear and tear on engine components. The need for lowering the consumption of fuel derivates in order to reduce the expenses due to the high costs of petrol products is not only happening in Honduras. The price of these products increase generally when the world crude-oil market tightens and lowers inventories, affecting the economy in several countries. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) proposed an initiative designed to create viable and sustainable markets for LP Gas delivery and consumption thereby contributing to sustainable energy solutions that can improve people’s lives in selected developing countries, The LP Gas Rural Energy Challenge. This initiative emerged from the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002, and it specifically aims to address adverse impacts on health, the environment and economic productivity related to dependence on traditional biomass fuels in rural areas. This is a situation that impacts more than two billion people worldwide, and disproportionately affects women and children. The LPG Challenge, as it is known, is a private partnership between the World Liquid Petroleum Gas Association (WLPGA) and the UNDP. Funding for activities within the pilot phase is provided through the Global Programme on Energy for Sustainable Development. The funds are used to support multi-stakeholder dialogue in the pilot countries (China, Ghana, Honduras, Morocco, South Africa and Vietnam) and to develop national project activities. Additional financial resources are being mobilized from private sector partners in LP Gas industry. The LPG Challenge directly targets rural and semi-urban areas with the objective of expanding access to cleaner LP Gas. Modern efficient fuels are essential not only to meet some heating and cooking needs, but also to support small businesses that use heat processes, especially in the agricultural sector. LP Gas has been successfully introduced in many developing countries and has had significant positive sustainable development impacts. Many industrial forklifts are LP gas powered because LP gas provides enough power to do heavy lifting while generating reduced fumes and pollutants in confined warehouse spaces. Also, as the well as the fiscal benefit, the “Bájale al Gasto” campaign is also oriented towards the saving of energy.
Border security strengthened Guatemala tightened security at its borders to Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador last week to stop members of youth gangs streaming in to join feud that killed 35 inmates in prison riots last week. Convicts from the Mara Salvatrucha gang attacked rivals from the Mara 18 group with grenades, guns and machetes in Guatemalan prisons last week, breaking a pact between the rival gangs not to fight each other behind bars. National police Chief Erwin Sperisen told the Reuters news network that gang members might enter from abroad as reinforcements in an escalation of the conflict. Reuters Honduran-American soldier buried The remains of Honduran-American sergeant Ramon Gonzales, who died a few weeks ago in Iraq, were buried Tuesday in his home town San Pedro Sula. Gonzales’ relatives said he had moved to the United States when he was 11. He was killed by a sniper in Ramali, west of Baghdad. Radio America US to deport hundreds of gang members to Latin America US authorities are ready to deport hundreds of gang members to Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, in a war against a violent threat that has sown fear from America’s cities to the rural Midwest. Some 30,000 street gangs with more than 800,000 members currently operate in the United States, many of which are Latin American immigrant gangs, according to the Justice Department’s latest figures. “They’re expanding their membership, they’re expanding their recruiting effort, they’re expanding their criminal activities... in ‘mom and pop’ country down in the midwest,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman Michael Keegan. “Before it becomes an epidemic we are going to stop it,” he told AFP. To confront the gangland scourge, the ICE in March launched an operation called “Community Shield”, netting more than 1,000 gang members across the country, said the official with the US Department for Homeland Security. Of those arrested, 120 have already been deported, 80 have been approved for deportation, 600 are in ICE detention and 200 will go on trial and serve time before they are repatriated, said Keegan. AFP
|
Passport swindler gets his ticket out By MARGHERITA STANCATI To the outrage of US diplomats, the press and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the former head of the Immigration Office, Mr. Ramón Romero, was set free last Friday after 109 days of imprisonment.
These accusations led to his preventive arrest on the 1st of May 2005 by agents of the General Management for Criminal Investigations (DGIC). His subordinate, the former head of Foreign affairs Mr. Julio Hernández, was also imprisoned for the passport scandal. Mr. Romero is still to be put on trial for all charges, but in the meantime - and unlike Mr. Hernández - he is allowed to return home. Romero agreed with the Tribunal’s proposal to pay a fine of 600,000 Lempiras ($32,000) in exchange for his liberation. Precautionary measures, including regular appearances at the tribunal and the prohibition to communicate with anyone in the Immigration Office, have also been imposed on Mr. Romero. These measures did nothing to prevent the resurfacing of sharp criticism of the Honduran judicial system. Indeed, many saw the liberation of Romero as yet another example of the unreliable and corrupt nature of justice in Honduras. The most vocal accusations came from Ms. Doris Aguilar, a functionary of the Public Prosecution Office, who was directly involved in the investigations which led to the arrest of Mr. Romero. She was appalled by the judge’s decision to liberate Mr. Romero, which she perceived as a drastic blow to the Public Ministry’s ongoing struggle to punish those who break the law. When confronted with these accusations, Justice Maldonado defended her position by claiming that the proof against Mr. Romero was insufficient to justify the preventive arrest. Ms. Aguilar claimed that the pressure of influential politicians was crucial for Romero’s release. She did not hesitate to appeal to the Tribunal of Alzada against his release and announced that she will present seven new charges against Mr. Romero. The US Embassy was also adamant in its criticisms. In an official declaration, the US Embassy expressed feeling “greatly deceived in face of the recent events related to the scandal of illegitimate passports involving Mr. Ramón Romero”. The US Embassy showed interest in Romero’s case from the start: last May the Embassy dispatched the US Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) to cooperate with DGIC agents in the operations that led to Romero’s arrest. Spokespersons from the Embassy stated that whilst Mr. Romero’s case is serious in itself, it also has important implications not only for the national security of Honduras but also of the United States. The Embassy is particularly concerned with Mr. Romero’s presumed fast-tracking of the distribution of passports to dozens of Iranian, Lebanese, Indian and most of all Chinese nationals. US officials consider this a security threat since, as newly declared “Honduran” citizens, these people would have easier access to the USA. Particularly at a time when American foreign policy is dominated by “The War Against Terror” (TWAT), such lapses in the immigration system cannot be tolerated. US officials clearly said that after a thorough investigation, they expect Romero to be subjected to a fair trial. Since his liberation, Romero has made a few public appearances. Shortly after being discharged, Romero headed directly to the altar of the Virgin of Suyapa in Tegucigalpa, where he was eager to display his faith and weary of answering the questions of the press. In a brief statement he refuted all allegations to the ‘pasaportazo’ scandal, which he perceived as an attempt to tarnish his reputation. His imprisonment has undeniably done much damage to his social standing, his professional career and to the political reputation of the governing party as a whole. At this point, his candidacy for the National Party as Town Councilor of the capital seems doubtful. This is no surprise since, after all, all evidence points to Mr. Romero’s involvement in the scandal. At the same time, his release exposed a long-standing weakness of Honduran politics: the tendency for the law to turn a blind eye to the crimes of those with power and connections. This is just another example of that characteristically Central American breed of democracy that prevails in Honduras - a form of democracy in which some are, indeed, more equal than others.
|
||
| Monday, August 22, 2005 Online Edition 34 | |||
| From Japan, Maduro’s Government Confirms Bridge
According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, “in Honduras, the international distribution flow for agricultural and fishery products has become active in recent years following the trend toward integration of the economies of Central America, and the improvement of the country's distribution routes has become indispensable and urgent to activation of its economy. To address this need, the Government of Honduras has formulated the Project to Develop Honduras Logistic Roads, a project to strengthen and improve national routes and provincial roads linked to production bases in Central American and world markets”. According to studies conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2005, the national route highways 1 and 3, Agua Caliente Bridge lack capacity to withstand load and the Las Hormigas Bridge, having only single lanes each way hamper the prompt and safe transportation people, goods and services. Because of this situation, Maduro´s government submitted to the Japanese government a request for grant aid to provide the funds to reconstruct the Las Hormigas and Agua Caliente bridges. The signature of these notes of exchange has occurred during President Maduro’s ongoing trip to Japan, where the presidents of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Honduras attended, as well as the Vice presidents of El Salvador, and Panama.
First lady rescues street children Aguas Ocaña de Maduro, First Lady of Honduras, rescued twenty street children and a number of young female prostitutes last weekend. Ocaña was joined
by members of the preventive police force, members of the General
Direction of Criminal Investigation (DGIC), and the Honduran Children’s
Institute (INHFA). She prompted the operatives’ action in
downtown Tegucigalpa, where several children operated as windshield
wipers and street beggars. United States maintains alert for travelers to Honduras Ian Brewnlee, United States general consul in Tegucigalpa, denied on August 13 that the U.S. government had retracted the warning about the dangers of traveling to Honduras, as Honduran chancellor Mario Fortin had declared a day earlier. The warning was placed
on the U.S. Embassy’s website after gang members assassinated
Timothy Markey, a DEA agent of 44 years of age who was visiting
the Honduran capital. Transporters at it again Due to the high increase of fuel prices on August 14, the leaders of the transport services will get together for an emergency meeting to analyze the government’s decision to grant a new increment to urban and interurban bus and taxi fares. Jorge López, president
of the National Council of Transport, warned that the meeting would
be used to come up with an alternative plan that will be presented
to the authorities of the Secretary of Public Works, Housing and
Transport (SOPTRAVI). Gun registry not as expected Hundreds of
gun owners are waiting until the last minute to register their piece.
A recent consensus of guns in the country produced far lower results
than expected.
|
Human Rights Defenders Under Attack? MARGHERITA STANCATI Just over a week ago, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders addressed an alarming open letter to President Ricardo Maduro. “The Observatory,” the letter warned, “fears that repression, harassment, and even murder of persons who defend human rights is becoming an institutionalized phenomenon in Honduras”. Indeed, the list of reported attacks on human rights defenders and environmental activists is as long as it is varied, and there is no reason to believe this trend shows any sign of abating. In this past year, threats and aggressions have reached an unprecedented scale. Almost every Non-Governmental Organization in Honduras has been subjected to acts of intimidation and violence. The targeted NGOs are linked by their tendency to clash with the vested interests of domestic and foreign investment companies, powerful local landowners, CAFTA lobbyists and governmental authorities. The most dramatic event was the mysterious murder of Mr.Edickson Roberto Lemus, the director of the National Organization of Farm Workers (CNTC), in May. The circumstances leading to his murder are unclear, and though a suspect has been arrested, it is feared that witnesses have been scared out of giving testimony. The members of COPINH (Civil Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations in Honduras) have not been spared. In recent years, they have been subjected to acts of intimidation, surveillance, and shooting. A spokesperson from COPINH, who wishes to remain unnamed for reasons of security, pointed out that “while these attacks are by no means new, they are becoming increasingly common”. The most recent act of aggression directed to a member of COPINH occurred on the 5th of June when Mr. Feliciano Pineda, indigenous leader of the Vertienses community of Montaña Verde, was attacked with machetes. Having been taken to hospital, he found himself imprisoned in Gracias, Lempira, in a grave physical condition and charged with murder. The anonymous representative from COPINH outlined the circumstances of the case for HTW. As they perceive it, the incident is linked to a long history of conflict between the local indigenous communities of Montaña Verde and powerful local landowning families. The inhabitants have been struggling for a formal recognition of the land’s status as a reservation for indigenous communities. The private landowners, on the other hand, want the land for themselves and have made repeated incursions, destroying crops and livestock. These landowners, in cahoots with corrupt judicial authorities, have managed to pin an ancient and unsolved case of murder on the unfortunate Mr. Pineda- a vocal defender of the indigenous community. Witnesses who did not seem to exist when the crime was committed have suddenly come to light with suspicious links to the landowning families. Pineda’s is not an isolated case: just two years before, the brothers Marcelino and Leonardo Miranda, indigenous directors of COPINH, were imprisoned in Gracias on an strikingly similar and unproven murder charge. They are both condemned to 29 years. The Center for Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture (CPTRT), has also been repeatedly targeted- albeit for reasons of a very different nature. Mr. Juan Almendares, the director of the center, received numerous threats, and on the night of October 26th 2004, the premises of CPTRT were ransacked. Money was stolen, the office was vandalized and confidential files were opened. On the floor of the office, books were arranged in the shape of a crucifix, which has been perceived as a death threat against Mr. Almendares. This attack coincided with the CPTRT’s support of a campaign led by ten Honduran judges who called for greater judicial independence and who criticized the anti-democratic attitude of the State Secretary of the Public Security Office, Mr. Oscar Alvarez. This is not the only time governmental authorities have been implicated in threats and acts of aggression against defenders of human rights or environmental activists. COFADEH, the Committee of Detained and Missing Persons in Honduras, has been the most adamant in accusing the government of condoning and even encouraging acts of harassment against these organizations. COFADEH claims to have been informed of the existence of a police squad dedicated to missions of “dirty war”, whose special powers include that of arbitrary execution. Mr. Juan Barahona, the President of the Federation of Honduran Workers (FUTH) claims to have been repeatedly targeted by agents of the General Management of Criminal Investigations (DGIC). According to COFADEH, his name was included in a long list of social leaders who were investigated by the Public Security Office for supposed links to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and to the socialist government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Ms. Berta Oliva, the Coordinator of COFADEH, reported information relating to Juan Barahona’s harassments to HTW. According to the declarations of Ms. Berta Oliva, In May 2002, Walter Jairo, a DGIC agent, interviewed Juan Barahona in the guise of a student in an attempt to find out personal information, with particular to his potential enemies. In the end, Walter Jairo refused to pass on the information to the DGIC. He was found dead in July 2002. The case is yet to be solved. In September 2002 Dona Berta Oliva herself became the victim of threats, which she perceived as being linked to her appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the unconstitutionality of the anti-gang law. She is still waiting for the verdict. However, in an interview with HTW, State Secretary of the Public Security Office, Mr. Oscar Alvarez, refuted these claims. He denied both the existence of an “anti-NGO” police squad and of a plan to subvert the activities of social leaders such as those of Mr. Barahona. Mr. Alvarez perceived these accusations as “attention-seeking fabrications, which aim at discrediting the government and governmental efforts to professionalize the police and to protect civilians against the highly violent activities of gangs”. Mr. Alvarez stressed the commitment of the Public Security Office to prosecute all police members who have been involved in such illegal activities. He also pointed out that the government has a program arranging for NGOs to “teach” human rights to policemen. Despite Mr. Alvarez’s alleged commitment, it is clear that human rights are not easy to defend in this country. The Observatory’s 2004 Annual Report stated that the Americas “remain the most dangerous region for human right defenders”. In a single year, this region played host to 102 cases of threatened or exacted assassination against human right defenders. Honduras, where incidents of physical harassment, surveillance and intimidation risk becoming the norm, is not an exception. Although there is a possibility that some of these attacks may be exaggerated by their victims, the fact remains that defenders of human rights are at a greater risk in this region of the world than elsewhere. The more prevalent these attacks become, the more obvious it is that human rights defenders are an absolute necessity to Honduras. While those trying to defend human rights are in need of protection themselves, those who violate them continue to enjoy an impenetrable impunity.
|
||
| Monday, August 15, 2005 Online Edition 33 | ||
| Carbon trade benefits hydro-Honduras
By JOHANNES KOCH La Esperanza Hydroelectric Project has collaborated with the Community Development Carbon Fund (CDCF) to bring opportunity and investment in the energy sector. The CDCF, managed by the World Bank, reports that “benefits [for La Esperanza Hydroelectric Project] will come from the sale of carbon dioxide emission reductions to the CDCF.” The project will sell the equivalent of 310’000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions to the CDCF. They will pay an estimated to be $1.4 million up-front, equalling roughly 8 years of emissions in advance, for La Esperanza’s emission reductions. The project in La Esperanza will replace the 39’000 tons of CO2 annually that would have resulted from the traditional use of fossil fuels. These are being displaced from the national power grid. The planting of 18 hectares of new trees in the La Esperanza area is also an integral part of the project. General Manager of the Honduran Corporation of Forestation Development (COHDEFOR), Luis Evelin, said that “the government is creating a policy based on technical, financial and economic studies, concluding that these areas of development hold long-term benefits for substituting hydropower for petrol.” The La Esperanza Hydroelectric project is only one in a handful of projects managed by the CDCF and was completed in 2003. It is estimated to reach its full capacity by the end of 2005. La Esperanza in the Intibucá province, is one of the socially and economically weakest areas in the country, with insufficient water and a largely absent power supply. “The project will serve to backup water reserves,” Evelin said. This transaction “benefits both the local communities and the global environment, by providing direct benefits to the people of La Esperanza and reducing greenhouse gases at the same time,” Warren Evans, Director of Environment at the World Bank said. The project itself is small but is projected to reach 40’000 residents and provide 40 residents with direct employment and an estimated 120 people with jobs indirectly. Some critics of the La Esperanza Hydroelectric Project implied that, while the project and the resulting energy remain CO2 free, “the water entering the reservoir is contaminated with sewage, increasing the likelihood of the reservoir creating conditions suitable for methane–producing bacteria,” International Rivers Network, an all volunteer non-profit organization pointed out. Honduras is the leading Central American nation in producing hydroelectricity. According to the US Energy Information Administration, specializing on statistical data and analyses on energy, “62% of the country’s [Honduras] installed electric capacity in 2000 was hydropower … demand for electricity has been growing rapidly in recent years, reaching 10% annually.” The Kyoto protocol, in which signatory countries specifically aim to reduce carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, came into force in February of this year. Fifty-five industrialized and newly industrialized countries have ratified the protocol. These countries will now have to meet their carbon dioxide emission target, which has resulted in carbon trading between countries and businesses to meet their target-specific emissions. Hydropower schemes are certainly encouraged under the Kyoto protocol and by the government of Honduras. According to CODEHFOR, “CERNA (Secretariat of Natural Resources) is planning strategies to sell carbon dioxide emissions to other countries and we are working on making a law to facilitate the declaration of water production zones for hydroelectricity,” Evelin also said. Developing countries are protected and supported under the Kyoto protocol to provide clean energy to their populations. This can lead to more funding for projects like the one in La Esperanza. With investment and increased focus, it should be possible for Honduras to provide a safe and steady supply of electricity to houses, machinery, and businesses. Hydroelectricity plants
allow environmental concerns to take a higher priority for small
communities and will benefit Honduras in the long run as dependency
on fuel imports are reduced.
AIDS drugs still too expensive for Latin Americans AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest AIDS organization in the US which operates free AIDS treatment clinics in the US, Africa, Central America and Asia - including three clinics in Honduras: in San Pedro Sula, Siguatepeque, and Roatan - aims to reduce the cost of life-saving anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs. The following statement was released on 11 August 2005, in response to the announcement that 11 Latin American countries have reached an agreement with 26 pharmaceutical companies; “The cost of branded AIDS drugs is so high to begin with that the discounts announced today are not nearly deep enough to provide access to life-saving anti-retroviral medicines to all those who need them in these Latin American countries where the resources of the people and the governments are severely limited,” said Michael Weinstein, President AHF. Aidshealth.org Young Hondurans to meet Pope Benedict XVI On Sunday, 7 August 2005 it was confirmed that around 300 Honduran adolescents traveled to Germany to participate in the XX Youth World Journey with Pope Benedict XVI. “The encounter will take place from 16-21 August in Cologne, Germany, with the participation of thousands of youngsters from all over the world who have long awaited this moment,” a catholic church spokesperson said. Radio America “El Chelito” recaptured The 13 year old accused of murdering DEA agent, Timothy Markey, escaped from the rehabilitation center but was recaptured. The youngster, known as “El Chelito” or “Siniestro II,” escaped by braking one of the cell’s iron bars in the juvenile rehabilitation center, “Renacimiento,” 25 km north of Tegucigalpa. Radio America Colombian chancellor and the Honduran President strengthen narco-trafficking fight The Colombian Chancellor, Carolina Barco, who was on a diplomatic visit to President Maduro, agreed to strengthen the joint fight against illegal drug-trafficking, Maduro informs. “There has been talk about the cooperation in the fight against narco-trafficking ... we talked about building a strategy to exchange information,” he announced to the gathered press. Radio America |
Code red for dengue: Honduras on alert
By GLADYS ACOSTA The increasing number of reported cases of typical dengue and hemorrhagic dengue forced the Honduran government put the population on alert. The departments that have reported the highest number of dengue cases are the Central District in Francisco Morazan, San Pedro Sula, Cortes, Progreso, Yoro, Atlantida, Olancho, Choluteca, Santa Barbara, Colon, Copan, Intibuca, and Comayagua. Nonetheless, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula have registered the highest numbers of cases, according to Dr. Roxana Araujo from the National Program on Control and Prevention of Dengue. When asked why there hasn’t been a red alert on dengue, Dr Araujo stated that “we are permanently on alert … Dengue fever has been an epidemic for ten years now.” Dengue fever has made its mark on the Honduran population. Honduras participated in the Dengue eradication programs of the 1950’s. However, the hiatus was short lived, and by 1968, the dengue-carrying mosquito, known as Ae. Aegypti, was back. In 1978 Honduras experienced its first major dengue epidemic of ‘serotype DEN-1.’ Since this epidemic, dengue has become well established in most parts of the country. Throughout the 1980s, Honduras reported few cases, averaging 1,000 cases per year. The number of cases increased from 1,700 in 1990 to 27,560 cases in 1995. In the following years, the number of reported cases has been consistently lower. But this year the number is closer to 7000 reported cases. During 2000, dengue activity in Honduras was not as prominent as it had been in previous years. “2002 was the year that marked the difference,” said Araujo, “we had 32,000 cases of typical dengue, 876 of hemorrhagic dengue, and 17 deaths.” In 2003, the number of cases was reduced by 48% owing to the government’s improved prevention and control programs. Improvements were made through educational strategies. The Health Secretary, with help from the Metropolitan Region, decided to intensify the education programs that cover areas such as water, trash and community activities to help them acquire knowledge about dengue. This also includes knowledge about the measures of elimination and control of breeding places. These improvements
are still being implemented and are consolidated by the fumigation
of areas infested by mosquitoes and the donation of medication to
all health centers and hospitals, who are trained to control the disease. Dengue fever is an illness similar to flu and is contracted through being bitten by an infected mosquito. Hemorrhagic dengue is a severe, often fatal, strand of typical dengue fever. The disease is spread by the mosquito biting an infected person and then biting someone else. The mosquitoes that transmit dengue live among humans and breed in discarded tires, flowerpots, old oil-drums, and water-storage containers in the vicinity of human dwellings. Unlike the mosquitoes that carry malaria, dengue mosquitoes bite during the day. Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with a high fever, rashes, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, muscular and joint pains. The severity of the joint pain has given dengue the name “broken-bone fever.” Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common. A rash usually appears 3 to 4 days after the start of the fever. The illness can last up to 10 days, but complete recovery can take as long as a month. The effects on older children and adults are worse than those on young children. Most dengue infections result in relatively mild illness, but some can progress to hemorrhagic dengue. With hemorrhagic dengue the blood vessels start to leak and cause bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Internal bleeding Bruising can manifest itself in bruising. Without prompt treatment, blood vessels can collapse, causing shock (dengue shock syndrome). Hemorrhagic dengue is fatal in about 5 percent of cases. Araujo’s recommendation for people with dengue symptoms is to seek medical assistance immediately for treatment. |
|
| Monday, August 8, 2005 Online Edition 32 | ||
| 217-215…CAFTA-DR
ratified
By GLADYS ACOSTA “The small nations of CAFTA are making big and brave commitments. CAFTA is a signal that the United States will stand by them and support them.” – George W. Bush In an effort to improve the nacional security of the signing countries, President George W. Bush approved and made legal, on August 2nd, 2005, the Free Trade Agreement with Central America and Dominican Republic. The United States Senate, after four weeks, concluded the ratification process on Thursday, July 28, 2005 having as a result the approval of the CAFTA-DR with 217 votes to 215. Bush signed the treaty during a special event celebrated in the White House. Condoleezza Rice, legislators, and ambassadors of the benefitted countries were present during the celebration of this signing, five years after it was originally proposed as a commercial mechanism. In his speech, President Bush talked about the importance of this treaty for the growth of the economy, the creation of new jobs, and the opening of new markets for products overseas that will help the Central American and Dominican democracies attract the trade and investment needed to improve the life of their citizens. He also expressed concern about the tariffs on goods in Central America and how CAFTA would improve this situation. “Central American goods face almost no tariffs when they enter the United States. By contrast, U.S. exports to Central America still face hefty tariffs there. CAFTA will end these unfair tariffs against American products and help ensure that free trade is fair trade.” Bush also linked the approval of this agreement to the reduction of terrorism and drug trafficking resulting in safety for their countries. “By helping the CAFTA nations build free societies, we’ll help them eliminate the lawlessness and instability that terrorists, criminals, and drug traffickers feed on.” Honduran President, Ricardo Maduro, was very pleased with the decision taken by George Bush and the United States Senate. He qualified this event as a victorious one for the Honduran and Central American people. “The region will have now more economic growth and permanent job openings, with advantages for Honduras,” he said during a press conference. Maduro also said that Honduras will have tax-free access to 94% of our products and that the United States would increase their exports to our markets to 76% and that the new investments coming from the United States and Asia would modernize our less developed markets. Irving Guerrero, Minister of Economy, declared that CAFTA-DR will attract investments of over $730 million in the next four years and that our exports will increase approximately 50% over the next two years. He also stated that “this treaty is of overwhelming importance for the Honduran economy and was previously approved by over 5,000 leaders of the private and working sector, farmers, cattle ranchers and country men, that live in 20 of our cities.” The Honduran National Congress ratified the CAFTA-DR on March 3, 2005, becoming the second Latin American country, after El Salvador, to ratify a free trade agreement with the United States. With this approval, six Central American Nations and one from the Caribbean have officially become associates of the United States: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic, consolidating the second biggest market for American products after Mexico. The Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement, which was signed on August 4, 2004, is designed to eliminate tariffs and trade barriers and expand regional opportunities for the workers, manufacturers, consumers, farmers, ranchers and service providers of all the countries. Eighty percent of CAFTA-DR imports already enter the United States duty free under the Caribbean Basin Initiative, Generalized System of Preferences and Most Favored Nation programs; the CAFTA-DR will provide reciprocal access for U.S. products and services. The commercial pact will come into force on January 1, 2006, automatically supressing over 80% of the tariffs on products and activating common regulations over investments, intellectual property, services, and others.
United States satisfied by capture of exdea agent’s murderers On Sunday, the U.S embassy in Honduras expressed its satisfaction with the capture of two young ‘gangsters’ presumed to be responsible for the murder of an exDEA agent that occurred last Friday in Tegucigalpa. The two suspects, detained by Honduran police on Saturday, are accused of murdering Michael Timothy Markey, formerly an agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), who died on Friday after suffering an assault in a suburb of Tegucigalpa. Radio America 1000 year-old Lenca artefact discovered Investigators from the Honduran Institute of History and Anthropology (HIHA) discovered a piece of marble worked and shaped by Lencas no less than 1000 years ago, an official source revealed. The marble pot was found last May at the archaeological site of Palos Blancos, situated in the Valle de Palmajero, to the East of Villanueva, in the province of Cortés. Radio America Charity marathon for honduran hunger raises $11.4 million The government, along with the World Food Programme of ONU (PMA), raised 216 million Lempiras ($11.4 million) last Saturday in a marathon for the ‘School Lunches’ scheme, which gives one meal a day to a million minors, organisers of the event confirmed. The marathon, ‘Catachilandia’, which took place in Chiminike, to the south of Tegucigalpa, and lasted ten hours, was broadcast for television and radio. Radio America Dengue: 4 deaths and 5,800 non-fatal cases Haemorrhagic dengue has caused the deaths of four people in Hounduras so far in 2005, while the victims of the non-fatal strand of the virus total some 5,800. According to specialist Orizon Velázquez of the Hospital Escuela in Tegucigalpa, this year has so far seen 65 patients registered with haemorrhagic dengue, including four fatal cases. Radio America. |
U.S agent’s killers captured By FEDERICO FERNANDEZ-GARCIA A boy of 13 with a rap sheet longer than a diplodocus has been arrested for the murder of ex-DEA agent Timothy Markey. Markey, who was holidaying in Honduras as a tourist, was shot twice last Friday on his way to visit the church of La Virgen de Suyapa, famous for its six-centimeter statue of the country’s patron saint. Despite the victim’s former role as instructor of an anti-drug unit in Honduras, the killing was apparently random, motivated merely by the wallet and small briefcase that Markey refused to yield. Repeated demands for the victim’s valuables were rebuffed and, when he eventually tried to run, two bullets stopped him. He died in hospital from excessive blood loss. The man now charged with the shooting is really little more than a boy – Hernán Fabricio Ramirez, a young gangster of thirteen, nicknamed ‘The Cherub’ (El Chelito) for his golden locks. Oscar Alvarez, Honduran Minister of Security, remarked, “looking at The Cherub you would never imagine him to be a gangster. The angelic features hide a parasite, a predator wantonly breaking the law, who will stop at nothing to continue living his crazy lifestyle.” The boy is affiliated with the street-gang ‘Los Puchos’ – literally ‘The Cigarette Stubs’ – a sort of latter-day ‘lost boys’ of infant delinquents. Paul Tuebner, the American diplomat sent to preside over the case, remarked, “It’s unbelievable; I’m told that this El Chelito has a long history of robbery and murder. He’s a very bad kid.” Tuebner added that he is greatly indebted to the Honduran national police and hugely impressed by the speed and efficiency of their reaction: “I can only say that the work of the national police has been incredible.” Arrested alongside Ramirez was Manuel Romero, a 16-year-old, nicknamed ‘El Narizón’ (or ‘big-nose’). Romero is known as a member of the infamous Mara-18, a street militia engendered by exiled El Salvadorian guerillas on 18th Street, Los Angeles. The gang has become a Hispanic phenomenon, commandeering splinter cells all over North and Central America, mentioned by the U.S security secretary in the same breath as Al-Quaida, and notorious for gun-crime, racketeering and drug-running. Both Romero and Ramirez were arrested within 24 hours of Markey’s murder; a third suspect, identified by witnesses, is still at large.
|
|
| Monday, August 1, 2005 Online Edition 31 | ||
| FOSDEH accuses government of buying votes with debt relief By ANNE MAASSEN The Social Forum for External Debt and Development of Honduras (FOSDEH) criticized the Honduran government’s call for a new social debate on debt relief describing it as an “inconsistent and last minute” exercise in “buying votes” (28 July 2005). FOSDEH’s sub-coordinator, Rafael Flores, said that it would take more than debt relief to solve the deep-rooted problem of poverty. “Debt relief is not the total solution of the problem, it is a first step for the reform of the economic and social system, and of the way debt is being handled by those in power … it is nor a present, nor an open door or a means to development in itself,” Mr Flores said. Mr Flores made the claims at a FOSDEH seminar held in Tegucigalpa under the heading “What are the real results of the process of debt relief?” The seminar presented a critical view on the recent debt negotiations and the government strategy of managing and representing the issue before the public. He described the lack of transparency as“superconfusion” and said that within the G8 the full extent of debt relief still has to be voted on in the World Bank and IMF autumn sessions. Mr Flores said there was also confusion over the timing of future debt repayments and the reduction of interest rates. Mr Flores also criticized the general conditions under which debt relief has been negotiated saying the parties agreed to sign new free trade agreements on “equal terms” despite what he described as the “asymmetry between the economies of CAFTA and the EU countries.” Student scholarship program made official Honduras’ Secretary of Finance and Education has made the national program, in charge of sponsoring scholarships and bonuses to approximately 120 thousand students from public institutions throughout the country, official. On 18 March 2005, using legislative decree 232-2004 published by the National Congress, the national scholarship program was agreed to be created. Those benefiting from this education-oriented program will be students living in poor conditions who maintain a high academic average. The payment of a transportation bonus has been agreed upon and will also benefit the larger national student population. This bonus, estimated to be approximately 30 million Lempiras, will benefit some 68’000 students by providing them with transportation to their educational centers. To comply with this compromise the treasurer’s office under the Secretary of Finance, following the scheme of modernization of the system of payment of the state’s obligations, has initiated the project of cancellation of scholarships and bonuses through BAMER, a national bank.
Denunciations on mistreatment of Honduran workers is a boycott against CAFTA The Secretary of Labor, German Leitzelar, assured that the denunciations made by an American organization on the mistreatment of workers in Honduran factories is a strategy to restrain the approval of the free trade agreement (TLC) between the United States and Central America. “This denunciation does not have more intention than to create expectations to boycott the CAFTA Agreement”, said Leitzelar. His statements coincide with those of the president of the Honduran Association of Assemblies (AHM), Jesus Canahuati. Radio America Undocumented persons intercepted in Mexico According to a report from the Secretary of Public Security, Mexican authorities intercepted 264 undocumented people in operations conducted in different places around the country. Among the immigrants were 249 Hondurans but also people from El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Brazil. Radio America Emission of 1, 000 Lempira bill discarded The president of the Central Bank of Honduras, as well as the director of this institution, Doctor Oscar Núñez, agreed that it is not necessary to emit the thousand Lempira bills as petitioned by the industrialists of San Pedro Sula. Radio HRN Request to extend election registration in the USA The Secretary of Exterioruter Relations, Mario Fortin, asked for the authorities of the Electoral Supreme Court to extend the time for Honduran to register as residents in the United States by a month, so that they can participate in the general elections of November 27, 2005. This request has come because registration expires on Thursday 28 July and only very few Hondurans have registered, Fortin indicated. Radio HRN
|
A Developing Story on Roatan By JEREMY LYE In last week’s edition of Honduras This Week we reported on a local community’s backlash to a proposed development on Roatan’s West End district. The outrage was focused on a planned concrete pathway that would ruin both the sandy beachside ambience for the tourists, and even more controversially would also erode the beach to nothing. HTW readers may also recall the West End locals were facing a municipality whose own interpretation of the rules seemed to work consistently in favor of wanton development and continuously against their own interests. So let’s take a moment to see how the rules are supposed to work ... For any project, whether it’s paving a walkway or constructing a mall, you have certain environmental considerations. Within the Honduran bureaucracy is an office called the Dirección General de Evaluación de Impacto y Control Ambiental (DECA), which is part of the Ministry of the Environment. It’s here where the secretary for the Ministry of the Environment receives proposals for projects and they evaluate it according to different categories. There are 4 categories a proposed development can fall under. Category 1 could be a school or office, where the effects on the environment could be accurately anticipated. Category 2 includes hospitals where developers would have to show, for example, how the handling of toxic refuse would be coordinated safely. Developments that fall under category 4 cannot be built under any circumstances. So between categories 2 and 4 lies the contentious Category 3. A provision that allows for a building development but with strict guidelines. According to Roatan environmental engineer, Ian Drysdale, The plan to pave the road falls under category 3 for several reasons. “All projects on Roatan fall under Category 3 right away, no questions asked,” he said. “Also, the proposed paving will impact the coastline and the West End strip is in a protected area so just because of that, it’s under category 3. No matter how you look at it, it’s under category 3.” So how would the Roatan developer apply for the Category 3 go-ahead? “The municipality would have to receive a letter from the DECA that they know about this project and that it falls under category 3,” Mr Drysdale said. “When the developer gets that letter, you have to get a document called a Qualitative Environmental Diagnostic (DAC) which is prepared by environmental engineers or consultants who must be registered by the government,” he said. After the DAC is created and signed by the environmental consultants, the Honduran government has to be able to issue an environmental license because the project falls under Category 3. Mr Drysdale said this process usually took three months. This should be good news for the locals of West End as the driving force behind the proposed concrete pathway, Mayor Jerry Hynds, has reportedly still to inform DECA of their plans. So as long as everything is done according to the law, that’s at least going to give the West Enders of Roatan and their guests until winter to enjoy their beautiful unpaved shoreline.
|
|
| News from other Sources
|
| |||||||
By
GLADYS ACOSTA
The
Honduran presidential house website informed this week that the
Japanese government extended grant aid for 5 million US$ (499 million
yen) to the Honduran government in order to support its project
to reconstruct Las Hormigas Bridge. The notes to this effect were
signed and exchanged on August 17 in Tokyo by Nobutaka Machimura,
Japan’s minister for foreign affairs and Mario Fortin Midence,
Honduran minister of foreign relations. The bridge, located in the
southern area of Honduras will improve commercial exchange between
Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaraguan territories.
Ricardo Maduro and George Bush both agree in that the CAFTA-DR countries
will all be economically benefited by the agreement.
Debt
relief is the first step to reduce poverty.
Those
benefiting from this education-oriented program will be students
living in poor conditions who maintain a high academic average.
