Hugo Chavez visits Honduras to negotiate Petro Caribe deal

Alvaro Morales Molina
Honduras This Week

Controversial Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez visited Tegucigalpa last week, with security measures heretofore unseen. “Capitalinos” woke up on Tuesday to witness the arrival of one of the few enemies of U.S. President George Bush, as Chavez’ cavalcade of vehicles made its way to “Casa Presidencial” for talks with Honduran President Zelaya, mostly about negotiations involving PetroCaribe.Full Article

Travel Essay: A Londoner stuck in the rainforest - Part 2

Kat Linger
Honduras This Week

It’s the second night in Brus, and after a long discussion with Rene (my guide) on the best rum in Central America, and a chat with Nohemy on how she does her fantastic home-made bread, we tuck into our beans/cheese/eggs combo. A loud slap on the floor behind me made me turn around to see a young boy with a huge Iguana that he has dumped on the floor, front legs tied behind its back. It is clearly still alive but bleeding and on the menu for tomorrow’s dinner. Apparently hunting Iguanas is forbidden, even though there are plenty around; locals continue to do so because, says Rene, they are so tasty. I’m not convinced. I’m no vegetarian, but I’m not really into seeing my dinner suffer before I eat it. Rene puts his order in for a serving of iguana the next day and I struggle to make up my mind. I’d usually be up for trying anything new but my conscience is telling me to stick to the rice and beans. As it happens, the electricity was out at Nohemy’s the next day, so we couldn’t see what was on our plates anyway – that was the decider, I chickened out. (Apparently it was delicious.) Full Article

Filmmaker not afraid of controversial subject matter

Todd Ellertson
Honduras This Week

Francisco Andino reflects back on 2007 and only hopes 2008 is as fruitful. Andino, a filmmaker, was, by most standards, very productive last year, juggling commercial shoots, documentary film projects, television mini-series installments and a short film. It seems this year is off to a similar start, as Andino stopped and took a quick breath for this interview before heading directly to a commercial shoot for the Honduran Tourism Ministry. Full Article

Bank president opposes plans to pour money into political campaigns

Caroline Knell
Honduras This Week

The president of the Inter American Bank for Development (BID), Luis Alberto Moreno, has criticized Honduran politicians for the inexplicable expense of the national budget assignment made by representatives of the main and traditional political parties inside the National Congress, when according to Moreno, resources are absent to feed and educate Honduran youth. Full Article

Zelaya confirms major changes in his administration

Alvaro Morales Molina
Honduras This Week

Honduran President Manuel Zelaya made new appointments to several of his highest governmental positions earlier this week. New appointees included a new Natural Resources Minister (SERNA), the National Ports Company (ENP), the Foreign Affairs Minister, Internal Affairs and Justice Minister, the Presidential Legal Advisor and the National Communications Company (HONDUTEL).
Full Article

A Plug for Partnerships in Honduras

Marco Caceres
Honduras This Week

Since 2000, projecthonduras.com has organized and presented the annual Conference on Honduras. Since 2003, the conference has been held in the town of Copán Ruinas, where it will again be staged this year, from October 2 - 4. The central purpose of the event is to bring together as many people as possible, representing as many organizations as possible, under one roof, over a three-day period to compare notes about the work they are doing to empower the people of Honduras in the areas of educa­tion, healthcare, and community building. Full Article

Ciseron: Honduras artist marches to beat of his own drum

Yohanna Baez
Honduras This Week

Pinning Ciseron, the compli­cated but talented painter, down for an interview took over two weeks. Ciseron could be described as crazy, busy and “crazy-busy.” The Honduran artist has an upcoming exhibition, finished a mural project and is in negotiations with an art gallery in the States. The following interview took place during a short but interesting car ride: Full Article

Listening to the peoples’ voice

Honduras This Week

Once again, the National Congress of Honduras has underestimated the capacity of response analysis and organization on several important sectors of the Honduran society, due to the age of the reforms to electoral law, also known as anti-reforms. Full Article

FINALLY A SOLUTION

The most beautiful side of our island is virtually unimproved due to very difficult access. To get to what they are dubbing the RIVIERA of ROATAN, you must turn in at the dump road, travel a mile over some rough jagged roads, go through Mud Hole Town and then travel another 3 miles over rutty roads that are nearly impassable during and after a rain. This will take you all the way to the Turtling Bay, Marbella and Palmetto developments while passing Castillo Bay, Blue Harbor and Corozal Beach projects. There is another grand affair underway by a group out of Spain as well, but we do not know its official name yet. By Don Pearl

Notice to Bay Island Property Owners: Keep a close eye on your property

Olin Saphrey
Honduras This Week

My recent experience on the Island of Roatan is that there are a few lawyers without scruples, mainly traveling between Tegucigalpa and Roatan who are willing to wrestle you to the ground for your property. My situation started during my absence from Honduras, during a brief vacation to the United States to visit my family. During that time, a fraction of my land (beach front) was measured and incorporated into an application for a Dominio Pleno, coupled with 3 false witnesses. As it turned out, one of the witnesses was on his dying bed, unable to neither read nor write; one, an alcoholic barely able to decipher one day from another who can neither read nor write; the third is in the same condition as the second. Full Article

Holiday Flying Adventures

Patrick Ahern
Honduras This Week

The New Year holidays brought surprises to some travelers to and from Honduras. On January 31st, passengers got onto American Airlines flight 953 at about 11 AM. Eventually they were told there were mechanical problems and that another plane was on its way. The next plane finally left Miami en route to Tegucigalpa about 3:30 PM. Full Article

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WOMEN IN THE ARTS - Mujeres en las Artes. One of the strongest artistic movements in Tegucigalpa. Mujeres en la Artes Leticia de Oyuela constantly sponsors workshops, exhibitions, conferences, art shows and community events in the city. For the complete schedule, log on to www.muaartes.org.hn or contact Veronica Romero at 222- 3015. Full Calendar