CULTURAL |
CULTURAL |
Monday, April 27, 1998 Online Edition 103 |
Art as
Sociology: Living with the Lenca
By KETZI CHACON Special to Honduras This Week Victor Ney is a Honduran photographer born and raised in Tegucigalpa where he first began his studies in theater. Later, in his early 20s, his first real move in life came when he made a trip to Russia, living there for 12 years. During this time, he had the chance to study photographic directing for documentary films in Moscow. He has had experience doing camera work for different international agencies such as the Mexican TV production ECO, as well as ZDF and Reuter in Germany, where he stayed for 11 years. When he finally came back to Honduras in 1993, he returned, as he says, "because this is the country that I feel I identify with." However his experiences in Europe did affect him. "The way that they influenced me is in the way I began to perceive the same problems in a completely different perspective and how these parameters are to be considered before making any judgments. I guess the time I spent outside my country helped in that you slowly develop a definite necessity to have something identifiable for yourself, something that contributes to your self-identity." HTW: Considering your formation as a film maker, how do you see photography and why do you photograph the Lenca culture? Ney: I guess there are two fundamental reasons which are linked to one another. First of all, there is my natural interest with how people encounter themselves, their world, and also my nostalgia for the past and even for the moment. Secondly, there is the social aspect that intertwines the stories together. When I came back from Germany to visit my family in 1993, I ran into a dear friend of mine, a journalist, Regina Osorio, who showed me what was going on in my country, things of which I was totally ignorant. She explained to me all the problems with respect to the destruction of the forest in the highlands of the Lenca territory...as well as the conflicts between the Catholic church and Lenca farmers from La Paz, Intibuca and the department of Lempira that were mainly centered in how they were to redistribute properties. During the Liberal revolution in Honduras, the Catholic church created the Cofradia, an organization in which farmers could temporarily entrust their farms and their production in order to protect them from the Liberals who were in power. However, after the threat ended, the church didn't want to give back to the farmers what had originally belonged to them. That was the problem, obviously. The priest who wanted to appropriate a certain piece of land or crop would ask for a judgment, and since, for the most part the judiciary was aligned with the interests of the church, the judgment would come out in favor of the local parish and not with the original landholder. But, of course, this did not sit very well with the farmers, who subsequently would go out to the properties to take back by force what was rightfully theirs. Then, the priest accused the farmers of theft, and the circle of recrimination goes on and on. All these together had the effect of showing me that where I was used to living was almost another place entirely from the reality of the Lenca people, with their rituals, their cosmos. This was an encounter with something, some part of my own culture that I didn't know about. I felt enormously attracted to the idea of making, first of all, an anthropological study, a documentary film about theirs lives. These exhibitions I have presented so far are simply an approximation, an anticipation to the film. HTW: What is the most important thing whenever you photograph a subject? Ney: I think the most important thing is not to be thinking always about photography, but rather the subject that is photographed, or simply, the subject itself. I think that photography is a medium that helps me to get close to something that I am interested in, and when I want to get closer to a culture that is not my own culture I try not to confuse their values with modern, western views. I try to photograph the culture almost from their point of view. Talking about aesthetics, I think that which is closest to the truth is beautiful. HTW: Are your intentions then to make a "true photography," considering that photography is an activity that depends always on perspective and point of view? Ney: My intentions are to get close, to confront my urban mestizo reality with another one, one that even though it is so different, does belongs to me. It is important to see all the different cultural realities to get the complete picture of what it means to be a Honduran. The problem is that we don't dare stop to really look at them, like we might do with a Japanese or a Hindu, for example, because we're too close, because we can't really step back. It's important to recognize that we don't see when we really should. You know, after all those years of submission, we never really wanted to see our reality. A simple example, when we don't treat a servant or an employee well, don't pay them well, then of course we don't want to look them in the face. Deep down, we know that we are not doing what we should. We have a big debt with these people, always avoiding them, looking at them only sideways. The thing is to find and accept ourselves, that way we can then sketch what we can then become. I am not talking about politics, but something more anthropological in nature. My portraits are alive, made to be able to show themselves to a culture that either submits itself weakly, or governs and rules despotically and without concern for others. They show a culture, a people that live and survive where they are. HTW: What is then your personal opinion about the Lenca? Ney: The Lenca are very open, very proud, with a certain dignity. The beautiful thing is that they maintain their traditions and they attempt to preserve their identity in the face of fundamental changes. They are not dirty and mean people, as many times they've been portrayed. They have just been isolated, and isolation always presents us with another face, and makes it so we don't see the subject well. Back in 1995, in my second trip to that area, I went with a Spanish friend of mine, Atanasio Herranz, a linguist. Well, we arrived at this town, Santa Cruz del Hollo. That is where we met Don Miguel, who is a fisherman as well as practitioner of Syncretist tradition, which is a mixture of Catholic beliefs side by side with native indigenous traditions. As we were talking together, he told me about everything from his knowledge of plants to the economic activities in the area. He was the one who prayed for the community, the Shaman, the village doctor. When we left for la Esperanza, he helped organize a dinner that felt like communion. HTW: In what way did you feel accepted by, or identify with the Lenca people? Ney: In spite of their social situation, they are active people, and have been able to cover their necessities. On the other hand, there is a great solitude, a necessity to share their lives. In the final analysis, all they have to offer is the moment, you know. This is perhaps the thing that really helped bring us together, because in a situation like that, especially with our own divergent pasts, the moment together is the only thing you can really offer, the only bridge you really have. Victor Ney's photographic exhibit of the Lenca population will be on display at the Museo de Hombre Hondureno in Tegucigalpa until May 15. |
Utila is trashed during SunJam 98
By STEVE RINGEL Special to Honduras This Week "SunJam 98 on Water Cay. Get ready to party on the 28th of march!" The offer sounded very tempting to me. "24 hours of pumping party music and DJs from around the world." When the organizers lowered the admission charge from Lps. 200 to Lps. 100 my Honduran friends and I decided to join the crowd. The advertising department for this event had worked eagerly. Flyers announcing the party were to be found all over Utila. SunJam 98 was on everyone's lips. The boat for one of the eight cays left after a delay of 20 minutes with about 60 Europeans, Americans and Canadians aboard. After 45 minutes -- we were only 200 meters away from the island -- we ran aground and had to be picked up by fishing boats. At our time of arrival somewhere around 80 people were already parting on the Water Cay Island. I was welcomed by one of the organizers, who manifested his affection for cannabis by sporting a tattoo on his right biceps. "I just hope you are all planning on getting crushed," he said in a mischievous way. The flyer advertised cheap beer and rum as well as three happy hours; so what did I expect. It had turned 6:30 by now. The smell of various barbecues and marijuana products, camp fires and delicious baleadas lingered in the air. A small sound system provided the background trance music. The majority of the people that had already been on the island devoted themselves to the "legal drugs." Beer and rum were sufficiently supplied. The creativity of the organizers was very limited. A quilt cover with a colored SunJam 98 stroke, a couple of lights and a weak sound system were supposed to be the center of this fiesta. A little out of the way, there was the opportunity to look at the breathtaking firmament, enjoy the beautiful water or just stare into a camp fire. Not until 5:30 in the morning did the excellent music of a German DJ start. By that time most of the "party people" had fallen asleep in the most admirable positions. Merely a few people had a good time dancing to Jungle, Drum'n'Bass and Goa. By the break of dawn the extent of this big event started to show -- rubbish, trash in form of plastic plates, beer cans, rum bottles, light bulbs, and oil containers. Since we had another six hours until he boat was going to pick us up again, I decided to start a desperate venture. I filled a big trash bag, which I had found in one of the hardly used barrels and collected some of the litter. After a little while, my skin had turned red as the ace of diamonds and I stopped. This island needs a high spirited team of garbage collectors. By 3:30 we had left the island, but we were stuck on the boat because it took so long to bring aboard all the equipment used for the SunJam. I started a little chat with Mr. Cooper, the owner of the cargo boat that ships the tourists to the cay islands. He tried to provoke me by asking: " So how did you like this fiesta?" "Since I am not a big drinker, most of the entertainment program did not apply to me," I answered. I seemed to have passed the test and he started to tell me how he grew up on the islands, how the tourists started to come about six years ago and that they had lived without them before. "They do not help us much," he said all at once. He treated the raucous crowd with justified contempt. I claim to understand the man who does not like the rapid and violent changes. Nevertheless, during Semana Santa the island was host to another fiesta. "All profits from ticket sales go to the municipality's garbage truck fund," the flyer states. It sounded schizophrenic to me to raise money for a garbage truck by sacrificing a beautiful island. But the tourists call for a party. So let's party again then. |
Circumstances for which one cannot be held responsible
In criminal law, not everyone is held responsible for every illicit action they commit. There are causes that exclude various parts of the criminal responsibility. These causes can be grouped into three categories: causes that exclude personal responsibility, causes that justify an action and causes that exclude both elements of guilt. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY Causes that exclude personal responsibility result from the person's age and mental capacity. Those under 18 are not tried by normal criminal courts, but are subject to special laws. Persons with a mental incapacity can also be declared not responsible for criminal acts. The criminal code stipulates psychosis, severe mental retardation, and transitory psychosis as causes that exclude personal responsibility, if and only if the person has not been able to understand the illicitness of their action and act according to this understanding, due to their illness or incapacity. CAUSES THAT JUSTIFY AN ACTION These are situations in which the illicit action was committed to prevent another tragedy, of the same or greater dimensions. The first is legitimate defense. To qualify as legitimate defense the action must meet three requirements: the existence of an illegitimate aggression, rational necessity of the means used to repel this aggression, and lack of provocation on the part of the person who claims self-defense. This cause of justification also applies to the defense of another person from an aggression. Another cause of justification is a state of necessity. This occurs when a person commits an illicit act due to the necessity to save themselves or others from a danger, which was not caused by the person claiming state of necessity. To qualify as state of necessity the following requirements must be met: the existence of a possible disaster, that the possible disaster is greater than the act caused to avoid it, and that there is not another less harmful means to avoid it. An example of state of necessity is when someone purposely sets their neighbor's field on fire, but they did it to provide a firebreak for a raging forest fire that was moving toward a town. State of necessity is also used to avoid criminal responsibility in cases of abortion in which the mother's life or health is in danger, even though the criminal code makes no express exception to its abortion penalties. Other causes that justify an action have to do with acts committed under orders from a superior, but these have been severely limited by recent laws which state that no one can legally be ordered to violate or restrict the rights provided by the constitution or international human rights laws. ELEMENTS OF GUILT EXCLUSIONS Under Honduran law a person must be "guilty" of a crime and that guilt must be the result of either intention or negligence. This is not the same guilt as being the person responsible for the crime; this is a judgement of the intentions of the person during the crime. If the person committed a crime through negligence, the crime is culposo. If, however, the crime "responded to the intentions of the person," it is doloso. Under Honduran law a crime must be either doloso or culposo to be punishable. Causes that exclude both of these elements of guilt are extreme fear or physical force. As an example of physical force, if the town bully throws you through a shop window, you are not responsible for damage to property. It was not your intention, nor was it your negligence. You were a "simple instrument." |
CONCERT -- MAY 31 -- Mexican singer and soap opera star, Thalia, will be performing May 31 at 7 p.m. in the Francisco Morazan stadium of San Pedro Sula. DANCE THEATER -- APRIL 29,30 -- The theater group After Dance will be performing "Vida después de la Danza" or "Life after Dance" in the Mantel Bonilla National Theater at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. General admission is Lps. 15. For more information call 222-4366. CHILDREN'S THEATER -- SUNDAY MORNINGS -- El Teatro Bambu presents puppet theater Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. at the D'Barro Restaurant in Colonia Alameda of Tegucigalpa. Admission is Lps. 20. FAMILIES ANONYMOUS -- Families Anonymous (FA) meetings are held every Tuesday evening at the Union Church at 7:30 p.m. Call Eileen for more information at 239-9779 or 239-9778. WEIGHT WATCHERS -- Weight Watchers, an international weight loss program with over 40 years of experience in helping people maintain a healthier lifestyle is offering classes in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. To join or for more information, contact Juan Cueva Membreno at 239-0161. MEXICAN COOKING CLASSES -- BEGINNING MAY 4 -- Servicios Culturales y Turisticas (Sectura) will be offering a course in Mexican cooking at the Hotel Saint Anthony of San Pedro Sula May 4 through May 8. Classes are scheduled from 8 to 12 in the morning and from 2 to 6 in the evenings. The renowned Maitre Instructor Enrique Villegas Casillas of Mexico will be instructing the course. For those interested in participating call 552-0448. ENGINEERING CONFERENCE -- MAY 5 -- The first International Congress of Engineering Students, formed with the objective of encouraging participation of students and professionals in the area of development, will take place May 5-9 in Tegucigalpa. The program includes various technical conferences to be held at the National Autonomous University of Honduras and the Convention Center of the Hotel Honduras Maya as well as field trips to industrial plants and factories. Participation costs are US$65 for students and US$100 for professionals. For more complete information call/fax (504)236-6158 or (504)232-5990 or e-mail: ciei98@lenz.unah.hondunet.net CHILDREN'S LIBRARY -- The Centro Cultural Infantil of San Pedro Sula currently has a program titled "The Reading Corner" offering young people a chance to read and listen to stories in a comfortable environment. The library of this center holds a "Story Hour" daily and has a study area where students may do research. For more information about CCI services call 557-8639. SPANISH CLASSES -- Spanish as a second language courses are being offered at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. Learn Spanish with personal and advanced methods for Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Superior levels. For more information, call 232-2110, Ext. 217 or write to University Certificate in Spanish Proficiency, P.O. Box U 8779, Tegucigalpa. ART/THEATER CLASSES -- The "Leonardo da Vinci" Centro Experimental de las Artes is offering drawing, painting, and theater classes for children seven years and older. The curriculum is designed to develop imagination, creativity, and the ability to express oneself physically and verbally. For more information about registration call Samuel Trigueros at 552-3074. ART CLASSES -- The Centro de Diseno, Arquitectura y Construccion (CEDAC) will be resuming art workshops in portrait and figure painting with U.S. artist William Swetcharnik every second and fourth Saturday morning beginning in May. There is also opportunities for independent work in still-life, landscape, and other genres. For more information or to register, call CEDAC at 232-0449 or at 232-6024 or William at 211-8369. MIXED CLASSES -- The Centro de Diseno, Arquitectura y Construcción (CEDAC) will be offering a series of courses in photography, the history of architecture, music appreciation and landscaping. For a complete list call CEDAC at 232-0449 or 232-6024. BUTTERFLY FARM -- The Tropical Butterfly Farm & Gardens of La Ceiba is open to the public seven days a week from 8 to 4:30. Directions to the farm: The turn off is marked with a large sign 12 Km west of La Ceiba. Go through pineapple fields and follow smaller signs. Admission is Lps. 30 for Hondurans and $6 for international visitors. MEN'S CHRISTIAN CONVENTION -- BEGINNING APRIL 30 -- The First Iberoamerican Convention of the International Fraternity of Christian Men will take place in San Pedro Sula at the Escuela Internacional Sampedrana where some 2,500 people from 20 countries are supposed to congregate. For more information call 553-0417.
TEGUCIGALPA MUSEO DE HISTORIA REPUBLICANA Formerly the National Museum and the Museum of the Honduran Republic, the New Museum of Republican History is located at the Villa Roy building in Tegucigalpa's Barrio Buenos Aries. It is open 8:30 to 3:30, Tuesdays through Sundays and features portraits, paraphernalia, and other interesting items from past presidents. Admission is Lps. 20 for non-resident foreigners and Lps. 10 for Hondurans and Central Americans. For more information, call 22-3470 or 22-1468. CENTRAL BANK MUSEUM The Central Bank of Honduras located at the Comayaguela annex building is open from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. It has a permanent coin and painting exhibit. For special presentations, call the Emision y Tesoreria department at 37-2270 (-78), ext. 2117 (-2120). NATIONAL ART GALLERY The Galeria Nacional de Arte features rock art, pre-Columbian ceramics, colonial paintings, religious art and a wide selection of 20th century Honduran painters. The gallery is located at the Plaza de la Merced in downtown Tegucigalpa. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-5 p.m. and Sunday from 10-2 p.m. Admission is Lps. 10 for adults, Lps. 5 for senior citizens, Lps. 3 for students and Lps. 1 for children accompanied by adults. IGUANA FARM The Biosfera Ecocentro Iguana Farm in Colonia La Joya invites the public to come and learn everything about iguanas. Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 3 for children. The facility is open every day (except Wednesday) from 9 to 5. For more information, call 30-6346. YUSCARAN, EL PARAISO YUSCARAN HOUSE OF CULTURE Yuscaran's Casa de la Cultura is located at the former Casa Fortin in downtown Yuscaran, El Paraiso department, just 45 km from Tegucigalpa on the road to Danli. It is open Mondays through Saturdays. LA PAZ, LA PAZ LA PAZ HOUSE OF CULTURE The La Paz Casa de la Cultura is located in downtown La Paz. It features an attractive exhibit of the Lenca handicrafts and culture. It is open Mondays through Sundays. SAN PEDRO SULA, CORTES SAN PEDRO SULA MUSEUM The Museo de San Pedro Sula is located between 3rd and 4th Avenues, 4th Street N.O. in San Pedro Sula. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 2 for students (must present valid ID) and Lps. 2 for children under 12 years of age. (Tel: 57-1496, Fax: 52-7091) COPAN COPAN ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM Located in the village of Copan Ruinas, Copan department, the museum exhibits a splendid assortment of Mayan pieces that have been found in the Copan Ruins Archaeological Park just 1 km away. LA PUENTE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM Featuring a sizeable collection of Mayan handicrafts and photographs as well as a room with Japanese antique ceramics, this museum is located at the El Puente Archaeological Site, about an hour's drive from Copán Ruinas. MAYAN SEPULTURAS MUSEUM Inaugurated in 1996, this is the premier Mayan museum in the Mundo Maya, featuring the finest examples of Copán's tombs, sculptures and architecture. Located at the Copán Ruins Archaeological Park, the museum is open Monday through Sunday. COMAYAGUA, COMAYAGUA COMAYAGUA COLONIAL MUSEUM Located in the city of Comayagua, 2 hours north from Tegucigalpa, the Comayagua Colonial Museum is in the building that served as home to the government in the 19th century. It contains objects used by indigenous cultures and the Spanish during the pre-Colombian and Colonial eras. COMAYAGUA RELIGIOUS MUSEUM Located in the Casa Cural in front of Comayagua's cathedral, this museum features religious paintings and objects dating back to the 16th century. Hours are 8-12 and 2-4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. For more information, contact Leonardo Letona at 72-0348. TELA, ATLANTIDA LANCETILLA BOTANICAL GARDENS Located 2 kilometers from Tela on the Atlantic coast highway, the gardens feature one of the largest collections of tropical and subtropical plants, shrubs and trees in all Latin America. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mondays through Sundays. There is an admission charge. LA CEIBA, ATLANTIDA BUTTERFLY AND INSECT MUSEUM Thousands of butterflies and insects from Honduras and 18 other countries are on display in La Ceiba' private Butterfly and Insect Museum. It is located in Colonia El Sauce, 2nd etapa, casa G-12. Visiting hours are 8-12 and 2-5, Monday through Saturday. The museum is closed Wednesday afternoon. Fees are Lps. 15 for adults and Lps. 10 for students. Tel. 42-2874, e-mail: rlehman@ns.gbm.hn ROATAN, THE BAY ISLANDS CARAMBOLA BOTANICAL GARDENS Possibly the only private gardens in Honduras, the Carambola Botanical Gardens and Nature Trails is located in Sandy Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands. A wide variety of exotic plants is featured here, including "Roatan's most extensive orchid collection." It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 45-1117 and ask for Bill or Irma Brady. The Maya Calendar is a public service for our readers. If you would like to announce an event taking place in Honduras, please send the information to: Calendar Editor, Honduras This Week, Fax 32-2300, e-mail: hontweek@hondutel.hn |
Monday, April 20, 1998 Online Edition 102 |
Peace Corps plans to celebrate Mother's Day with artisan Fair Special to Honduras This Week Peace Corps Honduras will be celebrating Mother's Day with a grand artisan fair April 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The big event will take place at the Peace Corps Office in Tegucigalpa located in Colonia Palmira on Avenida Republica de Chile, across from the United Nations building and a block up from the Hotel Honduras Maya. For more than four years, Peace Corps has celebrated the Honduran culture with an artisan fair two times a year in April and November. During these fairs around 100 artisans, coming from places as far away as the Mosquitia, meet in Tegucigalpa to sell their hand-crafted goods and participate in a training workshop about marketing techniques, accounting practices, and customer service. In the past, artisans have sold hammocks, pottery, ceramics, musical instruments, colorful straw hats, corn husk decorations, jellies, wines, plants, embroidered items, oil paintings, wood and leather products, and much more. To make this year's event unique, a Marimba band from Public Security Force (FSP) will be playing traditional music. There will also be typical food, sodas, and ice-cream for sale, and tables will be provided for people to sit, eat, drink, and enjoy the festive ambience. More than anything else, the fair provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture, music, and hand-crafted products of this beautiful country. For more information call 232-1753. Relaxing atmosphere and good fare found at Al Natural By STEVE RINGEL Special to Honduras This Week "Things change -- prices go up, schedules are modified, good places go bad and bad places go bankrupt -- nothing stays the same..", states the prophetic Lonely Planet. Believe it or not, there are restaurants that go from excellent to bankrupt within the year. When I arrived in Tegucigalpa for the second time, a year had passed. What a surprise to see Cafe Allegro, the best source of information in town, had gone "belly up." After a moment of silence for the place of Jorge Valle Aguiluz, who had been a frequent traveler himself, we have to move on. Number one on my guide thorough Tegucigalpa's restaurants is a remarkable spot right in the center of the town. Its name is Al Natural and it is situated behind the Metropolitan Cathedral downtown. The atmosphere can be described as very relaxing, which is just right for updating your diary, writing postcards or reading a book. The vast number of plants and the four parrots help make this restaurant different. The cuisine offers a great selection of traditional Central American fare, such as corn tortillas with beans, salad or beef dishes, as well as European cuisine. Al Natural also offers pastas and sea food. The enormous selection of desserts, fruit juices and hot beverages is also worth mentioning. The prices are about average. A club sandwich with fries runs for Lps. 25, garlic shrimp Lps. 50., Bolognesa spaghetti Lps. 28., onion cream Lps. 20, coffee Lps. 6, and melon juice Lps. 6.50. The chronic shortage of water in town leaves the faucets in the bathrooms for dust collecting, so do not get too messy while eating. There is also an interior section of the restaurant with about 25 antique pictures of Tegucigalpa and a hammock. But I would suggest sitting "outside," and also keep the weight limit on the hammock in mind. A final piece of advice. Be very careful with the chile picante, placed on every table, as well as with the fact that it takes some time to get accustomed to the bubbling town of Tegucigalpa again, when you decide to step out of this oasis. The cars approach from your left! Prostitutes will be
first in heaven This work delivers a message in the words of a prostitute about what should be important in religious beliefs. As the story goes, a group of prostitutes find a crucifix abandoned in the ruins of an old church after the Spanish Civil War. They decide to take the crucifix home and put it in a special place, visiting it regularly and treating it like a friend. Eventually, a priest finds out that the holy relic is in the hands of women of the mala vida or bad life. He intends to recover it and give it a "proper" home at the outrage of the prostitutes -- the only ones who were concerned enough to rescue the crucifix in the first place. Directed by Myriam de Lopez and performed by Honduran actress Iris de Aldovini, this play is one of only two theater pieces written by Descalzo, who won the Premio Nadal de Novela in 1956 and the Premio Teatral de Autores in 1962. Las prostitutas os precederan en el Reino de los Cielos was presented in Spain in November of 1984 at the Teatro Espronceda of Madrid and in January of 1997 at the Teatro Imperial of Sevilla as homage to the author. In Tegucigalpa, the drama will be presented April 23, 24, and 25 beginning at 8 p.m. in the brand new theater, El Teatro Renacimiento. For more information see the Maya Calendar. |
Classification of personal rights is an intangible
thing
The law, especially civil or private law, deals with two types of "things": tangible things and intangible things. Tangible things are things you can touch, such as your car or a piece of jewelry. Intangible things are things that cannot be perceived by the senses, such as a debt or a mortgage. Intangible things can have just as much, if not more value than tangible things, therefore the law must protect both. In Spanish, intangible things are referred to as cosas incorporales. Since cosas incorporales cannot be seen to exist, it is necessary, with few exceptions, that they be documented legally if they are to be used in judicial proceedings. If someone sues you for a debt, they must have a legally binding document that proves the existence of the debt, just as you must have a legally binding document that proves if you have paid the debt. Cosas incorporales are divided into two types, derechos reales and derechos personales. A derecho real is a right that a person has over a thing, and that right can be defended in front of any person. If Bob has the derecho real of ownership over a car, and Joe takes the car, Bob can go to Joe and demand that it be returned. If Joe takes the car and gives it to Mary, Bob can go to Mary and demand it back. The derecho real falls over the item, and is exercised against all other persons. There are seven derechos reales recognized in Honduran law: ownership, inheritance, usufructo (a long-term lease), habitation (short-term rental), servidumbres (an easement, see Feb. 14 issue), and two types of mortgages. A derecho personal is a personal obligation. It is a right that a person has over another person, and it can only be exercised over that person. If Bob lends Joe $50, he cannot later go to Mary and demand that she pay him. It is a personal debt, and can only be demanded from Joe. Most of these rights must be based in a legally binding document for the judicial system to be able to enforce them. Most of the derechos reales must also be registered in public records to be legally binding. |
Monday, April 6, 1998 Online Edition 100 |
Good Friday a day of enchantment in Honduras Via Crucis: Roman soldiers strip Jesus of his vestments in the traditional reenactment of Christ's death, crucifixion and resurrection -- called Via Crucis or the Way of the Cross -- in downtown Tegucigalpa. Semana Santa or Holy Week will be highlighted by religious processions through the streets that typically begin and end at the main church or cathedral of each community. (Photo by Eric Schwimmer)
Alfombra tradition alive and well in Teguz
Easter means processions and dancing in Garifuna communities
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By MELANIE WETZAL
By WENDY GRIFFIN
