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Monday, July 31, 2000 Online Edition 31 |
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New facts reveal truth behind legendary native hero Lempira
By ALEJANDRA FLORES BERMUDEZ Lempira was one of many "caciques"
who fought against Spanish domination during the colonization of
Honduras. Some of the
documents written at the beginning of the 16th century, such as the
"Relaciones del Adelantado de Guatemala," establish
that when Don Pedro de Alvarado entered Sula Valley, he had an encounter
with the greatest lord of these lands, the cacique Cicumba. (Don Pedro de Alvarado was an "Adelantado," a name
formerly given to the governor of a frontier province). In his work "La Historia de la Conquista de la Nueva Espana,"
16th century Spanish conquistador and chronicler Bernal Diaz del
Castillo mentions hundreds of caciques (lords, heads of indigenous
communities, leaders) who were possibly braver than Honduras' national
hero, Lempira, who according to legend died in an encounter with Spanish
soldiers, treacherously shot in the back while negotiating a peace
agreement. Diaz del Castillo writes that when Hernan Cortes came to Honduras
from Mexico, he encountered many caciques with whom he could maintain
friendly relations, exchanging food, clothes and other goods.
It is only after some years of contact with the Spaniards that
the hatred began. Cortes spent more than two years in Trujillo and there is no
mention of any confrontation between Indians and Spaniards during this
time. In fact, the Indians
would often offer to help the conquistadores. FIRST REBELLION The first confrontation mentioned in colonial documents occurred
as Lopez de Salcedo was traveling from Trujillo to Leon, Nicaragua; at a
now unidentified site in Olancho, a very important cacique of the area
attacked the Spanish camp after midnight and shed the blood of many
horses and many Spanish soldiers. Historian Mario Felipe Martinez Castillo says that this could be
considered the largest indigenous rebellion in Honduras.
Thirty horses were killed along with many soldiers, which meant
that the rebellion against slavery and against the death of the Indian
language and culture was not only the work of Lempira, but was a
national movement that eventually led to the Independence movement and
Honduras' break with Spain in 1821.
It is precisely during the early 1800s when Pepe Milla, a
Guatemalan of Honduran origin and a member of a group of intellectuals
searching for a national identity after the separation from Spain,
started to look for national roots in Honduras' history.
In a history book written by Spanish historian Antonio de
Herrera, Milla found information about a rebellion headed by a cacique
called Lempira who fought and died in the region of Cerquin, a
mountainous region in the department of Lempira (precisely named after
this hero). During colonial times, this department was known as "Curato
de Gracias a Dios." Almost all the intellectuals of Central America boasted about
being descendants of Spaniards, but at the same time were against
Spain's policies. All that
"tasted" or evoked memories of Spain had to be removed and
replaced by indigenous values related to native Indian cultures. The thinkers of those days considered being Catholic "a
sin," the same feeling caused by having Spanish blood or speaking
Spanish. So, a search for
the true origins, culture and beliefs of Honduras began.
Pepe Milla also wrote stories.
His works were about Guatemalan society in which he expressed the
same feelings of discontent with Spain while at the same time expressing
pride about being a Spanish descendant. CHANCE ENCOUNTER Martinez Castillo tells that one day he was drinking coffee with
some friends in Seville, Spain, who were also doing research in the
"Archivo de Indias" of Seville.
A Canadian woman, Wendy Kramer, was researching the Indian
rebellions of America. Kramer
asked Martinez what the name was of the official currency of Honduras.
He answered "Lempira." Kramer immediately related it to a cacique she had read about and
Martinez answered, "Yes, the cacique... but he never existed...
He is a legend. I
have read all the 'Relaciones de Meritos' of all the conquistadores of
Honduras from don Pedro de Alvarado forward: Montejo, Francisco de las
Casas, more than 30 conquistadores of Honduras, and no one mentions
Lempira. If he would have
been a great cacique, more than one would have mentioned him," he
added. Kramer answered that the document was not related to Honduras
because the soldier who fought against Lempira was a Mexican and the
document was classified under the title of "Inhabitants of
Mexico" in the Archive of Indies in Seville, and promised to give
him the number of the filing card the next day. Upon obtaining the number, Martinez requested the document at the
archive. The official
paleographist of the General Archive of Indies made a copy and handed it
to him. It was going to be
his "tesis doctoral" (his dissertation). THE REAL STORY Martinez said, "They gave me the document and I found that
the truth about Lempira was completely different from what has been said
about him since the 1800s. I studied the document for four years. I didn't dare to publish it because I knew the reaction it
would cause in Honduras would be very strong.
The true death of Lempira is much more dignified than the one
narrated in legend. He died
like a hero defending his land against someone incredibly more powerful
than him." The soldier who killed Lempira came with Hernan Cortes to Mexico
and then went to Yucatan. He
then came with Pedro de Alvarado to Guatemala and Honduras.
He was a "gentil hombre de solar y casa conocida" (a
distinguished gentleman) of the Diocese of Toledo, Spain.
It is written that when he came to the region of Gracias a Dios
(which is the original name of the city now known as Gracias), the
"Adelantado" of Yucatan, Montejo, ordered him, Rodrigo Ruiz,
to pacify an Indian who was rebelling and "causing problems"
for the Spanish army in some hills of rock called Cerquin. Martinez' research is found in a book he published called
"The Last Days of Lempira."
He writes that the original document establishes that Rodrigo
Ruiz went to Cerquin with 11 soldiers.
The Spanish forces had made an alliance with the Care indigenous
community of Intibuca (the department next to Lempira).
The Care were enemies of Lempira and his people.
The Indian communities frequently fought over land and territory
among themselves. Ruiz says, "an Indian captain organized a 'defense' and
caused us much damage because he attacked us.
Because they were many and we were few, we couldn't defend
ourselves properly." MAGICAL CLOTHING Ruiz mentions this before killing Lempira.
He writes how Lempira once attacked the "Real" and came
back to recover the corpses of the soldiers he killed; "then he
hung them in some pine trees but before he takes their clothes off and
saves them for himself." Lempira
believed that if he fought with these clothes, he would
"capture" the enemy's powers. Pre-Columbian communities used to practice anthropophagy.
It always had a ritual content.
The Aztecs ritually took the skin off the bodies of the Indian
kings, lords or leaders they captured and the Aztec priest would wear it
for ceremonies. Lempira
believed that by wearing the clothes of his enemies, he would obtain
their force and that in the next battle he would be as strong as they
were. So Lempira fought bravely, as Martinez says, and died bravely
under the Toledan sword of Rodrigo Ruiz.
He was wearing Spanish clothes, but he didn't have the armor that
the Spanish soldier had, nor the buckler, or the sword that Ruiz had. Ruiz writes that each day Lempira united with more and more
Indian allies and his force grew. When
Ruiz saw the danger, his army joined forces with the Care Indians of
Intibuca and approached the spot where Lempira was addressing his people
and preparing them for a battle. Ruiz
and Lempira fought hand to hand, Lempira with the "captured
powers" of the Spaniards through his clothes and Rodrigo Ruiz with
armor, coat of mall, buckler, and steel sword.
Lempira probably fought with a macana
-- a wooden club. FINDINGS ATTACKED Martinez said people attacked his historical findings about
Lempira. A journalist even
said he had "made it all up."
This revelation about Honduras historical past caused much
discomfort. Spaniard
linguist and university professor Atanasio Herranz, author of many
published works about the languages of the Indigenous groups of Honduras
and their legacy, defended Martinez, saying that if a person of this
century had the intellectual ability to write a document as if it were
written in the 1500s, with the grammar of that time, the same language
structure, the same word formations, the paleography of the 1500s, than
he ought to win the Nobel Prize of Literature, because nowadays it would
be so extraordinary to do if not impossible. Martinez says that the document is in the Archive of Indies of
Seville if anyone wants to read it.
Finally, he concludes that a revision should be made of all of
Honduras' history, of what is taught in educational centers, and that
this revision can only be done through historical research. |
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CULTURAL EVENTS WIXNAMICKIN
PAINTING EXHIBIT -- THROUGH AUGUST 4 -- The Embassy of El Salvador is
presenting an exhibit of paintings by Salvadoran artists Mauricio
Mejia, Edmundo Otoniel, Aleph Sanchez, Hector Hernandez and Maria
Elena Palomo, members of the Wixnamickin group. Nature is the
main theme of the display. Funds raised from sales will be used to support the
Industrial Handicrafts Center for the Blind (CAIPAC). ENGRAVINGS
EXHIBIT -- THROUGH AUGUST 24 -- The CAVC Mujeres en las Artes (MUA) association and the Grana, Taller de Estampa is presenting an exhibit of
engravings titled In-Habitos by Costa Rican artists Sila Chanto, Rebeca Alpizar,
Carolina Cordova and Marcia Salas. The display will take place
at the MUA headquarters in Col. Reforma in Tegucigalpa. More
information at 221-0697. PAINTING
EXHIBIT -- JULY 28 TO AUGUST 12 -- Galeria Portales of Tegucigalpa will
hold an exhibit of paintings by Salvadoran artist Conchita Kuny Mena
titled "Ayer y Hoy."
PAPER
ART -- THROUGH AUGUST 4 -- The Ministry of Culture and the Chinese Embassy are
sponsoring an exhibit of paper art at the Banco Atlantida cultural
room at Plaza Bancatlan in Tegucigalpa. THE
READING CORNER -- SATURDAYS -- The Museum of History and Anthropology of San
Pedro Sula offers parents and children the possibility of sharing a
fun, educational time by reading stories every Saturday from 2 to 4
p.m. More information at 557-1798. PAINTING
WORKSHOP -- AUGUST 19, 20 -- The Regional Culture office in the
city of Catacamas, Olancho, is holding a painting workshop for adults
and teenagers conducted by master Antonio Vicinguerra. More information at 221-3928. HISTORY
TRAINING -- AUGUST 12, 19, 26 -- The San Pedro Sula Museum of History
and Anthropology will hold a training course on historical topics for
local professors and researchers from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. More information at 557-1496. FRENCH
AND FINE ARTS COURSES -- The French Alliance in Tegucigalpa is offering French
and fine arts courses for children and teenagers during this vacation
period. More information at 239-6164. PAINTING
WORKSHOP -- AUGUST 19-20 -- The Ministry of Culture is offering a painting
workshop for young people and adults. More information at
221-3928 with Magda Argentina Erazo. PHOTOGRAPHY
WORKSHOP -- AUGUST 17,18,19 -- The Sociedad de las Artes/LiterArte
organization will sponsor a workshop on photography from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. The workshop will be given by Simona Di Franco of Italy at
the National Art Gallery with additional support from Fotogremio and
HIVOS. More information at 235-7294. CHILDREN'S
ART WORKSHOPS -- THROUGH AUGUST 5
-- The Mujeres en las Artes
"Leticia de Oyuela" association is offering the art
course "A world of colors" for children aged 8 to 9,
Saturdays from 2 to 4 p.m. Registration is Lps. 600. More
information at 221-0697. DANCE,
GUITAR & PAINTING COURSES -- The Honduran Institute of Hispanic
Culture (IHCH) teaches the Sevillana
Spanish dance, guitar and paintings skills. More information
at 232-5578. ART,
LEARNING & TUTORING FOR CHILDREN -- The Art and Education Center,
BONAMPAK, at the Plaza Millennium in Comayaguela offers hourly art
courses, reading courses and tutoring services for children. More information at 222-5487. MISS
HONDURAS PAGEANT -- AUGUST 22 -- The Miss Honduras 2000 pageant will
take place at the Expocentro facilities in San Pedro Sula. SCIENCE
CONTEST -- The Government of Mexico invites all Central American
scientists to participate in the Mexican
Science and Technology Award 2000. Each candidate must be proposed by an academic or scientific
institution. The winner will receive a $350,000 award.
Candidates must send their documents no later than July 31. More
information at the Ministry of Culture at Tel. 221-3928. REPTILE
CENTER -- The first Rehabilitation Center for Reptiles and Amphibians (PCHRERA) is
open to the public, who can observe and touch live snakes, turtles,
lizards and crocodiles. It is located in Col. Godoy, 30 meters
on the road toward Colonia Lomas de Toncontin or IPM, 1st street on
the right, the 3rd house. CLUBS FAMILIES
ANONYMOUS -- Families Anonymous (FA) meetings are held Tuesdays at
the Union Church at 7:30 p.m. Call Eileen for more information
at 239-9779 or 239-9778. AL-ANON
FAMILY GROUPS -- Al-Anon helps the relatives and friends of problem
drinkers. Groups meet Saturdays afternoon in Colonia Alameda and
Sundays evening in Colonia Loarque in Tegucigalpa. For more
information, contact Amanda at 239-2698 (Spanish) or Margaret at
226-6576 (English). NARCOTICS
ANONYMOUS -- Having problems with drugs, alcohol? Meetings are
held in Spanish every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. in
Colonia Palermo, Ave. Juan Manuel Galvez, 1 calle # 1836. For
more information, call Ricardo at 991-9417 or 232-8989. ENGLISH
SPEAKING WOMEN'S CLUB -- The ESWC invites all English-speaking women to
its teas held the second Thursday of each month at 2:30 p.m. at the
Hotel Honduras Maya in Tegucigalpa. TRAILING
PARTNERS -- A Trailing Partners support group is forming in
September for professionals who are experiencing disruptions in their
careers due to international relocation. More information with
Dawn at 237-3824, prior to August 12.
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MUSEUMS &
GARDENS
TEGUCIGALPA MUSEO DE HISTORIA REPUBLICANA The
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 222-3470 or 222-1468. 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 237-2270 (-78), ext. 2117 (-2120). [CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER
NOTICE.] 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 ingormation, call 230-6346. COMAYAGUA,
COMAYAGUA COMAYAGUA MUSEUM OF
ARCHAEOLOGY Located
in the city of Comayagua, two hours north of Tegucigalpa, the Comayagua
Museum of Archaeology is in the building that served as the seat of
government in the 19th century. Exhibits
include prehistoric fossils, cave art, ceramics, and objects used by
indigenous cultures during the pre-Colombian era.
The museum, which also has a small library, is open to the public
Tuesdays through Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 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 772-0348.
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 SPS MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND HISTORY The
Museo de Antropologia e Historia de San Pedro Sula features exhibits on
the development of Sula Valley, from 1500 B.C. to the middle of this
century. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Tuesdays through
Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.
Admission is Lps. 10 for adults, Lps. 5 for students and children
under 12, and Lps. 2 for senior citizens.
For more information, call 557-1496/557-1798 or fax 557-1874. MUSEUM OF NATURE OF SAN PEDRO SULA Sponsored
and managed by the Fundacion Ecologista H.R. Pastor Fasquelle, this new
museum was inaugurated last December in its current location at the
Biocentro on 3 Avenida and 9 Calle Noroeste.
It has 24 exhibits on the environment, natural resources and
biology of Honduras. Hours
are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays.
Admission is Lps 5 for students from public schools and Lps.
10.00 for everyone else. 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. OLANCHO PECH CULTURAL CENTER The
Pech have built a small house in El Carbon, Olancho to display their
modern handicrafts. An
exhibit of archaeological finds in the area is planned.
You can ask to see the collection and/or get a tour of a Post
Classic era fortified site. The
Pech Cultural Center also offers medicinal plant tours, nature hikes,
Pech dinners, etc. There is
no admission fee to the cultural center.
Hours: If you ask, they will open it. 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 Copan Ruinas. MAYAN SEPULTURAS MUSEUM Inaugurated
in 1996, this is the premier Mayan museum in the Mundo Maya, featuring
the finest examples of Copan's tombs, sculptures and architecture.
Located at the Copan Ruins Archaeological Park, the museum is
open Monday through Sunday. 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 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. 442-2874, e-mail: rlehman@ns.gbm.hn TRUJILLO TRUJILLO RUFINO GALAN MUSEUM A
private museum which has a memorabilia section, old chairs, anchors,
silverware, beds of famous people locally.
There is an industrial archaeology section on how lights, axes,
stoves, sewing machines, typewriters have changed over time.
They have a good collection of Garifuna handicrafts and the best
collection of
NE Honduras archaeological pieces ‑‑ all unmarked.
A written guide to the museum is available at the Trujillo
Tourism Office in English and Spanish.
The museum is open 8 to 4, closing for lunch.
Adults Lps. 20, children Lps. 10.
Located on Calle 18 de Mayo, next to the Crystales River and the
famous "piscina" or pool, about a 15-minute walk out of town. ROATAN,
THE BAY ISLANDS CARAMBOLA BOTANICAL GARDENS The
private 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 445-1117 and ask for Bill or Irma
Brady. BAY ISLANDS MUSEUM A
private museum at Anthony's Key Resort, Sandy Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands,
it mostly includes archaeological pieces, but there is a 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 232-2300, e-mail: hontweek@hondutel.hn |
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Monday, July 10, 2000 Online Edition 28 |
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Honduras bids farewell to Dutch friend
By SUYAPA CARIAS TEGUCIGALPA --
The Fundacion para el Desarrollo
Empresarial (FUNDER) and the Proyecto
de Consolidacion de Empresas Campesinas (PROCORAC) offered a
farewell reception to Dutch official Kees Konstapel who has worked since
1994 as first secretary and rural development and environmental advisor
at the Dutch Embassy for Central America. Through his
unconditional support to regional initiatives aimed at achieving higher
human development levels, Konstapel won the gratitude and sympathy from
those who met and worked with him.
In the case of Honduras, he was recognized for his participation
in the creation of FUNDER and assisting other related projects such as Lempira
Sur, Adecaf and Procorac-Funder. Konstapel, an
agricultural engineer, has played a key role in obtaining new financial
and technical resources from the Netherlands in the current
reconstruction process. During the
reception, Conception Betanco, president of the Honduran Confederation
of Campesino Women (CHMC), said FUNDER has been "the central axis
that has allowed us to become stronger by empowering us with theoretical
and practical training." Along with
rural directors Trinidad Membreno and Marco Tulio Cartagena, Betanco
offered a gift to Konstapel. "He
has drunk the water from the campo
(country), and we know he'll be back," said Cartagena. "I wish it
wasn't true," said Konstapel visibly moved, referring to his
departure to South America. "I
have spent nearly six years in this little corner of the globe called
Central America, and it has been a unique professional experience for
me. I liked working with
the people of Honduras... in this country there is an environment that
allows people to dialogue about everything and among everybody." Toward the end
of the event, he surprised the audience with some negative news. "Because of new policies established by our government,
we will have to considerably reduce our cooperation to Honduras.
And that hurts," said Konstapel. "But I
have drunk the water from the country, and yes, I will be back," he
said, prior to receiving hugs and best wishes from a large group of
coworkers and friends. FUNDER is a not
for profit Honduran entity created in October 1997 for the purpose of
increasing human development levels among the poorest rural families.
It works with different institutions in the public, private and
civil sectors, such as the Ministry of Cattle Ranching and Agriculture
(SAG), the National Agrarian Institution (INA), savings and loan
associations, and campesino
organizations. For more
information about FUNDER, call Cesar Gonzales at (504) 232-1133, fax
(504) 236-8504. |
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Monday, July 3, 2000 Online Edition 27 |
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Ivy
Inter-American Foundation honors first lady
The Ivy
Inter-American Foundation recently honored First Lady Mary Flores at a
luncheon in Washington, D.C. for her humanitarian work over the past 20
years. Mrs. Flores
received this recognition for her work with young cancer patients and,
more recently, for her efforts in the reconstruction and transformation
of Honduras through the Fundacion Maria. The event
brought together many distinguished personalities from the United
States, as well as guests from other countries who learned more about
the first lady's works and projects. In addition to
the recognition, Mrs. Flores received a donation of medicines worth Lps.
20 million and $10,000 in cash that will be used for social projects. An art auction
was also held during the event and part of the proceeds were donated to
the Fundacion Maria. The principal
objective of the Ivy Inter-American Foundation, which is presided by Ana
Bella Jordan, is to promote health and education among the least
privileged. The association also honors people and institutions that have
distinguished themselves in their humanitarian work with the least
privileged sectors, especially women and children. The first lady also received the Albert Sabin award conferred by the New York Humanitarian Institute. Honduran
soccer 101:
Second
division ain't so bad...
Special to
Honduras This Week I can
sympathize with Honduran soccer fans who do not have a first division
team for which to root. I've
never lived anywhere big enough or important enough to merit being the
home of a major league anything. The
closest I came was back in the late 1960s when Virginia boasted the
"Squires" of the old American Basketball Association (ABA).
By the time I'd reached college, the Squires were gone and the
only thing I had access to was a semi-pro baseball team called the
Richmond Braves -- the Atlanta Braves' farm team.
They played teams like the "Mud Hens" and the
"Tides." Hardly household names. I now live in
northern Virginia, and up here we at least have the Washington Redskins
(American football) and, of course, DC United of Major League Soccer
(MLS). Washington, DC is not in Virginia, but it's kind of a de
facto Virginia city when it comes to sports.
In the final analysis, the fact remains that, apart from some
semi-pro stuff, we still have nothing in the major leagues to call our
own. That's why I
have an affinity with people from places like Catacamas, Choloma,
Comayagua, El Progreso, La Esperanza, Montecristo, Ocotepeque, Olanchito,
San Jeronimo, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa de Copan, Sava, Siguatepeque,
Tocoa, Tulin, and Yoro. These
are all enthusiastic soccer communities that aren't big enough or
important enough in the scheme of things to be able to field a major
team in Honduras' National Soccer League.
However, they do have clubs in the second division that
occasionally attract a thousand people at stadiums named after men such
as Francisco Martinez Duron, Roberto Martinez Avila, and Ruben Deras. Second division
teams don't receive near enough the attention they deserve, I think.
We hardly ever read about them in the newspapers, although
perhaps they'll make the regular headlines in local papers that most of
us never see -- precisely why I'm dedicating this article to them. Simply because they're second division doesn't necessarily
make them "second best."
It's all a question of perspective, really.
Not every Honduran is a first division fan, first and foremost.
If my friend Salvador Rodezno is any indication, I suspect there
is a significant subculture out there that passionately follows the
local second division clubs. Salvador is from Ocotepeque.
He couldn't care less about Olimpia, Motagua, or Real Espana.
Give him Juventud Ocotepeque any day. There are so
many second division teams -- 23 in all -- that you could make a good
case that these are far more representative of the Honduran people,
geographically and culturally, than first division clubs, which are
largely concentrated in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, Puerto
Cortes and Choluteca. So
don't be misled by all the hoopla surrounding first division play.
If you want a true feel for the people's soccer, I suggest you go
to the Honduran countryside and search for teams with names such as
Deportes Sabio, Independiente Villela, Melgar FC, Palestino, Real
Juventud, Real Maya, Real Sociedad and Sociedad Sol.
Look for a small field with a few hundred screaming spectators.
That's your second division. The coolest
thing about the second division is that teams have nowhere to go but up. At the end of each year (around July), the top team in the
division ascends (the "ascenso") to the first division,
switching places with the worst team from the first division. In a very Catholic country like Honduras, it's only
appropriate I suppose that the system of rewards and punishments should
rightly extend to the country's soccer teams.
While I don't liken the second division to purgatory, there are
some who do. Notes: There
are two conferences or "zones" within the second division --
the North and Central. The
North Zone consists of 13 teams, including Palestino, Real Espana
Reservas, Olimpia Occidental, Aguan Valle, Deportes Sabio, Juventud
Ocotepeque, Real Sociedad, Yoro FC, Marathón Reservas, Victoria Leyde
Reservas, Sociedad Sol, Montecristo, and Real Juventud (Santa Barbara).
The Central Zone has 10 teams, including Real Maya, Melgar FC,
Fantasmas, Tulin, Comayagua, Motagua Reservas, Independiente Villela,
Catacamas, Universidad Reservas and San Jeronimo. Choloma used to
have a team called Halcon Terrazos, Danli had Samaritano, El Progreso
had Juventud Mezapena, La Esperanza had Alianza, La Lima had Sula, and
Tegucigalpa had Atletico Indio. As
far as I can tell, these clubs no longer exist, at least not under those
names. Marco Caceres is the co-founder of
projecthonduras.com <http://www.projecthonduras.com>. |
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Historian
Mario Felipe Martinez Castillo, author of "The Last Days of
Lempira."(Photo by Alejandra Flores Bermudez.)
By
MARCO CACERES
