NATIONAL |
NATIONAL |
Monday, June 26, 2000 Online Edition 26 |
|
First Honduran admitted to United World College
By SUYAPA CARIAS TEGUCIGALPA -- Seventeen-year-old Jose Mauricio Mendoza Rodríguez, a high school graduate of the Elvel School, was recently chosen as the first Honduran to receive a two-year international scholarship from the United World College (UWC). By attending Li Po Chun College in Hong Kong, Mendoza will join more than 1,000 teenagers aged 16-18 from 100 countries who study each year at the 10 UWC network established around the world. The announcement came after several months of organizational work, contacts, visits to local schools and interviews headed by Edgardo Pagoaga, founder of the UWC chapter in Honduras. Pagoaga is also known for founding and developing the Operation Smile volunteer medical program in Honduras in 1997. A physician specialized in the United States and a current Rotary member, Pagoaga said that when he found out about this educational program for young people, he felt encouraged with the idea of sending Honduran students abroad. "Not too long ago, a report published in the local media revealed that there are no leaders in Honduras," he said. "Therefore, our effort in bringing an institution dedicated to forming international leaders seeks to change this reality, and develop qualified youths from the academic and humanistic points of view." The idea came to him when he met 24 year-old former American scholar Heather Deutsch, who impressed him with her sharp personality, executive abilities and public relations skills as a staff member of Operation Smile International. "She told me that she had learned most of [her skills and abilities] while studying at the UWC," he said, "so we agreed to contact their headquarters in England to investigate the possibility of including Honduras in their program." UNIQUE EXPERIENCE United World College was founded by Kurt Hahan in 1962 as a response to the challenges of the Cold War. The first college established was in the United Kingdom. Today, there are nine other colleges located in Canada, Italy, Hong Kong, Norway, Singapore, the United States, Venezuela, Swaziland and India. "Here, young people live together in an environment designed to promote international understanding, peace and justice at the highest academic level," said Pagoaga. Taught in the English language, the International Baccalaureate is accepted at 650 universities in 80 countries. The Venezuela college offers a diploma in farm management and rural development. The organization is presided by Queen Noor of Jordan and former South African President Nelson Mandella, who is the president of the International Council. UWC policies emphasize that students be selected based on the principle of merit, without regard to factors such as economic conditions. Instead, they search for intellectual ability, interest and focus, commitment to UWC aims, personality, and good mental and physical health. English is not an admissions requirement. Pagoaga added that in order to receive grants, every interested country must create an honorary UWC National Committee that is in charge of promoting the program, following the established selection process and raising funds to provide economic aid to needy students, and for self-supporting reasons. "The involvement of government authorities, educational institutions, the private sector and civil society are key to making the program grow and thus getting more grants in the future," said Pagoaga. BRIGHT STUDENT Jose Mauricio Mendoza Rodriguez, the son of Jose and Nora de Mendoza, has had a 97 percent average throughout his school career. He was elected class president during his junior year and reelected the following year. Aside from his excellent grades, Mauricio is considered by his counselor, Brenda Estrada, as a boy who "possesses qualities that reveal a young person of culture and integrity. He is honest, courteous and has always shown concern and respect for others." "I never expected something like this, I was ready to study law [at the National Autonomous University] but now... I feel lucky to have this opportunity," said Mendoza, visibly excited. "I have already contacted several students in Hong Kong, and they say they are having one of the best experiences in their lives." For more information about the UWC program in Honduras, call 239-4139. Legislation allowing Hondurans living overseas to vote called unconstitutional By BLANCA MORENO TEGUCIGALPA -- The National Congress presided by Rafael Pineda Ponce, who is a presidential candidate for the Liberal Party, this week approved legislation that will allow Hondurans residing in other countries to vote in the next general elections to be held in November 2001. Passed early Wednesday morning, the controversial reforms of the National Register of Persons Law (RNP) order the National Elections Tribunal (TNE) to allow Hondurans living outside the country to vote. All congressional deputies of the National Party left the building prior to the vote, except Juventina Ortega and Jesus Flores. The Nacionalistas left so that the reform wouldn't be ratified, since there needed to an absolute majority of 128 congressmen for the bill to become law. Allowing Hondurans overseas to vote has been sought for a long time, but National Party lawmakers were protesting over the way it was being brought about. In the end, there were 49 votes in favor, 16 against and 11 abstentions. Congressman and former presidential candidate Oswaldo Ramos Soto, who is also a law professor, warned that the reform was unconstitutional since it did not get an absolute majority of 65 votes. Later that morning, there was radio debate about the crisis in Congress. It was mentioned that Pineda Ponce wants to play dirty to win the elections and become the next president of Honduras. According to those who oppose the reform, three articles of the constitution are violated by the reform: Article 11, which establishes that when conditions of electoral organization allow for it, Honduran citizens living outside Honduras will be permitted to vote; Article 193, which states that not Congress or any other government authority or private citizens can impede the installation of Congress; and Article 55, which states that the RNP is the government agency in charge of registering Honduran citizens and issuing them identification cards, as well as the only organization allowed to conduct a census. According to Pineda Ponce's adversaries, the president of a Honduran organization has promised Pineda Ponce that 100,000 Hondurans living in the United States will vote for him to insure victory. Opponents also say that Pineda wants to use the consulates of Miami and New York, where a son and a daughter of his work, to his advantage. The reforms also stipulate that Honduran embassies and consulates must have a complete list of eligible voters 30 days prior to the elections. |
Human rights violator detained in Miami A former Honduran army intelligence officer accused of human rights violations was detained in Miami last Friday by U.S. immigration authorities, the daily La Tribuna reported Tuesday (June 20). The military official was identified as Juan Angel Hernandez Lara, a former member of the infamous 3-16 Battalion that was allegedly responsible for many of the 184 disappearances of political dissidents, students and union leaders in the 1980s. Hernandez Lara, who "disappeared" after illegally entering the United States several years ago, resurfaced last April when he appeared before an immigration judge to legalize his status. According to a Miami Herald report, Hernandez confessed to INS officials that he tortured at least four persons, all of whom were subsequently executed. 10 hotels temporarily closed on Roatan Delays in repairing Roatan's runway has forced 10 hotels to temporarily close their doors due to the cancellation of direct international flights from Houston and Miami, the daily La Prensa reported Tuesday (June 20). Romeo Silvestri, one of the hotel owners affected by the repairs, described the situation as "truly chaos, a catastrophe." Meanwhile, Italian investor David Depetra told La Prensa that his firm could decide to permanently close the Henry Morgan Hotel due to the airport situation and the government's lack of credibility. Of the 36 countries in which his tourism firm operates, he said, only in Honduras has something like occurred. "We have made commitments for planes, we have contracts, people losing [money] in Mexico, we don't know what's happening, no one has told us anything, this is incredible," he said. Among the hotels that have temporarily closed are Milton Bay Resort, Henry Morgan Hotel, Buccanero Inn and Taviana Beach Resort. El Salvador claims Isla Conejo Foreign Ministry officials this week rejected claims made by El Salvador that the small Isla Conejo -- Rabbit Island -- in the Gulf of Fonseca belongs to that country, the daily La Tribuna reported Saturday (June 17). Pedro Pineda Madrid, head of the Foreign Ministry's Department of Boundaries and Borders, said Isla Conejo has always been part of the municipality of Alianza, Valle and was never included among the islands in litigation prior to the World Court decision in 1992 that resolved the territorial dispute between Honduran and El Salvador. According to El Salvador's foreign minister, Salvadoran military officials handed over custody of the island to their Honduran counterparts in the 1980s due to a shortage of military personnel. At that time, El Salvador was mired in a bloody civil war. Gang assaults police station, one dead Four gang members armed with guns and knives on Sunday (June 18) assaulted the police station in San Pedro Sula's Barrio Suncery, killing one police officer and seriously wounding another, the daily La Tribuna reported. According to witnesses, the four youths forced their way into the police station and took agent Marvin Geovany Umanzor, who was on duty, hostage. At the moment of the assault, the other police officials assigned to this precinct were either on patrol duty or asleep. The youths demanded that Umanzor release several companions who were reputedly behind bars there. On seeing that the jail was empty, the youths beat up the officer and then left, but not before taking two weapons. Minutes later, agent Ben Awen Laínez Gonzalez returned to the station and, after learning what happened from his injured colleague, took off in pursuit of the thugs. Laínez found the gang members one block away, but was killed before he could draw his weapon. According to La Tribuna, a conflicting report states that Laínez was not on duty and that he make have taken part in the assault.
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Monday, June 19, 2000 Online Edition 25 |
|
U.S.
forces assisted in big drug bust
By CAPT. ERIC HILLIARD Special to Honduras This Week SOTO CANO, Comayagua -- What started out as a simple first time
training opportunity for Honduran and U.S. forces turned into one of the most
complex and successful counter‑drug operations ever -- code name:
Operation Lifesaver II. On June 5, intelligence sources learned that there was an
18‑wheeler truck known to be moving drugs through the area, and that it
was going to be operating within a certain window of time that day. Later, a truck matching that description was spotted moving through
Honduras headed toward Guatemala. It was stopped and detained at Sinuapa, Ocotepeque by Honduran
authorities. The counter‑narcotics team got the call, and within an hour was on
their way to the intercept site. "We got the alert notice and it took approximately 60 minutes to
coordinate with the drug dog handlers and others," said Lt. Col. Brian
Keeth, Task Force Commander for Central Skies Honduras. "Then, we took one
UH‑60 Blackhawk helicopter with a DEA agent, dog handler, a dog and seven
Honduran counter narcotics agents to the location." When the team arrived, they found 283 packs of cocaine weighing 1 kilo
each inside the truck. The cocaine
is said to have a street value of $17,000 to $20,000 per kilo in Miami. "This was the largest drug bust in history for a Central Skies
mission conducted in Honduras," said Keeth. Keeth also said that this was one of the most challenging and complex
operations they had ever done. Life Saver II was the first time that U.S. aircraft worked
side‑by‑side with aircraft from the Honduran police and the Honduran
Air Force. "One of the strong points for this mission was the fact that we
worked with a lot more people than we usually do," said Keeth.
"We worked with two different types of police units; the Cobras
(special operations police) and the counter‑narcotics police.
We used two Honduran police helicopters and aircraft from the Honduran
Air Force, the Honduran Navy was involved also." In addition to the drug busts, during the 10‑day mission the units
accomplished several key training objectives including Jacob's Ladder training
and End Game scenario training. Jacob's Ladder training is designed to give troops the ability to get in
and out of areas where it may be impossible for a helicopter to land.
For locating and eradicating marijuana fields in mountainous regions,
this insertion and extraction tool is ideal.
During the end‑game scenarios, troops practiced the procedures to
stop, detain and arrest drug runners. The
training was very thorough and utilized the acting talents of several JTF‑Bravo
personnel who posed as drug lords during the scenario. "The main purpose of this mission was to train the Honduran police
how to do the air mobile operations in the different types of aircraft using
ICON radios, Jacob's Ladder and other training tools," said Keeth. The good thing about this mission is that we involved so many agencies
and personnel that we have ensured that we can continue to do this in the
future, Keeth said. He added that the entire thing came off really well as a combined
operation and that the Hondurans had good intelligence and helped put all the
pieces together. Central Skies missions are at its essence, exercises in working together
with different organizations. The
inherent mission of Central Skies is drug interdiction. "It's always nice to interdict drugs," said Keeth. Just as important as the interdiction mission is the engagement mission
and being able to pull different groups together to work toward the same end,
which is stopping the flow of drugs, Keeth said. "The people that operate together today will be the people who
execute together tomorrow. It adds
to the professionalism of our forces as well as their forces," he said. For Keeth, this will be his last Central Skies mission.
In his year‑long tour, Keeth has been involved in nine Central
Skies missions. "This has been
a real exciting thing for me to do this past year.
I got to work with a lot of different and diverse elements and the men
and women of JTF‑Bravo who help make these missions a success.
This was a great way to finish out the year," he said. Capt.
Eric Hilliard is director of public affairs for Joint Task Force-Bravo. U.K.
finances construction of 10 bridges
By ALEJANDRA PAREDES Special to Honduras This Week Over the past 14 months the British government has started and almost
completed construction of 10 bridges for needy communities in western and
central Honduras. The first structures built are located over the Quebrada del Muerto, in
Comayagua, the Rio Negro in Intibuca and the Rio
Colorado, also in Intibuca. In
recent weeks, Vado de San Juan and the San Antonio del Norte bridges in the
department of La Paz were completed. Only this week, a new bridge over the Rio Aro at the Valle de Jesus de
Otoro, Intibuca was inaugurated by British Ambassador David Osborne and Kathya
Pastor of the Ministry of Public Works (SOPTRAVI). In the next few months construction of the La Sampedrana bridge in
Comayagua, Olosingos I and Olosingos II bridges in Lempira and another at Minas
de Oro, Francisco Morazan will be completed. All the bridges replace structures that were damaged or destroyed by
Hurricane Mitch in October 1998. Financing for the bridges was provided by the British government through
its embassy in Tegucigalpa. The
Consulcreto construction company is in charge of the bridge projects and has
employed innovative techniques in their construction.
Penal
Code reforms spark protests, indignation By BLANCA MORENO TEGUCIGALPA -- Reforms to the Penal Code approved by the National
Congress, which allow some inmates over 60 and incarcerated pregnant women to be
held under house arrest, even when they have committed felonies, have created a
wave of protests and indignation among Hondurans. The reforms have not only been called "ridiculous" but very
expensive. According to Security
Minister Elizabeth Chiuz Sierra, more than Lps. 100 million would be needed to
enforce Article 183. She said that requiring a policeman to guard a convict in his or her home
instead of safeguarding the lives of honest citizens is utter nonsense. Article 183 also makes no distinctions among the types of crimes
committed. All inmates over 60 years of age, pregnant women, nursing
mothers and terminally ill convicts, regardless of the crime they committed,
would be eligible under the reforms. According to law enforcement authorities, most of the inmates who would
be eligible are assassins, drug traffickers, rapists, robbers, pimps and
kidnappers. Chiuz said she was never consulted by Congress prior to passage of this
legislation, which may be impossible to enforce due to the lack of policemen and
resources. The authors of Article 183 are government prosecutor Edmundo Orellana,
the former Attorney General; Supreme Court Justice Jose Maria Palacios;
Dagoberto Mejia, the former director of government prosecutors; and Judge Manuel
Alvarado, among others. Former Labor Minister Carlos Torres Lopez proposed the reduction of the
maximum incarceration age from 70 to 60 years. Authorities say that approximately 381 inmates will benefit from decree
09-99-E. Of this number, 106 were
convicted of murder, 74 of drug trafficking, 31 of robbery and assault and 30
for assault. Of the 381, 188 will benefit because they are over 60 and among the other
193 are several convicts in the terminal stages of an illness, pregnant women
and nursing mothers. Of the 18 eligible women incarcerated in the Feminine Center for Social
Adaptation, 16 are convicted of drug trafficking, one for murder and one for
death threats. There have been
reports of many women asking to have their intrauterine devices removed so they
can become pregnant. Others simply
apply for pregnancy tests, hoping to be pregnant and then freed. The president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Oscar Avila Banegas,
announced that he will ask for reforms or interpretations, in some of the cases,
to the new legislation. Meanwhile, Congressional President Rafael Pineda Ponce has indicated he has no intention of making changes to this legislation, since "the remedy could turn out to be more costly than the illness." |
50 Hondurans receive CASS scholarships to study in U.S. By SUYAPA CARIAS TEGUCIGALPA -- Promising to make the most of the opportunity and uphold
the name of Honduras, 50 low-income students this week received CASS
scholarships to study at community colleges in the United States. The scholarship announcement ceremony, which took place in the capital,
was attended by President Carlos Flores, U.S. Ambassador Frank Almaguer,
Education Vice Minister Blanca Cabanas, Archbishop Oscar Andres
Rodriguez and Florencia Garcia, the program's local director. "I applaud you for the effort and determination you have shown to
earn this grant, which could be considered as an award for all the hard
work invested by yourselves and your parents as well," said
Ambassador Almaguer during the ceremony. "But it is also a challenge and a commitment to the future of your
country, since you will be specializing in fields that are important for
its development, for you must turn into agents of change capable of
influencing Honduras' well-being...you will be the leaders of your
society." President Flores thanked the U.S. government for offering such excellent
opportunities to Hondurans. "I
am sure this contingent will be of enormous value now that the national
reconstruction process needs the most capable professionals." This year the fields covered by the scholarships include industrial
maintenance management, agricultural techniques, health services in the
rural sector, rural education and radiographic technology. The 50 students selected for the 2000 program come from various parts of
the country, including Tegucigalpa, Copan, Santa Barbara, Atlantida,
Colon, Lempira, Valle, and Gracias a Dios. CASS is an educational plan affiliated to Georgetown University, financed
by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and
implemented with the cooperation of community institutions.
The program offers scholarships to outstanding low-income
students from Central American and the Caribbean, who receive two years
of technical training at American community colleges in areas of study
previously identified as necessary for the region's development. To date 775 Honduran have received CASS scholarships.
Almost 90 percent of all former students are still working in
their specialization fields. Former
students also have the option of continuing their training through a
special program designed and implemented with the cooperation of the
National Development Foundation of Honduras (FUNADEH), the Central
American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Foundation for
Investment and Development of Exports (FIDE), the International Business
School and the Catholic University, among others. For more information on the CASS scholarship program, contact Florencia Garcia at Tel. 225-2567, Fax 225-5121.
U.S. installs seismic station in Honduras The U.S. government recently installed the first of a Central American
network of geological seismic stations in Tegucigalpa for the purpose of
detecting natural phenomena such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
The network is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce's
"Central American Reconstruction Work Plan." The centers will also work in such areas as topography, cartography,
natural resource inventories and natural disaster relief operations.
Also included, as part of the center's work plan, is the
development of a database of geological and seismic information for
land, maritime and air travel. Aside from the station in
Tegucigalpa, other centers will be opened in Puerto Cortes and San
Lorenzo, Valle in Honduras; as well as three centers in Nicaragua, two
in El Salvador, one in Guatemala and two in Costa Rica. -- La Tribuna Newcastle virus closes four poultry farms Due to the death of 500,000 chickens from the Newcastle virus, four
poultry farms in Honduras have been closed for a year.
The president of the Poultry Farmer's Association said it is
necessary to close the farms for that long to assure the disease's
eradication. The import of poultry products from Guatemala and Nicaragua have also
been prohibited for the same reason and currently imports from Mexico
and the United States are being considered to meet consumer demand for
these items. -- La Tribuna New penal article to costly to implement Approval of Article 183 of the new penal code allowing senior
citizens and pregnant women currently jailed to be placed under house
arrest to alleviate over-crowded prisons is unrealistic, according to
Security Minister Elizabeth Chuiz. "We don't have the sufficient custodians, or police officers to deal
with such a large number of criminals who, according to the judges,
should be guarded 24 hours a day," said Chuiz.
"It would take three persons a day to cover each prisoner
and we simply cannot cover this cost, nor the cost of transportation,
gasoline, meals, etc. of each policeman..." "Most of these people are murderers, drug dealers, rapists, thieves,
and kidnappers, and it doesn't make sense that we should have to watch
over them instead of protecting private citizens," the minister
stated. In other reports, women prisoners are reputedly getting pregnant so as to
qualify for house arrest. -- La Tribuna Over 1 million Hondurans without water Due to recent denouncements concerning the lack of access to potable
water, authorities of the National Water and Sewage Service (SANAA) have
promised to intensify coverage in rural areas.
Questioning the veracity of a report stating that 1.5 million
Hondurans don't have access to potable water, SANAA Manager Gustavo
Aguilar nevertheless said rural aqueduct projects would greatly improve
the situation. At the same time, he stated that there are no plans to privatize the
water company, only a process of institutional reform. -- La Tribuna Garifuna communities receive land titles The National Agrarian Institute (INA) delivered land titles to four more
Garifuna communities on the North Coast last Friday.
Although the communities had received provisional titles in 1999,
it was necessary for community organizations to receive proper legal
status before they were able to receive the land titles. Communal land titles were awarded to the communities of Rosita, Cayo
Venado and Nueva Go in La Ceiba and to the Rio Balfate community from
Colon. The title corresponding to San Juan, Tela will be delivered by the INA
Director Anibal Delgado Fiallos in the community next July 7. -- El
Tiempo Police continue disarming Teguz markets Seeking to lower the crime rate in the market sector of Comayaguela, police forces have been implementing disarmament operations in the San Isidro, Las Americas, Alvarez and Galindo markets, as well as at bus stops and in other commercial sectors. During the last operation on Monday, police officers seized 103 knives and 20 guns from people who did not have gun permits. --El Heraldo |
Monday, June 19, 2000 Online Edition 25 |
|
U.S.
forces assisted in big drug bust
By CAPT. ERIC HILLIARD Special to Honduras This Week SOTO CANO, Comayagua -- What started out as a simple first time
training opportunity for Honduran and U.S. forces turned into one of the most
complex and successful counter‑drug operations ever -- code name:
Operation Lifesaver II. On June 5, intelligence sources learned that there was an
18‑wheeler truck known to be moving drugs through the area, and that it
was going to be operating within a certain window of time that day. Later, a truck matching that description was spotted moving through
Honduras headed toward Guatemala. It was stopped and detained at Sinuapa, Ocotepeque by Honduran
authorities. The counter‑narcotics team got the call, and within an hour was on
their way to the intercept site. "We got the alert notice and it took approximately 60 minutes to
coordinate with the drug dog handlers and others," said Lt. Col. Brian
Keeth, Task Force Commander for Central Skies Honduras. "Then, we took one
UH‑60 Blackhawk helicopter with a DEA agent, dog handler, a dog and seven
Honduran counter narcotics agents to the location." When the team arrived, they found 283 packs of cocaine weighing 1 kilo
each inside the truck. The cocaine
is said to have a street value of $17,000 to $20,000 per kilo in Miami. "This was the largest drug bust in history for a Central Skies
mission conducted in Honduras," said Keeth. Keeth also said that this was one of the most challenging and complex
operations they had ever done. Life Saver II was the first time that U.S. aircraft worked
side‑by‑side with aircraft from the Honduran police and the Honduran
Air Force. "One of the strong points for this mission was the fact that we
worked with a lot more people than we usually do," said Keeth.
"We worked with two different types of police units; the Cobras
(special operations police) and the counter‑narcotics police.
We used two Honduran police helicopters and aircraft from the Honduran
Air Force, the Honduran Navy was involved also." In addition to the drug busts, during the 10‑day mission the units
accomplished several key training objectives including Jacob's Ladder training
and End Game scenario training. Jacob's Ladder training is designed to give troops the ability to get in
and out of areas where it may be impossible for a helicopter to land.
For locating and eradicating marijuana fields in mountainous regions,
this insertion and extraction tool is ideal.
During the end‑game scenarios, troops practiced the procedures to
stop, detain and arrest drug runners. The
training was very thorough and utilized the acting talents of several JTF‑Bravo
personnel who posed as drug lords during the scenario. "The main purpose of this mission was to train the Honduran police
how to do the air mobile operations in the different types of aircraft using
ICON radios, Jacob's Ladder and other training tools," said Keeth. The good thing about this mission is that we involved so many agencies
and personnel that we have ensured that we can continue to do this in the
future, Keeth said. He added that the entire thing came off really well as a combined
operation and that the Hondurans had good intelligence and helped put all the
pieces together. Central Skies missions are at its essence, exercises in working together
with different organizations. The
inherent mission of Central Skies is drug interdiction. "It's always nice to interdict drugs," said Keeth. Just as important as the interdiction mission is the engagement mission
and being able to pull different groups together to work toward the same end,
which is stopping the flow of drugs, Keeth said. "The people that operate together today will be the people who
execute together tomorrow. It adds
to the professionalism of our forces as well as their forces," he said. For Keeth, this will be his last Central Skies mission.
In his year‑long tour, Keeth has been involved in nine Central
Skies missions. "This has been
a real exciting thing for me to do this past year.
I got to work with a lot of different and diverse elements and the men
and women of JTF‑Bravo who help make these missions a success.
This was a great way to finish out the year," he said. Capt.
Eric Hilliard is director of public affairs for Joint Task Force-Bravo. U.K.
finances construction of 10 bridges
By ALEJANDRA PAREDES Special to Honduras This Week Over the past 14 months the British government has started and almost
completed construction of 10 bridges for needy communities in western and
central Honduras. The first structures built are located over the Quebrada del Muerto, in
Comayagua, the Rio Negro in Intibuca and the Rio
Colorado, also in Intibuca. In
recent weeks, Vado de San Juan and the San Antonio del Norte bridges in the
department of La Paz were completed. Only this week, a new bridge over the Rio Aro at the Valle de Jesus de
Otoro, Intibuca was inaugurated by British Ambassador David Osborne and Kathya
Pastor of the Ministry of Public Works (SOPTRAVI). In the next few months construction of the La Sampedrana bridge in
Comayagua, Olosingos I and Olosingos II bridges in Lempira and another at Minas
de Oro, Francisco Morazan will be completed. All the bridges replace structures that were damaged or destroyed by
Hurricane Mitch in October 1998. Financing for the bridges was provided by the British government through
its embassy in Tegucigalpa. The
Consulcreto construction company is in charge of the bridge projects and has
employed innovative techniques in their construction.
Penal
Code reforms spark protests, indignation By BLANCA MORENO TEGUCIGALPA -- Reforms to the Penal Code approved by the National
Congress, which allow some inmates over 60 and incarcerated pregnant women to be
held under house arrest, even when they have committed felonies, have created a
wave of protests and indignation among Hondurans. The reforms have not only been called "ridiculous" but very
expensive. According to Security
Minister Elizabeth Chiuz Sierra, more than Lps. 100 million would be needed to
enforce Article 183. She said that requiring a policeman to guard a convict in his or her home
instead of safeguarding the lives of honest citizens is utter nonsense. Article 183 also makes no distinctions among the types of crimes
committed. All inmates over 60 years of age, pregnant women, nursing
mothers and terminally ill convicts, regardless of the crime they committed,
would be eligible under the reforms. According to law enforcement authorities, most of the inmates who would
be eligible are assassins, drug traffickers, rapists, robbers, pimps and
kidnappers. Chiuz said she was never consulted by Congress prior to passage of this
legislation, which may be impossible to enforce due to the lack of policemen and
resources. The authors of Article 183 are government prosecutor Edmundo Orellana,
the former Attorney General; Supreme Court Justice Jose Maria Palacios;
Dagoberto Mejia, the former director of government prosecutors; and Judge Manuel
Alvarado, among others. Former Labor Minister Carlos Torres Lopez proposed the reduction of the
maximum incarceration age from 70 to 60 years. Authorities say that approximately 381 inmates will benefit from decree
09-99-E. Of this number, 106 were
convicted of murder, 74 of drug trafficking, 31 of robbery and assault and 30
for assault. Of the 381, 188 will benefit because they are over 60 and among the other
193 are several convicts in the terminal stages of an illness, pregnant women
and nursing mothers. Of the 18 eligible women incarcerated in the Feminine Center for Social
Adaptation, 16 are convicted of drug trafficking, one for murder and one for
death threats. There have been
reports of many women asking to have their intrauterine devices removed so they
can become pregnant. Others simply
apply for pregnancy tests, hoping to be pregnant and then freed. The president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Oscar Avila Banegas,
announced that he will ask for reforms or interpretations, in some of the cases,
to the new legislation. Meanwhile, Congressional President Rafael Pineda Ponce has indicated he has no intention of making changes to this legislation, since "the remedy could turn out to be more costly than the illness."
|
50 Hondurans receive CASS scholarships to study in U.S. By SUYAPA CARIAS TEGUCIGALPA -- Promising to make the most of the opportunity and uphold
the name of Honduras, 50 low-income students this week received CASS
scholarships to study at community colleges in the United States. The scholarship announcement ceremony, which took place in the capital,
was attended by President Carlos Flores, U.S. Ambassador Frank Almaguer,
Education Vice Minister Blanca Cabanas, Archbishop Oscar Andres
Rodriguez and Florencia Garcia, the program's local director. "I applaud you for the effort and determination you have shown to
earn this grant, which could be considered as an award for all the hard
work invested by yourselves and your parents as well," said
Ambassador Almaguer during the ceremony. "But it is also a challenge and a commitment to the future of your
country, since you will be specializing in fields that are important for
its development, for you must turn into agents of change capable of
influencing Honduras' well-being...you will be the leaders of your
society." President Flores thanked the U.S. government for offering such excellent
opportunities to Hondurans. "I
am sure this contingent will be of enormous value now that the national
reconstruction process needs the most capable professionals." This year the fields covered by the scholarships include industrial
maintenance management, agricultural techniques, health services in the
rural sector, rural education and radiographic technology. The 50 students selected for the 2000 program come from various parts of
the country, including Tegucigalpa, Copan, Santa Barbara, Atlantida,
Colon, Lempira, Valle, and Gracias a Dios. CASS is an educational plan affiliated to Georgetown University, financed
by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and
implemented with the cooperation of community institutions.
The program offers scholarships to outstanding low-income
students from Central American and the Caribbean, who receive two years
of technical training at American community colleges in areas of study
previously identified as necessary for the region's development. To date 775 Honduran have received CASS scholarships.
Almost 90 percent of all former students are still working in
their specialization fields. Former
students also have the option of continuing their training through a
special program designed and implemented with the cooperation of the
National Development Foundation of Honduras (FUNADEH), the Central
American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Foundation for
Investment and Development of Exports (FIDE), the International Business
School and the Catholic University, among others. For more information on the CASS scholarship program, contact Florencia Garcia at Tel. 225-2567, Fax 225-5121.
U.S. installs seismic station in Honduras The U.S. government recently installed the first of a Central American
network of geological seismic stations in Tegucigalpa for the purpose of
detecting natural phenomena such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
The network is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce's
"Central American Reconstruction Work Plan." The centers will also work in such areas as topography, cartography,
natural resource inventories and natural disaster relief operations.
Also included, as part of the center's work plan, is the
development of a database of geological and seismic information for
land, maritime and air travel. Aside from the station in
Tegucigalpa, other centers will be opened in Puerto Cortes and San
Lorenzo, Valle in Honduras; as well as three centers in Nicaragua, two
in El Salvador, one in Guatemala and two in Costa Rica. -- La Tribuna Newcastle virus closes four poultry farms Due to the death of 500,000 chickens from the Newcastle virus, four
poultry farms in Honduras have been closed for a year.
The president of the Poultry Farmer's Association said it is
necessary to close the farms for that long to assure the disease's
eradication. The import of poultry products from Guatemala and Nicaragua have also
been prohibited for the same reason and currently imports from Mexico
and the United States are being considered to meet consumer demand for
these items. -- La Tribuna New penal article to costly to implement Approval of Article 183 of the new penal code allowing senior
citizens and pregnant women currently jailed to be placed under house
arrest to alleviate over-crowded prisons is unrealistic, according to
Security Minister Elizabeth Chuiz. "We don't have the sufficient custodians, or police officers to deal
with such a large number of criminals who, according to the judges,
should be guarded 24 hours a day," said Chuiz.
"It would take three persons a day to cover each prisoner
and we simply cannot cover this cost, nor the cost of transportation,
gasoline, meals, etc. of each policeman..." "Most of these people are murderers, drug dealers, rapists, thieves,
and kidnappers, and it doesn't make sense that we should have to watch
over them instead of protecting private citizens," the minister
stated. In other reports, women prisoners are reputedly getting pregnant so as to
qualify for house arrest. -- La Tribuna Over 1 million Hondurans without water Due to recent denouncements concerning the lack of access to potable
water, authorities of the National Water and Sewage Service (SANAA) have
promised to intensify coverage in rural areas.
Questioning the veracity of a report stating that 1.5 million
Hondurans don't have access to potable water, SANAA Manager Gustavo
Aguilar nevertheless said rural aqueduct projects would greatly improve
the situation. At the same time, he stated that there are no plans to privatize the
water company, only a process of institutional reform. -- La Tribuna Garifuna communities receive land titles The National Agrarian Institute (INA) delivered land titles to four more
Garifuna communities on the North Coast last Friday.
Although the communities had received provisional titles in 1999,
it was necessary for community organizations to receive proper legal
status before they were able to receive the land titles. Communal land titles were awarded to the communities of Rosita, Cayo
Venado and Nueva Go in La Ceiba and to the Rio Balfate community from
Colon. The title corresponding to San Juan, Tela will be delivered by the INA
Director Anibal Delgado Fiallos in the community next July 7. -- El
Tiempo Police continue disarming Teguz markets Seeking to lower the crime rate in the market sector of Comayaguela, police forces have been implementing disarmament operations in the San Isidro, Las Americas, Alvarez and Galindo markets, as well as at bus stops and in other commercial sectors. During the last operation on Monday, police officers seized 103 knives and 20 guns from people who did not have gun permits. --El Heraldo |
Monday, June 12, 2000 Online Edition 24 |
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Mayoral
races causing internal party divisions
By BLANCA MORENO TEGUCIGALPA -- Even though the primaries are nearly five months off,
political activities have reached exorbitant levels in recent weeks, reflecting
the need for reforms to the nation's electoral laws. Since candidates for mayorships and congress still have to be under the
wing of a given presidential faction, there has been a series of internal
confrontations that have divided the National and Liberal parties, the nation's
two principal political organizations. The most resounding case that has brought major political cliques head to
head was the recent decision by Ricardo Maduro, presidential candidate for the
political faction "Arriba Honduras" of the National Party, to select
Antonio Rivera Callejas as his candidate for mayor of Tegucigalpa. Rivera was disputing the right to run for the post with Miguel Pastor
Mejia, the son-in-law of former presidential candidate Nora de Melgar Castro. Pastor Mejia claims that he easily beat Rivera in a poll
taken by Maduro's faction, but was bypassed because of pressures from the
powerful Rivera-Callejas families. The situation created a confrontation in the media because loopholes in
the current electoral law say that each pre-candidate must be part of a
presidential faction. At this moment, Pastor, who has a high popularity rating among the
residents of the capital city, is analyzing the possibility of joining another
political movement in the National Party to keep his mayoral hopes alive. The same situation occurred in San Pedro Sula, where Maduro chose
television personality Oscar Kilgore over veteran politician Carlos Kattan as
his candidate for that city. Kattan
has since left Arriba Honduras and formed his own faction. In the Liberal Party, the "apple of discord" is Marco Antonio
Andino, who is a congressman and friend of President Carlos Flores Facusse.
Known as the "people's candidate," Andino also wants to run for
mayor of Tegucigalpa. Several Liberal Party presidential candidates want Andino to join their
movements, but he is keeping everyone in suspense because he wants the
presidential candidates to accept his nominees for congressmen and other posts,
or else he won't join any of their factions. As the end of the registration period for the primaries nears, there has
been much guesswork regarding alliances and the possibilities of additional
candidacies. The current favorites in the polls are Ricardo Maduro of the National
Party and Jaime Rosenthal of the Liberal Party, both of whom represent big money
interests in the country. Amidst the struggles among the big candidates, the smaller, emerging
parties have not let their guard down. The
Union Democratica (UD) has a new candidate, Mauricio Torres Molineros, who will
dispute that party's nomination with Matias Funez and Gustavo Garcia Espana,
both with leftist tendencies and few possibilities. At the moment, there is what appears to be an epidemic of presidential
candidates that include Jaime Rosenthal, Manuel Zelaya, Rafael Pineda Ponce,
Esteban Handal and Jorge Arturo Reina for the Liberal Party and Ricardo Maduro,
Elias Asfura, Hector Fonseca and Carlos Kattan for the National Party. The only independent candidate is long-time human rights advocate, Ramon
Custodio. Decent
psychiatric care available in Honduras By WENDY GRIFFIN TEGUCIGALPA -- Many people who retire to Honduras are relatively young. They may have military pensions.
Some of those who qualify for disability payments are people who suffer
from mental illness, but are stabilized on medication. Unfortunately, it is characteristic of psychotropic medications that they
may work for a while and then quit working at that dosage, or a bed reaction can
develop. Also, some medications
require special monitoring. People
run out of what they brought outside the country.
Or they may have had no problems at home, but then suddenly develop
depression here, such as after a divorce. For these people, it is encouraging to know that qualified psychiatric
care is available in Honduras, although highly concentrated in the two largest
cities -- San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. This
is partly because the nation's two public psychiatric hospitals are in these
cities and the doctors can have private clinics nearby. DOCTOR SHORTAGE La Prensa has reported psychiatry as the specialty with the most
shortages in the country, with about 50 doctors being required to meet current
demands. This is in spite of the fact that most Hondurans would prefer
to visit a curandero (healer) for most
affective disorders (called nervios
and susto here) and for serious mental
illness thought to be caused by witchcraft (maleficio). Some
neurologists also act as psychiatrists, in part due to this shortage. Some clinics provide care for a wide range of problems.
Clinica de Salud Mental (tel. 553-3083) offers treatment in drug
addiction, alcoholism, psychotic illness, eating disorders and depression.
The doctor there studied 16 years in Argentina. This private clinic also offers emergency hospitalization at a cost of
Lps. 1,800 for five days. Half-hour
appointments cost Lps. 500. The
poor, unable to afford this level of care, may call the police to carry their
sick loved ones away. In the
Central Penitentiary in Tegucigalpa, about 50 patients in the infirmary are
permanently psychotic, reports La Prensa. Others
go to Santa Rosita, the public hospital outside of Tegucigalpa.
With the worsening economic situation, they have reported an increase in
patients, as the inability to provide for their families worsens their crises.
Many people get no care at all, reports Dr. Munoz Mazzoni. Other private clinics specialize. CEREME
in San Pedro Sula (tel. 557-0818) offers treatment only for depression,
including cases with anxiety, memory problems and in elderly patients. Another clinic in San Pedro Sula specializes in attention
disorders. The Thursday edition of
La Prensa usually lists these clinics in San Pedro Sula, while finding doctors
in Tegucigalpa is more difficult. EMPHASIS ON DRUGS In Honduras, psychology is offered as an undergraduate program at the
National Autonomous University (UNAH). However,
most psychology majors go into testing and to a lesser extent school counseling.
In the United States, mental health care is provided by a mixture of
social workers or psychologists working with a psychiatrist.
Here the psychiatrist bears almost the entire burden.
Given the limited human resources available, it is not surprising that
most emphasis is on drug treatment rather than on talk therapy. The psychotropic drugs used in treating mental illness vary in their
availability. For example, lithium,
used to treat maniac-depression, is not always available in Tegucigalpa.
This is dangerous as lithium can lose effectiveness if its use is
discontinued. In other cities like
Trujillo, it is not available at all. Medication
used for both epilepsy and metal illness are more widely available.
Supplemental drugs to help one sleep can be obtained at most pharmacies. This lack of medication affects the possibility of treatment.
In the United States, if someone makes it, you can buy it.
In Honduras, no drug to treat narcolepsy or attention deficit disorder
with hyperactivity are available, said a pharmacist in Siguatepeque.
The people who needed it were told they could buy the drug from the mafia
or on the black market. Some
foreigners go to their home country once or twice a year to get medication, and
just relied on Honduran doctors for monitoring or emergencies. Even if the drugs are available, their cost may keep them out of the
reach of many people. La Prensa
estimated Prozac costs Lps. 32 (in a country where Lps. 40 a day is the minimum
wage) or Lps. 1,200 a year. No
wonder Hondurans say, "El trabajo es
la medicina de los pobres" (Work is the medicine of the poor). PRESCRIPTION DIFFERENCES Honduran doctors also prescribe medication differently than U.S. doctors. In the United States, the doctors will tell you, "This
is the kind of drug, for example, anti-depressant, anti-psychotic, anti-anxiety,
etc." They will also warn of
possible side effects and possible drug interactions. The patient is encouraged to ask questions, as this
encourages compliance. In general, Honduran doctors are vague about what they are prescribing. "Here take this one at night."
Some foreigners have been unhappily surprised when they read the side
effects on the information sheet, or look it up on the Internet.
For example, one drug turned out to have potentially fatal drug
interactions and side effects, but the doctor gave no warnings. Although psychiatry is a specialization that can be studied in Honduras,
most psychiatrists here are foreign trained.
Thus many speak English. Although
the current situation is not ideal, for people who need monitoring or emergency
care the increased availability of psychiatric care is encouraging. Sandy
Bay rehabilitates potable water system The Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA) in collaboration
with the Sandy Bay Water Committee recently the "Rehabilitation of the Sandy Bay Potable Water System." The water project included the rehabilitation of 50 percent of damaged
water lines, construction of a 30,000-gallon holding tank and purchase of a
water pump that benefits 150 homes and directly 308 people. Funding for the project was provided by the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA), the Municipality of Roatan, BICA and members of the
community of Sandy Bay. "One of the most significant positive impacts of the water project
is the improvement of the quality of life in this community as we are able to
solve one of the most pressing problems of our communities 'water supply' and
the consolidation of the Sandy Bay Water Committee as co-executors of community
based projects," stated a BICA press release. The Consul of Canada, Shad Prashad, local government representatives and
community members attended the event. |
Taxi's to be painted white According to the transportation office, although the deadline for
painting taxis ends this week, only 60 percent of the 6000 taxis in
Tegucigalpa have complied with this new requisite. The requisite was announced a year ago, when it was decided that all
taxis should be the same color for identification purposes, as well as
to improve the city's image with more presentable vehicles. -- El Tiempo Honduran fishing boats should pay fines Given the fact that Nicaraguan authorities insist that launches are
seized while fishing within their territorial waters in the Golf of
Fonseca, Honduran owners of confiscated fishing boats should pay the
fines Nicaragua is imposing to recover their vessels, says the Honduran
government. According to foreign ministry official, although the exact number of
boats being held is unknown since many boat owners simply pay the fine
in Chinandega, they estimate there are approximately 40.
He also said that the Ministry has assigned a lawyer to the
Honduran consulate in Chinandega to assist in recovering the boats, and
more importantly, to get the fishermen out of jail as quickly as
possible. --El Tiempo CARE receives environmental prize Culminating the city of San Pedro Sula's green week and in celebration of
the World Environmental Day, the Environmental Conservation Prize
"Tito Perez Estrada" was awarded to CARE for its longtime
dedication to environmental protection in Honduras. CARE has been working in Honduras for 45 years and in San Pedro Sula its
PACA (Proyecto Ambiental para Centroamerica/Environmental Project for
Central American) program has placed special emphasis on promoting
conservation of the Merendon mountain range. Project activities have included environmental education, training
programs in such areas such as hillside agriculture, and the creation of
plant nurseries. -- El Tiempo 283 kilos of cocaine seized A large shipment of cocaine on Monday was discovered hidden in a truck
with Guatemalan plates after the driver failed to stop at a police
checkpoint for a routine document inspection in the department of
Ocotepeque. According to authorities, the vehicle's driver refused to obey signals to
stop but continued another 500 meters beyond the checkpoint before
pulling over and abandoning the vehicle.
Given his suspicious behavior, drug authorities were brought in
to inspect the vehicle, finding 283 kilos of cocaine worth an estimated
US$1.5 million hidden inside the cab and in false compartments
underneath. The truck was traveling to Guatemala from Honduras and law enforcement
authorities have requested the cooperation of their Guatemalan
counterparts in the search for the driver, Guatemalan national Miguel
Angel Corona. -- El Tiempo Taca cancels flights to Roatan Due to the Ministry of Public Works' failure to complete repairs to the
runway in Roatan, Taca airlines has advised Honduran civil aeronautics
of its decision to cancel flights to the island
until the repairs are completed. According to Taca, their decision is based on the fact that the service
they are providing to Roatan out of the United States is inadequate and
is affecting their image, and raising their costs. In their letter to Civil Aeronautics Director Luis Roland Leiva, Taca
representatives asked the director to verify information they had
received that repairs are going to take another six to eight weeks
longer than expected. However, they have been unable to communicate with either
Leiva or SOPTRAVI Minister Tomas Lozano. -- La Prensa Honduras is one of region's most violent countries According to a recent study prepared by the Arias Peace Foundation, the
Research and Promotion Center of Human Rights and the Citizen Forum,
Honduras ranks amongst the highest in violence
due in part to the proliferation of uncontrolled assault weapons
in the country. The study revealed that 10 Hondurans meet violent deaths every day from
either murder, manslaughter or accidents.
Aside from the overwhelming number of arms possessed (an
estimated 67,000 AK‑47 alone), the study states that cultural
customs such as revenge, debts and rivalries between gangs and families
accentuate the problem. "The increase in the rates of violence and delinquency, a deficient police force, a weak judicial system and a faulty prison system all contribute toward the current state of insecurity," states the study, which recommends disarming private citizens and the passage of coherent gun control legislation. -- El Tiempo
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Monday, June 5, 2000 Online Edition 23 |
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Metropolitan zoo comes back to life
By SUYAPA CARIAS TEGUCIGALPA -- First Lady Mary Flake de Flores and Natural Resources Minister Xiomara Gomez de Caballero last week inaugurated the first phase of a project to renovate the Picacho Metropolitan Garden and Zoo, located several kilometers north of the capital. Founded in the 1970s during the military regime of Gen. Policarpo Paz Garcia, the zoo had been virtually abandoned the last few years, offering a rather sad spectacle given its poor infrastructure and logistic conditions, especially for the more than 310 animals there. But the luck of the zoo's residents began to change when the natural resource ministry's Biodiversity Office recently decided to carry out a renovation project aimed at transforming the zoo into a real center for environmental conservation, education and recreation. Carlos Sorto, the zoo's director, said the works just inaugurated include a veterinarian clinic permanently staffed by specialized experts, new illustrative signs, security fences by the animals' cages, construction of an environmental conservation and educational center, paving of the entrance area, and improvements to administrative offices.
"So far we have spent Lps. 1.35 million, and the plan is to turn El Picacho into a world class zoo," said Gomez de Caballero. "We know we have the biodiversity richness, but we are missing the right works to show such valuable resources." She added, "We are sure that in the near future we will be able to bring more funds to improve this place, as well as to increase the number and variety of species." Gomez de Caballero said the Ministry of Natural Resources is establishing relations with other zoo in the hemisphere to exchange species and experiences. Meanwhile, Mary de Flores said she was happy to see the metropolitan zoo, the only one run by the state in the country, "coming back to life from the ashes." She also thanked the support offered now and in the future by different non-governmental organizations through the National Parks Foundation, which she presides. "It is important that children get to know the animals in their natural habitat, rather than see them painted in a text book," she added. During the inauguration ceremony, authorities offered a special plaque of recognition to Rosy Walter for her dedication and perseverance in caring for the zoo's animals. For more information about the zoo renovation project, please call Karla Avila at the Ministry of Natural Resources Ministry, tel. 232-1386, fax 232-6250. Five men find death instead of America dreamBy BLANCA MORENO TEGUCIGALPA -- The search for better living conditions and the "American dream" turned into a nightmare Monday for five Hondurans who died in a tragic mishap near the U.S.-Mexican border. According to preliminary reports, four of the victims were run over by a train while they were sleeping on railroad tracks near the city of Veracruz, Mexico. The victims were identified as David Misael Nolasco Diaz (17), Nelson Javier Sanchez Alvarez (18), Danery Noel Matute Colindres (26) and Antonio Mayorquin Oliva (23). In an unrelated incident, the fifth victim was also killed by a train. Appartenly, Jose Lenin Mejia Munoz fell asleep while hanging on to a train traveling from Laredo to Mexico City, causing him to fall and be run over. He was 21. The victims, with the exception of Mejia Munoz, were all from Taulabe, Comayagua. According to relatives, the young men began their journey to the United States on May 21. Matute Colindres, who had previously been to the United States, was their guide. Carlos Castellanos Gomez, who also formed part of the group, is currently jailed in Mexico. Castellanos said that after walking several hours, they all decided to rest on some railway tracks, falling asleep shortly afterward. Castellanos said he managed to jump into some bushes before being hit by the train, but his friends were unable to save themselves. Maria Suyapa Colindres said her brother Danery Noel had been deported from the United States only a week before starting out on the fatal trip, and was determined to return in his quest for better opportunities. Relatives of Mayorquin Oliva said he recently worked in an apparel assembly plant, but was forced to leave because the particles from the cloth made him sick. David Misael, who traveled under the name of Melvin Alexander Salinas, had recently worked for a dairy company in the distribution of milk. The other victim, Nelson Javier, was a bricklayer who decided to try his luck up north. Foreign Minister Roberto Flores Bermudez is currently making arrangements to have the bodies of the five young men brought back to Honduras. It was reported that an unknown person donated money to the ministry to help pay transportation costs. Earlier this week, it was reported that the whereabouts of approximately 3,000 Hondurans who have left for the United States are unknown, and family members believe they may be dead or jailed there or in Mexico. The relatives are asking that Honduran authorities help them in finding their loved ones. Zamorano makes changes to academic program By SUYAPA CARIAS TEGUCIGALPA -- Authorities and staff of the Pan-American Agricultural School, better known as Zamorano, last week held an informative event here to promote the university's new careers and to answer general questions from high school students and the public. In 1999, the school established a new academic curriculum called the "4 X 4 Program." Contrary to the traditional three-year career that offered a one-year specialization option, Zamorano authorities have designed a four-year plan in which students can select from four different fields of specialization. The program allows students to carry on their college career in two phases: in the first two years, they develop technical, managerial, environmental and basic socio-cultural abilities. In the final two years, they major in one of the following areas: agricultural and livestock production, agro-business management, agro-industry (emphasizing food technology) and socio-economic development and environment. The idea is to provide students with a greater participation into the business process they will face once they go out into the real world. "To accomplish this reinforcement and expansion, we conducted educational tours, we interviewed employers, graduates, applicants, and we did market research," said Dr. Keith Andrews, the school's current director. "We gathered information about regional and global trends, and we came to the conclusion that it was necessary and urgent to adjust our educational program." Despite the changes, the institution has been careful to maintain its traditional principles, such as its famous precept "learning by doing." The campus of the Escuela Agricola Panamericana is located on 7,000 hectares in the rural region of Yaguare, 40 kms east of the capital. Registered in the State of Delaware, United States in 1942, Zamorano has graduated 4,780 professionals from 25 countries to date. For more information about the school, call (504) 776-6140, e-mail: zamorano@zamorano.edu.hn (Zamorano headquarters) or (202) 785-5540 (U.S. Foreign Relations Office) |
National forest agency re-vamped At a cost of Lps. 200 million and with the goal of achieving sustainable use of national forests, the recently reorganized Honduran Forestry Development Corporation (AFE-COHDEFOR) will soon begin implementation of their new action plan, which was presented to the public last week. According to Marco Vinicio Arias, AFE-COHDEFOR manager, the plan is directed toward increasing the agency's effectiveness by incorporating local populations into the adequate management of forest resources. He went on to say that the plan also encompasses working together with the National Police Force, the army and the Environmental Prosecutor's Office to combat illegal logging, as well as designing a more attractive bidding system for forest resources. Part of the restructuring also included the dismissal of 244 employees as a means of streamlining the institution and increasing efficiency by decreasing bureaucracy. -- El Tiempo Two cholera deaths confirmed The Ministry of Health last week confirmed four cases of cholera in Yarula, Department of La Paz. Of the four, two have already died and six more who live with the sick patients are under observation. Regional health representative Leonel Guillen said this is the first time the disease has been reported in the area and it is believed that the four people were contaminated in El Salvador, where, at this time, a cholera outbreak has affected 400 people. According to Guillen, the regional water supply, contaminated by an abundance of fecal material, has allowed the disease to spread even faster. The Ministry has since sent a shipment of chlorine to the area and a medical team is closely monitoring the situation. -- El Heraldo
Pit bull jailed After viciously attacking an 8-year-old boy who tried to pet him, Crespo, the pit bull, was picked up by the Metropolitan Police Force and promptly carted off to jail. The incident occurred in the Colonia Nueva Suyapa in Tegucigalpa while the dog was being taken for a walk on a chain that proved insufficient in preventing him from inflicting several bites on his victim, who had to be hospitalized. The canine is still being held while tests for rabies and other diseases are being done. He has not been fed since he was incarcerated since his owner, afraid of arrest if he visits (it is illegal to own a pit bull), has not shown up to take care of him. -- El Heraldo Sewer floods morgue An obstructed sewage pipe that back-flowed fetid material into the facilities of the Public Ministry's morgue on Monday prevented medical personal from performing autopsies. Also affected were family members of deceased persons who had to wait hours for the bodies of their relatives while employees tried to control the situation. Employees claim that working under such conditions endangers their health by exposing them to disease. -- El Heraldo
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Jose
Mauricio Mendoza (Photo by Suyapa Carias.)
Members
of the Honduran Police and Counter Drug Force climb up a Jacob's Ladder to a
CH-67 Chinnok helicopter hovering overhead.
A school boy observes some of the monkeys at the El Picacho zoo, where new security fences were installed in front of the animals' cages. (Photo by Suyapa
Carias.)
The improvements made at the zoo include colorful new signs that provide information to the public. (Photo by Suyapa
Carias.)