NATIONAL

Monday, March 29, 1999 Online Edition 151

Active tropical storm season predicted

Students take an up-close look at the controls in the cockpit of the NOAA's Hurricane Hunter, which paid a visit to Tegucigalpa last week. (Photo by Suyapa Carias.)

TEGUCIGALPA -- Despite alarming reports that have been appearing in the local press recently, at this moment it is technically impossible to predict that there will be more hurricanes in the region this coming hurricane season.

"All we know is that it will be a very active summer, but no one can say if there will be any hurricanes nor where they will be located," said Lixion Avila, a member of the team on board the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Lockheed WP-3D (Orion) research aircraft that visited Tegucigalpa last week.

The Lockheed WP-3D (Orion) research aircraft has flown into the eyes of 55 hurricanes since 1977. (Photo by Suyapa Carias.)

The Hurricane Hunter conducted a one-week public relations tour that began in Honduras and continued in Nicaragua, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. While at Toncontin International Airport, the aircraft's staff offered educational tours of the plane, as well as short conferences for Honduran meteorologists, students and other interested people.

"The visit to this region devastated by hurricanes Georges and Mitch is very important to gain experience, especially when listening to the opinions of the scientists who actually witnessed the disaster from here," said Jerry Jarrell, director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Meanwhile, NHC specialist Lixion Avila added that they are very interested in strengthening ties with all the meteorologic services and aeronautical authorities involved in providing weather forecasts for the region. He admitted that during Mitch all the computer models failed in providing the hurricane's correct path, so observations provided by local forecasters proved to be invaluable.

When asked about the chances of being battered by another strong hurricane this season, Avila stated that at this moment it is impossible to make any predictions. "Hurricanes can only be detected once they are created," he said.

The Hurricane Hunter is equipped with sophisticated instruments that play an important role in making weather forecasts and tracking the development of hurricanes. As the aircraft enters the hurricane's eye, an instrument called the Drop Wind Sound is deployed, providing such information as atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature, wind direction and speed.

This data is then used to make reliable forecasts and determine the hurricane's path, which are vital for saving lives and property. Since 1977, the aircraft has flown into the eyes of 55 hurricanes.

The tour that began in Tegucigalpa was the first of three the Orion will make this year. In April, the U.S. Department of Commerce aircraft will visit several English-speaking Caribbean nations and later it will visit several U.S. east coast and Canadian cities.

Strike aborted, legislators to get pay raise

TEGUCIGALPA -- Unbelievable is the only description possible for the recent stance taken by a group of congressmen who stated they were willing to go on hunger strike for a salary hike since their current salaries are far too low.

It would have been a historic event indeed -- members of the legislative body would have gone hungry for a long time with the full support of the Honduran people. Unfortunately, Congressional President Rafael Pineda Ponce nipped the movement in the bud, announcing that legislators will receive a modest raise in May.

Just recently, the legislative body met with strong public disapproval when members refused to pass a Constitutional reform reducing the number of legislators from the current 128 (with an equal number of alternates) to the proposed 80.

Public reaction has been fast and negative. Analysts have stated that raising salaries now could have serious repercussions in the short term, in light of the critical state of the economy due to Hurricane Mitch.

While the poor have a hard time finding food, their representatives earn Lps. 21,000 a month and want a raise that would increase it to more than Lps. 30,000. The minimum wage is slightly more than Lps. 1,000.

In justifying the raise, Pineda Ponce stated, "Honduran congressmen are the worst paid in Central America and I personally earn three times less than the attorney general." Pineda Ponce also recently announced his presidential aspirations in a luxury hotel on Roatan.

Meanwhile, another congressman suggested salary hikes be discussed in the wee morning hours, thus allowing them to avoid negative media attention.

The Attorney General's Office is currently investigating accusations made by the Intibuca Civic Committee of Popular Organizations (COPIN) that Vice President Billy Handal has illegally deforested 30 hectares of virgin forest in Intibuca department, according to Special Government Prosecutor Clarisa Vega in a La Tribuna report Saturday (March 20).

COPIN also denounced that large quantities of wood are being smuggled across the border into El Salvador, especially through the township of Colomoncagua.

The deforested land is reportedly located on El Suyatal Mountain, the origin of the Sicaguara River -- an important tributary of the Ulua River that flows across Sula Valley and into the Caribbean.

A fire that began in the women's cell block completely destroyed the dilapidated San Pedro Sula penitentiary last Thursday (March 19), forcing government authorities to immediately seek alternative housing for nearly 1,700 inmates.

According to the daily El Heraldo, the blaze was allegedly started by a woman inmate in the cell block housing female prisoners, who reputedly said, "it is done" only moments before the fire was detected. As fire fighters fought the blaze, which nearly reached the area housing the propane gas tanks used for cooking, the police and soldiers of the 105th Infantry Brigade surrounded the prison to prevent a massive breakout. Only three persons received injuries, one of whom was a firefighter.

Meanwhile, authorities announced that restoration of the old Central Penitentiary in Tegucigalpa, which was partially destroyed by flooding caused by Hurricane Mitch last October, is nearing completion and it will soon be ready to house prisoners again.

Monday, March 22, 1999 Online Edition 150

Where are the police?
Nation in state of emergency as criminals take over

TEGUCIGALPA -- A wave of kidnappings, bank robberies, residential break-ins and carjackings -- the majority unsolved -- has the Honduran people on edge and blaming the police for doing nothing to improve the situation. Some people have even gone so far as to accuse the police of conspiring with organized crime.

Rampant crime is nothing new, but it was expected that with the transfer of the police from military to civilian control things would change and possibly even improve. In light of the people's anxiety, however, the media has to ask, "Where are the police?"

Since taking office, Minister of Defense Edgardo Dumas has done little to improve the situation, even though during a tour of the capital he found no police agents patrolling anywhere.

While authorities hold meetings to discuss the situation, private investigators have been hired to work on the case of Ana Paolo Castillo. A young woman from San Pedro Sula, Castillo was kidnapped over two months ago and law enforcement authorities still have no clue as to where she is or who her abductors are.

Meanwhile in Tegucigalpa, a 7-year-old girl was kidnapped last September and has still not been found either. Her mother has blamed her poverty for the police's lack of interest in the case.

Last week, the father of 7-year-old Dalton John Barosse Pena reportedly paid a Lps. 3 million ransom for the safe return of his son, and although the boy was released unharmed last Saturday (March 13) the police have only one suspect in the case.

During the early 1980s, leftist guerrillas kidnapped wealthy businessmen to finance political activities that consequently helped fuel human rights abuses and the torture, disappearance and death of alleged revolutionaries. However, the current string of kidnappings are attributed to common criminals, some of whom are rumored to be accomplices of the police, as in the case of Castillo.

To help fight crime and restore order, President Flores has ordered almost 8,000 soldiers to patrol the streets and cooperate with local law enforcement authorities.

Just 24 hours after the presidential order, Francisco (Luz Baja) Flores Valle, one of the nation's most wanted criminals was apprehended by the police. Flores, who escaped from the Central Penitentiary, is accused of murder and car theft.

Still, specialists have stated that in addition to increasing patrols, police corruption must be stopped if they are to be an effective crime-fighting force.

In l997, the Center for the Rights of Women reported 2,000 cases of violence against women in Tegucigalpa alone. The center at that time expressed their belief that the majority of cases remained unreported.

Then, in September of l997, the National Congress of Honduras passed an extensive and very progressive legislation known as the Law Against Domestic Violence. In 1998, almost 4,000 cases of violence against women were reported in the Honduran capital. Gilda Rivera, the coordinator of the center, said that the reason for the dramatic increase is that the new law has emboldened women. However, she suspects that the vast majority of cases still go unreported.

Rivera was asked to reflect on whether or not women have made much progress toward freedom and equality in Honduras. She responded by saying that while the attitudes of women are changing, she does not detect much shift in the perspectives of men. Despite the importance of the new law, she believes the superior and dominant role of men remains essentially unchanged.

Part of the problem is that there is nothing in the society that approaches an actual women's movement, or if there is, it remains "very weak." According to Rivera, no serious national debate is taking place. So, while a certain raising of consciousness has taken place, and women may feel somewhat less vulnerable, the tradition and privileges of the patriarchy go unchallenged.

Gilda Rivera was also asked if the assumption by women of positions of prestige and power within government and education did not reflect an important change in the society, and suggest an over-all strengthening of the position of women. She felt that these developments were seen by most as being exceptions. Further, she felt that women who achieve such positions do not normally identify themselves with the struggle of women, and do not demonstrate any general interest in challenging the prerogatives of the patriarchy except in their own cases.

The Center for the Rights of Women was established in 1992, and receives no financial support from within Honduras. Much of its funding comes from Spain.

Former Attorney General Edmundo Orellana Mercado is one of 12 new ambassadors appointed by the Flores administration, according to unofficial sources in a La Tribuna report last Friday (March 12). Orellana, who asked Flores for a government post outside Honduras due to the continual death threats he and his family have been receiving, has been appointed as Honduras' representative to the United Nations.

Former Central Bank President Hugo Noe Pino has been appointed ambassador to the United States, succeeding Roberto Flores Bermudez who in January stepped down to become the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Other appointees include Carlos Sosa Coello, Venezuela; Edgardo Paz Barnica, Peru; Max Velasquez Diaz, Germany; Rafael Leiva Vivas, Italy; Enrique Ortez Colindres, France; Gerardo Martinez Blanco, Brazil. In addition, Carlos Orbin Montoya was reappointed as ambassador to Nicaragua.

A shortage of boats is preventing the World Food Program from bringing relief aid to the inhabitants of the northeastern Mosquitia, the daily La Tribuna reported last Friday (March 12).

WFP representative Giuseppe Lubatti said a relief mission recently returned from this region to report that virtually no food has been distributed there since mid-January, forcing residents to either eat roots and whatever else they can scavenge or go hungry.

He added that the only two maritime companies providing service to the Mosquitia have refused to transport food aid, since the shipment of beer and hard liquor by their regular customers is much more profitable.

Armed with pistols and knives, eight thugs last Friday (March 12) held up the drive-in bank on Juan Pablo II Avenue, less than 200 meters from the Presidential House. The robbery was the fourth in less than two weeks.

According to the daily La Prensa, the thieves stole approximately Lps. 550,000 from the drive-in bank, which includes branches of Bancomer, Ficensa, Banexpo and Banco de Occidente under one administration. The robbers also stole the security guard's shotgun.

Meanwhile, the police arrested one of two men who held up the Atlantida branch bank on the island of Utila following a 4-day manhunt, recovering $2,315 and Lps. 70,000 that had been stolen March 16.

Congressman Julio Cesar Villatoro has proposed that the U.S. Embassy in Honduras be asked to return the $45 visa fee to all persons denied a U.S. visa, the daily La Tribuna reported last Friday (March 12).

Villatoro said many of the applicants are in the lower middle-class bracket who are seeking a visa to travel to the United States legally, and that paying the $45 (Lps. 634) fee is an enormous sacrifice.

Congressional President Rafael Pineda Ponce ordered Villatoro's petition to be sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the same time requesting that Honduran consulates in the United States apply the same measures.

Monday, March 15, 1999 Online Edition 149

Clinton promises to lobby for more aid
President praises U.S. troops for their relief work following hurricane during his visit

Presidents Clinton and Flores listen to the national anthem of the United States during the arrival ceremonies at Soto Cano Air Base. (Photo by Ketzi Chacon Zylstra.)

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Comayagua -- President Clinton affirmed his personal commitment to obtain $956 million, $318 million for Honduras, for reconstruction efforts in all Central America during his six-hour visit Tuesday (March 9), only the fourth visit by a U.S. president to Honduras.

Clinton arrived in Honduras around 10:30 a.m. at the Enrique Soto Cano Air Base (Palmerola) located at Comayagua, about 75 kilometers north of Tegucigalpa, on the second leg of his four-day trip to Central America. Previously, he had visited Nicaragua.

Contrary to initial announcements, he was not accompanied by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, who apparently had last minute health problems. Nevertheless, he was accompanied by a large delegation that included some of his closest aids, high-ranking administration officials, congressmen, the White House press and an undisclosed number of security agents that impressed locals.

Soto Cano's 8,005-foot airstrip, a mountainous background and a virtually cloudless summer sky provided journalists an excellent view of the president's unexplained late arrival in a small white jet, confusing those who were expecting to see the majestic Air Force One.

Immediately following the welcoming acts, Clinton and host President Flores held a private meeting before heading to one of the base's hangars, where a crowd of nearly 1,200 U.S. servicemen and Honduran civilians waving both countries flags were waiting.

In his address, Flores repeatedly thanked his American colleague for the positive impact his presence could only have on the country in this post-Mitch reconstruction stage.

"...your presence here affords us an opportunity for the entire world to cast its eyes on Honduras, this country which was the most punished and devastated by Hurricane Mitch," said Flores.

"You have come to us not when our tears were fresh after the terrible tragedy that we suffered but in this new stage of rehabilitation and reconstruction which we have begun. Your leadership and your influence are especially important to us at this time prior to our meeting in Stockholm, which will be so decisive and so important for our country and for our people."

Flores recalled that today there are still 1.5 million Hondurans "living in a situation of emergency or under precarious conditions" and "it would have even been logical to receive the most solidarity from the international community after such an event. But this terrible tragedy has also opened up great possibilities that we share with our Central American brothers, the opportunity is there for us all, the opportunity to reconstruct and to emerge from this tragedy and even better nation."

When Clinton's turn to speak came, the audience became dead quiet. With tears of sweat rolling down his face, Clinton said that "this disaster has taught us that what happens to one in the Americas affects us all. It reminds us that in good times and bad, todos somos Americanos," getting cheers and applause from the crowd.

After offering his wife's best regards to Flores, Clinton took a moment to praise the U.S. troops based at the Soto Cano Air Base, especially for the work they performed during the toughest days after the devastating hurricane.

"Operation Fuerzas Apoyo turned into one of the largest humanitarian missions performed by the United States military since the Berlin Airlift 50 years ago," he said. "To all who were a part of it, I thank you for your courage, your confidence, your compassion."

On a romantic note, Clinton relived the phrases of one of Honduras' greatest literary figures. "In this tragedy's aftermath, Hondurans and Americans are giving new meaning to the words written by Juan Ramon Molina, in his poem, "Eagles and Condors": "Pueblos Americanos en este continente debemos ser hermanos."

The 53-year-old Arkansas native continued to surprise his audience with his knowledge of Honduran culture, referring to the historical and symbolic value of the ancient clock in the nearby Catholic church of Comayagua, the nation's former capital. Made by the Spanish Moors, the clock is said to be oldest in the Americas, he told the public.

"When that clock began ticking, about 900 years ago, the world was a smaller place in every way. Now, that clock is ticking away the final hours and days of the 20th century, headed to a new millennium".

But for all practical purposes, the most important matter Clinton mentioned was undoubtedly the $956 million dollars he has requested from the U.S. Congress for the region's reconstruction.

"We expect almost a third of that [$318.6 million] to come to Honduras to improve public health, to build homes and schools, to rebuild roads so farmers can move their produce to market, and defer Honduran debt," he said. Later on, he announced an additional $56 million in aid to expand the New Horizons program, which brings U.S. National Guard and Reserve personnel to the region for two weeks of training and relief work.

Clinton said he shares Hondurans determination to not just rebuild, but "to build a reconstruction that ensures that those who suffered most participate fully and benefit equally; to build a reconstruction that consolidates democracy by engaging local government, NGOs and the private sector."

On leaving, Clinton broke with protocol to shake hands and give autographs to members of the crowd. Clinton then continued his historic visit to Honduras by traveling to the capital city, the first ever by a U.S. president. There, Clinton briefly visited the bailey-type bridge built with the help of U.S. Marines at the site of the former Juan Ramon Molina bridge.

Finally, he met with members of Honduras' civil society to get a closer understanding of the country's current needs.

The event's location was strategically selected so that Clinton could see with his own eyes a partial panorama of the devastation Mitch caused in Tegucigalpa's downtown section four months ago.

At 4 p.m., Clinton left Catracho soil from the Hernan Acosta Mejia Air Base, and the city that had been paralyzed most of the day went back to business as usual.

Negligence leads to hunger in Mosquitia
By ERLING DUUS CHRISTENSEN

Tawakan leader Edgardo Benitez described the problem of hunger in the Mosquitia as desperate in a recent interview with Honduras This Week.

It will be recalled that the hurricane took place at the end of October. The first food relief did not reach the Mosquitia until Dec. 5, when 47 tons arrived. The problem then became a matter of getting the food distributed to 49 communities spread out along a 250 mile stretch of the Rio Patuca.

Of course, the international aid distributed by the World Food Program helped greatly, but the cupboard is now bare in many places, he said. There is, however, no lack of food, as the PMA has accumulated many tons which are now sitting in the harbor at Puerto Cortes.

Benitez said the problem has been in getting it shipped to the Mosquitia. For two months, he added, tribal leaders from the region have petitioned the military as well as other governmental agencies for a boat, but have received nothing.

He said their feeling is that the government of Honduras has simply abandoned them. In addition to that is the simple fact that government in the Mosquitia has broken down, municipalities are not functioning, and chaos and anarchy reign.

The immediate priority in the Mosquitia is to survive, Benitez said. But after that programs are needed to restore the agriculture of a people who have been mostly self-sufficient for generations, and which will improve infrastructure, while restoring order and internal cooperation.

The Tawakhan leader believes that the resolution of these issues will either draw the always marginalized Mosquitia closer to the government of Honduras, or will further encourage separatist sentiment. He says it is a pivotal moment.

Meanwhile, Edgardo Benitez is involved with a variety of projects. He is helping to organize a great meeting of Honduran indigenous people in Ahuas in May, and is planning to attend an international meeting of ethnic leaders in Greenland in June. After a recent story in HTW which displayed pictures and gave information about illegal logging in the Mosquitia, he has been receiving death-threats, possibly from the same operators in Olancho who are believed to be responsible for the murder of Carlos Luna. For Benitez, this is nothing new.

Amid controversy Roy Edmundo Medina on Tuesday (March 9) was sworn in by Congress as the nation's second attorney general, succeeding Edmundo Orellana Mercado who had held the post since 1994.

The selection of Medina as the new attorney general was hotly debated in Congress, the daily El Heraldo reported, with the minority National Party agreeing to vote for him only if certain conditions were met.

Among the controversial conditions are: tone down the Public Ministry's investigations of wrongdoing by government officials of the Callejas administration, uphold the recent "illegal" election of new National Party committee members, appoint Ligia Melara de Andrade as director general of government prosecutors, and appoint more National Party candidates to prosecutorial posts in the Public Ministry.

Medina's qualifications were also questioned by new Deputy Attorney General Juan Arnaldo Hernandez, who stated in a La Tribuna report that Medina does not have the 10 years of judicature experience required by the post.

Prior to his appointment, Medina held the post of Inspector General of Tribunals and was judge of the First Criminal Court of Francisco Morazán from 1994 to 1998.

Two experts in marine pathology are currently analyzing water samples taken from the Gulf of Fonseca to determine the presence of two deadly shrimp diseases, the daily La Tribuna reported last Friday (March 5).

Recently the Committee for the Protection and Development of the Flora and Fauna of the Gulf of Fonseca (CODDEFFAGOLF) claimed that the viruses known as white spot (mancha blanca) and yellow head (cabeza amarilla) were present in Honduras' Pacific waters. Although not dangerous to human, the two viruses could nevertheless seriously affect shrimp production, as most of the nation's shrimp farms are located in the southern department of Choluteca.

Meanwhile, an industry spokesman said shrimp exports will be around US$255 million this year, $45 million less than the amount estimated before Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras last October.

Forensic anthropologists William Haglund and Stefan Schmitt on Monday (March 8) began looking for the remains of 12 disappeared persons in two clandestine cemeteries, one of which is located on the property of retired Col. Amilcar Zelaya located in Tamara, the daily El Heraldo reported.

The 12 Cold War victims, two Hondurans and 10 Salvadorans, disappeared in 1981 after being detained by government security forces. Human rights activists believe that several of these disappeared persons were buried on a country home owned by Zelaya, a former member of the infamous 3-16 Battalion. The home was allegedly used by the battalion as a detention, torture and killing center. A fugitive of justice, the 53-year-old Zelaya has been charged with human rights violations.

Both Haglund and Schmitt have participated in three exhumations of disappeared persons since 1994.

Thieves posing as passengers last Thursday (March 4) robbed passengers on a Cotuc company bus that covers the route between San Pedro Sula and Trujillo.

According to a report in the daily El Heraldo, the four thieves boarded the bus in Trujillo around 7 p.m. However, as the bus was nearing the exit to San Manuel, Cortes the thieves pulled out their weapons, which included AK-47 assault rifles and 9 mm pistols, and ordered the bus to pull over.

The passengers were then ordered off the bus, three of the thieves taking their money and other personal effects while a fourth searched for valuables in the baggage. The thieves then escaped in a red pick up truck that apparently had been following the bus.

The 7-year-old son of a prominent livestock producer of Choloma, Cortes was kidnapped Tuesday (March 9) near his family's residence, the latest victim in a wave of kidnappings that began several years ago.

According to the daily La Tribuna, the kidnappers intercepted the vehicle in which Dalton John Barrose Pena was being driven to school just 100 meters from his home, taking him, his 3-year-old brother and Doris Pena as hostages. However, the kidnappers abandoned the car near a river in the Ticamaya sector, but not before tying up Pena. An alert security guard nearby notice the woman and crying child in the car, and immediately came to their assistance.

Meanwhile, a relative of the victim said the kidnappers called the Barrose Pena residence but did not state their demands. Unofficially, the kidnappers are reportedly asking Lps. 3 million for the safe return of the child.

Monday, March 8, 1999 Online Edition 148

U.S. President Bill Clinton will discuss a wide range of issues with President Flores during his brief trip to Honduras Tuesday.

TEGUCIGALPA -- Anti-drug cooperation, immigration, trade and reconstruction efforts are among the issues U.S. President Bill Clinton will discuss with his counterparts during his trip to Central America from March 8 to 11. Clinton will travel to Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

President Clinton will be accompanied by his wife, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and an entourage of approximately 1,000 persons.

Specific destinations of the president has not yet been revealed for security reasons. Clinton will be in Honduras less than five hours, landing at the joint U.S.-Honduran Soto Cano Air Base (Palmerola) near Comayagua. Honduran President Carlos Flores and First Lady Mary Flores will travel to Comayagua to welcome their U.S. counterparts.

Clinton will stay in San Salvador for two nights were security is already tight, the Hotel Princess having been rented since this week.

A summit meeting of the U.S., Central American, and Dominican Republic presidents will be held in Guatemala on March 11, where the global aid package will be reveled in detail.

Findings of investigation into cause of fire at El Cajon dam have still not been made public

SANTA CRUZ DE YOJOA -- President Flores this week traveled to the Morazán Hydroelectric Plant to personally restart one of four power-generating turbines that have been offline since a fire seriously damaged a transformer and several kilometers of cable on Feb. 12.

With turbine number three now working, the nation's power generating capacity will increase by 75 megawatts thereby reducing rationing throughout the country as a consequence of the fire.

President Flores stated that everything humanly possible is being done to rapidly establish an additional 120 megawatts of thermal energy, but that blackouts during peak hours will obviously continue since supply is still unable to meet current energy demands.

Investigations into the cause of the fire by technical teams from Mexico and the United States, as well as Honduras, have still not been made public.

Flores said three reports have been prepared, one by the National Electric Company (ENEE) -- an analysis of damage and the cause of the fire; another by U.S. technicians who worked alongside the ENEE crew; and one by the Mexican delegation, which in representation of the Federal Electric Commission carried out an independent study.

These reports together with the evaluation being made by the recently formed Special Consulting Commission, coordinated by Luis Cozensa Jimenez and made up of experienced engineers, should produce a wider perspective of the situation that will be released to the public.

The commission's report will present an in-depth study of damages as well as offer options for rehabilitating the El Cajon hydroelectric facilities.

At the same time, bids are being received for the high voltage cables that need to be replaced. All 12 lines were damaged, but the worst damage was sustained in the transformer of turbine number four, which was completely destroyed.

Some well-known Honduran politicians and businessmen are among 10 individuals being accused of illegally laying claim to beach property on the south coast in the department of Valle, according to a report in la Tribuna last Saturday (Feb. 27).

Clarisa Vega de Ferrera, the head of the environmental office in the Department of Natural Resources, made the charge appearing before a judge in Nacaome, the capital of the department. Among those named are the vice president of the National Congress, Calvin Weddle Calderon; a former president of Honduras, Rafael Leonardo Callejas; perennial presidential candidate of the National Party, Elias Asfura, and wealthy businessman Miguel Facusse.

Specifically, the men involved are accused of fencing off sections of the beach, which are by law held to be part of the patrimony of all Hondurans, and may not be privately owned or restricted.

However, the news story does not indicate why and to what purpose these beach areas have been usurped, or whether the men involved are thought to be in collusion in this activity. It further does not say what kind of penalty the law establishes for such a violation, or whether an indictment will be sought. What is known is that the men involved have built expensive homes in the vicinity of the beach.

Facusse and former President Callejas are especially controversial figures within Honduras, as well as being among its most wealthy citizens. Facusse is widely rumored to be involved in various projects dealing with illegal investments in protected zones, while Callejas has been accused of stealing large sums of money from the Honduran people while he was serving as president. He would very likely have been indicted, but for the fact that he has immunity from prosecution as a member of congress.

Nevertheless, both of these men enjoy a status in the power elite of the country. Despised they may be, suspected and accused of flagrant violations of law, but impeccably respectable all the same. Estilo magazine and the social pages of the newspapers cover their parties as if they were important for all Hondurans, while dignitaries and high-rollers of all sorts are proud to be on the guest list.

U.S. citizen Tom Taylor, the owner of Tobacco Road (a combination bookstore-coffee shop-bar in Tegucigalpa's Barrio La Plazuela), was arrested last week for allegedly shooting a policeman during a skirmish with street youths, the daily La Tribuna reported Saturday (Feb. 27).

Taylor, who came to Honduras from Costa Rica several years ago, told La Tribuna that he and several employees were walking to El Arbolito to take a taxi after work when he was alerted by a man that there were some thieves in the vicinity. He and his companions ran, but one fell, and while he was helping her up a man carrying a rifle approached them in a threatening manner. Taylor, who claims the man did not identify himself, says he accidently fired at the plainclothes cop, seriously wounding him.

The policeman, identified as Santos Cristino Matute, is currently recovering at the Hospital Escuela and is listed in critical condition.

Canadian P.M. to visit

Prime Minister Jean Chretien will visit Mexico, Nicaragua and Honduras between April 8-13, the daily La Tribuna reported Saturday (Feb. 27).

During his visit to Honduras, Chretien will meet with President Flores and visit areas devastated by Hurricane Mitch to evaluate reconstruction efforts.

The most recent in a wave of tremors in the area of La Masica, Atlantida department destroyed several homes over the weekend, the daily La Tribuna reported Monday (March 1).

On Saturday evening, three homes in the North Coast community of Las Delicias, on the Rio San Juan, were reportedly destroyed by a tremor, the third there in three days. The tremor also affected the village of San Juan Pueblo and other neighboring communities, causing objects on shelves and furniture to fall to the ground.

Two more tremors were reported on Sunday. According to Gonzalo Cruz, a geophysics professor at the National University, in an El Heraldo report, there have been 8 to 12 earthquakes in the area of San Juan Pueblo since January, measuring between 3.6 and 4.5 on the Ritcher scale.

Monday, March 1, 1999 Online Edition 147

National Party splits in Congress

Led by former presidential candidate Oswaldo Ramos Soto, 17 legislators have broken from the National Party and formed their own bloc in Congress due to their dissatisfaction with the leadership of minority leader Angelo Botazzi, the daily La Tribuna reported last Thursday (Feb. 18).

The "rebels" claim that Botazzi is just representing the interests of a small clique and not the Honduran people overall. Among the defecting congressmembers are Miguel Pastor, Antonio Flores, Antonieta Botto de Fernández and Soad de Facussé. The National Party has 55 legislators of the 128 total in Congress.

The move also coincided with the presentation of a petition to the National Election Tribunal (TNE) that is demanding the annulment of the recent election of National Party committee and the reinstatement of former members.

Library to be connected to Internet

The National Library has received a donation of 15 personal computers which will be connected to the Internet, the daily La Tribuna reported last Thursday (Feb. 18). However, only subscribers to the weekly newspaper Tiempos del Mundo -- one of the donors -- will be allowed to access the Internet.

Tiempos del Mundo, which began circulating in Honduras in July 1997, is one of several publications owned by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church.

Casa Alianza under fire

A former legal advisor of Casa Alianza, a branch of the New York-based Covenant House, this week denounced irregularities in the administration of this organization's funds, the daily La Tribuna reported.

Gustavo Escoto on Monday (Feb. 22) said he has documentation showing that officials made themselves loans using the organization's funds and of irregularities in the distribution of approximately Lps. 10 million in donations.

Escoto worked for the children's organization until February 1998, when he was dismissed for allegedly robbing Lps. 160. Bruce Harris, director of Casa Alianza for Latin America, said Escoto was fired because he altered an invoice, adding that if he has something to denounce he should do it in a court of law.

DNA test to decide pig's owner

The fight for possession of a sow named "Turca" in the community of Catacamas, Olancho has forced the intervention of local authorities, who are supporting a proposal that blood samples of the disputed animal and its alleged piglets be taken to conduct a DNA test and thus establish its owner, the daily La Tribuna reported Tuesday (Feb. 23).

One of the claimants, Miguel Angel Figueroa, says the sow and four piglets became lost last September and that after much searching only the piglets were found. The Figueroa family proposed that a blood test be used to determine ownership of the sow, the loser footing the bill.

Candida Rosa Vasquez, the other owner, says her mother bought the sow two years ago, adding she has witnesses to back her claims. She has also agreed to abide the results of the test (the cost of which could be more than what the pig is worth), which must be conducted either in the United States or Costa Rica.

'Gordito's' sister takes life

Miriam Castellanos de Tabora, the sister of the late Mayor of Tegucigalpa, Dr. César Castellanos, reputedly took her own life last Sunday (Feb. 21), according to residents of the community of San Esteban, Olancho where the deceased lived.

The daily La Tribuna reported that Tabora, 50, died of a self-inflicted bullet wound to the head. The reasons for her fatal decision are as yet unknown.

The Bay Islands Hottest Investment Deals!!

Campesinos demand Agricultural Law Reforms

By BLANCA MORENO

TEGUCIGALPA -- Nearly 5,000 campesinos blocked five major highways the morning of Wednesday (Feb. 24) demanding reform of the Agricultural Law that currently impedes the government from giving them titles to idle farmland.

For more than five hours, the roads that unite Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Olancho, Choluteca, Tela and La Ceiba were closed due to the protests.

The Agricultural Investment Law has been passed by Congress, but campesinos are demanding reforms, claiming that while investment has increased they receive no benefits from the law as it stands now.

Although road blockades produce dramatic loss to the Honduran economy, the campesinos announced they will continue protesting until their demands have been met.

According to the leaders of small farm owners and workers, the National Congress has taken an inordinate amount of time to pass reforms to the Agricultural Investment and the Generation of Rural Employment Laws. These laws were passed on Jan. 20, but the campesinos allege they only protect the interests of large land owners, since their properties can no longer be expropriated.

Congressional President Rafael Pineda Ponce stated that any reform to these laws should benefit both sides. "We have kept a close tab on the reform groups' work, I initially participated, and we wish to find a point of compromise, because we were under the impression that the proposed reforms coincided with the interests of all parties concerned."

Pineda Ponce promised to maintain open channels with both groups so that an agreement can be reached. However, it will be difficult, since opponents in this case are the campesinos, who are the beneficiaries of agrarian reform; and the business sector, which is the beneficiary of agricultural investment.

He also stated that the job of the congress is to work hard at finding mechanisms that prevent such conflicts.