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| Saturday, November 30, 1996 Online Edition 31 | |
Chickens and turkeys: not just for dinner anymore By WENDY GRIFFIN This holiday season, many families will sit down to a nice chicken or turkey dinner. Both of these animals have a long history in Honduras, but the turkey came first. In pre-Columbian times, Lencan and Mayan Indians raised turkeys. Honduran turkeys have retained their original Nahuatl language name -- jolote or guajolote. When the Spanish came, they required the Indians to raise chickens, too. By the 1540s, Honduran Indians were paying half of their annual tribute in chickens and the other half in turkeys. Full article in Cultural By By WENDY GRIFFIN
Where are the ladies? By ERLING DUUS The men and boys, of course, are everywhere, just as they are in all Latin countries on a Saturday night. They group together on the streets, crowd the bars, and fill the discos. They live, to a considerable degree, public lives. But the women, where are they? And who are they?
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Honduran voters have a choice of 10 as they head for the polls tomorrow
Liberals and Nationalists prepare for primaries
As Hondurans prepare to vote in tomorrow's primaries, the 10 presidential hopefuls of the National and Liberal parties spent the week in a mad rush to the campaign finish line, launching poll wars and verbal battles in the national press. According to surveys taken by both local and international firms, Liberal party candidate Carlos Flores is not only favored to win his party's primary; he would also win the presidency if next November's election were held today. Full article in National By BLANCA MORENO WEEK IN REVIEW Minister hospitalized for heart attack Jeronimo Sandoval, minister of Communications, Transportation and Public Works (SECOPT), is currently hospitalized in a private medical center for heart problems, the daily La Tribuna reported. Full article in "Week in Review," National section. SPS pays public for collecting trash The Municipality of San Pedro Sula is paying one lempira for each bag of garbage turned in at special collection sites, the daily La Tribuna reported. Full article in "Week in Review," National section. GB donates Lps. 1 million to flood victims The British government has donated US$84,000 (approximately Lps. 1 million) to the victims of flooding along the North Coast of Honduras. Full article in "Week in Review," National section.
Talks on hold but hopeful with Mexico Negotiations between the Northern Triangle (Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador) and Mexico for the eventual inclusion of the former in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have been put on hold for the holidays. Open skies on horizon with Canada As part of a bilateral program to promote tourism in Honduras and Canada, the government of both nations are discussing an "open skies" policy that would facilitate air travel between the two countries. |
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Politics by Assassination Costa Rica has no army but... By W. E. Gutman Breathtaking mountain vistas. An idyllic climate. Unspoiled rain forests. Golden beaches stretching along two coasts. A rich fauna and an exuberant flora, Costa Rica has it all, and then some. But what makes Costa Ricans proud of all, what they enjoy reminding the world, is that their small Central American nations has had no army since its abolition in 1984. Look again. A document obtained by this writer through the Freedom of Information Act lists nearly 2,500 Costa Rican soldiers and officers who have trained at the SOA since 1949. Among the courses taken: military intelligence (the second most popular specialty after military police and infantry training), psychological warfare, sniper and commando tactics, airborne, engineering combat and construction jungle operations, "irregular warfare," counterinsurgency, "nuclear war and military pedagogy," radio operation and maintenance, "special tactics," mine sweeping, basic weapons and combat trauma medicine. |
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| Saturday, November 23, 1996 Online Edition 30 | |
This Week Online By Stanley Marrder We are celebrating our 30th week online. Thank-you for logging in. This Week we are featuring a new special report section: Politics. Honduras This Week Direct is growing by the week. If you would like to subscribe to Honduras This Week Direct, sign up in the "about" section. Honduras This Week Direct is a free service that delivers the front page to readers using the Netscape Navigator 3.0 Email program. With an average of 55 hits per day on the front page alone, Honduras This Week Online is the perfect place to advertise your site. We are running a special offer to Classified section sponsors until the end of the month: One FREE week and FREE front page exposure (a $250 value) for $25. This offer will expire on Friday, so email us now. North Coast restaurants offer authentic Garifuna cuisine On the North Coast it has been possible for years to buy Garífuna snacks like coconut candy, coconut bread and coconut water. But real Garifuna cuisine, real meals in restaurants, have not been available -- until now. Today, Tela, Trujillo, Santa Fe, Triunfo de la Cruz, San Pedro Sula and Coxen Hole all have Garífuna restaurants. Full article in Cultural By WENDY GRIFFIN
Penal Code comes down hard on piracy Honduras' new penal code, expected to become law within the next few weeks, sets forth heavy penalties for the violation of intellectual property rights. Exports down at Puerto Cortes Tax earnings from Honduras' busiest port have been disappointing this year, says a report released this month by the Executive Revenue Department (DEI). |
Ojojona
Callejas denies wife's candidacy Former President Callejas on Monday (Nov. 18) denied reports that his wife, Norma Regina Gaborit de Callejas, is seeking a seat in the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN), the daily La Prensa reported. A television news program reported Monday that Callejas is planning to run for the National Congress and his wife for PARLACEN under the Norma de Melgar presidential campaign. Callejas is reportedly running in place of Marco Tulio Gutiérrez. Members of both congress and PARLACEN have immunity from criminal prosecution and search and seizure. Five members of family massacred A dispute over how to split the loot obtained in a bank robbery reportedly led to the murder last Tuesday (Nov. 19) of six persons, five from the same family, the daily El Heraldo reported. Medical intern strike concludes Hundreds of medical interns last Friday (Nov. 15) returned to the nation's public hospitals after reaching an agreement with health authorities, ending a 17-day strike, the daily La Prensa reported. "Honduras is not a bad place for investment and hundreds of foreigners who have chosen Honduras for their overseas operations will back that statement up."
Three Storms The country suffered three tragedies this week: the national soccer team was eliminated from the World Cup running, the Wall Street Journal said Honduras is one of the worst places in the world for foreign investment and 90,000 Hondurans along the North Coast have been left homeless after heavy rains and flooding. All have been equally catastrophic for national morale. |
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"SOA graduates include dictators and soldiers implicated in gross human rights violations in Latin America," - Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass) The bloody legacy of the U.S Army School of the Americas Editor's Note: The following two-part article was originally published on March 4, 1995 and March 11, 1995, respectively. By W. E. GUTMAN Special to Honduras This Week Getting rid of someone easy. Destroying popular aspirations takes more effort but you can always count on a volunteer or two to the dirty work. For money; favors; influence; power -- mostly power; out of conviction or spite or malevolence -- mostly malevolence. When conventional methods -- elections, plebiscites, national referenda --fail, or when the results threaten the oligarchy, the U.S. Army's School of the Americas, a shadowy but formidable spook-nook billeted for Fort Benning, Georgia can help. There are no petty bureaucrats here, no dim-witted freeloaders who dot the is and bar the ts day after day, no semi-literate dogfaces taking up space and stealing time till retirement. The SOA is a model institution. Its instructors and students are recruited from the cream of Latin America's military establishment. On the curriculum: counterinsurgency, military intelligence, interrogation techniques, sniper fire, infantry and commando tactics, "irregular" and psychological warfare, jungle operations, among the most bellicose specialties. Full Article by W.E. Gutman in Special Edition: Politics. "The main moral question is what was the right thing or do under the circumstances, not so much who did it, or how." -- Lt. Col. (ret.) Roberto Nunez Montes. When the ends justify the means: An interview with a graduate of the School of the Americas By W. E. GUTMAN TEGUCIGALPA -- U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman wants "the criminals identified and prosecuted." "Deeply concerned by its egregious human rights violations," U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd insists "time has come to determine whether it is serving our national interests and furthering our goals." "I can think of no earthly reason why our government should [continue to] use taxpayers' money to support it," echoes Congressman Sam Farr. "This is the 'smoking gun' we've all been looking for," asserts Congressman Marty Maloney. What these legislators are referring to is the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA) and, more specifically, recent revelations by the Pentagon that torture manuals have been routinely used in the School's curriculum. Full Article by W.E. Gutman in Special Edition: Politics.
Ala de Angel A group of slow-forming stalactites have combined to form what appears to be "Angel's Wing" in the caves of Taulabé located about 30 kilometers north of Siguatepeque on the left side of the Northern Highway. Discovered 23 years ago during the construction of the highway, the caves are quite extensive and have not been fully explored.
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| Saturday, November 16, 1996 Online Edition 29 | |
Economy Ministry bombed two days after courthouse
Another terrorist attack! Less than 48 hours after last Thursday's bombing of a Tegucigalpa courthouse, another explosion shook the Economy Ministry on the Calle Peatonal. Nicas capture Honduran fishing boat Nicaraguan patrol boats last Friday (Nov. 8) captured a Honduran fishing boat in waters claimed by both nations. According to the daily La Tribuna, the "Destine" and two other vessels were fishing above the 15th parallel when they were intercepted by two high-speed Nicaraguan launches. Hundreds homeless after flooding Heavy flooding along the North Coast has left hundreds of persons homeless and caused millions of lempiras in damages, the daily La Tribuna reported. Ballots printed, Fonseca included Presidential candidate Hector Rene Fonseca's struggle with National Party authorities ended this week with the inclusion of his photo and political movement on the ballots for the upcoming primaries, the daily La Prensa reported.
Another banana plantation closing The Standard Fruit Company has offered employees of its "El Chorro" plantation Lps. 100,000 each to leave their jobs and seek employment elsewhere, La Tribuna reported Tuesday. But labor leaders say the offer isn't as good as it looks.
ONLINE READER'S FORUM KEEP UP EXCELLENT WORK Dear Editor: I LOVE (HTW Online)! I'm a Bay Islander currently residing in Atlanta, GA and I am really excited about discovering HTW-Online. Keep up the excellent work!!! Davinci McNab |
SAN PEDRO SULA -- The Mayan culture lures many tourists to this region. The Mundo Maya Association has organized what is known as the Mayan Route for travellers interested in starting in Mexico and continuing on down to Honduras. Their aim is to bring the fascinating history of the Maya culture to the attention of the world.
Painting Maya
Artists from across Honduras gathered this week for the country's first Maya-themed painting exhibit. With as many interpretations as there are artists, Rolando Lopez Trochez contributed his own view of the ancient culture with this painting, titled En el Umbral or "In the Shadow." His two bored cherubs give the Maya a whimsical air. For more on Lopez Trochez and the other artists, click on cultural. Recently, Honduras' first art exhibit dedicated entirely to its Mayan past was held at the Hotel Copantl. More than eighty works were exhibited with themes ranging from ancient Mayan kings and kingdoms to modern Mayan descendants. Full article in Cultural By DEBORAH SANCHEZ The Garifuna culture is one of the top attractions for tourists on the Honduran North Coast. But, until recently, the only way to see the Garifuna culture was to walk through villages, without fully experiencing the Garifuna people. Tela's new Garifuna Museum and Cultural Center would like to change this. Garifuna museum and cultural center opens in Tela The Garifuna culture is one of the top attractions for tourists on the Honduran North Coast. But, until recently, the only way to see the Garifuna culture was to walk through villages, without fully experiencing the Garifuna people. Tela's new Garifuna Museum and Cultural Center would like to change this. The Center includes a gallery for the Tela Artists Association, a Garifuna handicraft store, a museum of Garifuna history, the offices of the "Lanigi Wanichugu" Garifuna Women's Association and a Garifuna restaurant. Lanigi Wanichugu, which runs the museum, also sponsors a number of other projects for Garifuna women in Tela, such as the construction of a market for them. Full article in cultural By WENDY GRIFFIN
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| Saturday, November 9, 1996 Online Edition 28 | |
Voter pride On December 1, the National and Liberal parties will hold primaries to choose their respective candidates for the 1997 presidential election. Neither party expects surprising results. Nationwide opinion polls show strong leads for Nationalist favorite Elias Asfura and Liberal forerunner Carlos Flores. Bay Islanders are famous for travelling by sea. But many Bay Island stories begin with someone travelling by horse. Horses used to be so common that Independence Day was celebrated with a horse race from Sandy Bay to Coxen Hole.
Horses gallop through Honduran folk tales and legends When the Spanish first conquered the Americas, horses were so important that Indians were sold for two pesos a piece, manioc was sold at six pesos for 25 pounds and horses were worth up to 600 pesos. It took the sale of 300 Indian slaves to buy a single horse. Full article By WENDY GRIFFIN in Cultural.
Lempira hits 13 on black market The lempira-dollar exchange rate hit 13:1 this week on the Honduran black market. This is the highest rate ever recorded. According to Central Bank of Honduras reports, the lempira has devaluated more than 60 percent during the Reina administration. Gas hike #65 For the 65th time this year, the Petroleum Administration Commission has authorized a hike in gasoline prices, despite public outrage at subsequent inflation.
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"We, the American people, will make decisions in a single election on a great number of issues that affect us, including the approval or rejection of new taxes, environmental protection, what social programs we want and how we will pay for them." U.S. expats celebrate election night
Ambassador James Creagan writes in the winner of each state during Tuesday's U.S. Presidential Elections. Creagan hosted the celebration of U.S. election night at a Tegucigalpa hotel, attended by nearly 200 persons. President Clinton, who won a second term in office, also defeated Republican candidate Bob Dole in a mock vote held at the cocktail, 140 votes to 47. TEGUCIGALPA -- Politicians, government officials, business leaders, diplomats and journalists celebrated U.S. election night -- and the victory of Bill Clinton -- at a special cocktail sponsored by the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday. Opening the event with a speech, U.S. Ambassador James Creagan called the election the definitive expression of democracy in his country. From coast to coast, the people of the United States went out to cast their votes for president and vice president, congressmen, senators, governors and state legislators. Full article By ROSA DELIA SANTOS in the National Section. Courthouse bombed: 1 dead, 24 wounded One person was killed and 24 wounded in a terrorist bombing of the First and Second Criminal Courthouse, located on the 8th Avenue, 12th Calle in Comayagüela. According to the daily El Heraldo, a grenade was thrown from a passing taxi at the courthouse around 11:00 a.m., exploding and killing a security guard. Among the wounded were five lawyers, a journalist and two television cameramen. Full article in the National Section. Tombs of disappeared persons to be exhumed The clandestine tombs of Manfredo Velasquez and Roger Gonzalez, two students who disappeared during the 1980s, have been located by judicial authorities, the daily El Heraldo reported. Full article in the National Section. 'Tacamiche' ordeal ends, get promised homes Following a struggle that lasted more than two years, a group of former workers of the Tela Railroad Company on Monday (Nov. 4) took possession of the new homes built for them by the government. According to the daily La Tribuna, approximately 500 Tacamiches -- named after the banana plantation where they worked -- marched the 15km separating their temporary homes in La Lima from their new homes in San Manuel, Cortes department. Full article in the National Section. Whooping cough outbreak feared Health officials on Monday (Nov. 4) reported one case of whooping cough (pertussis) and 147 children under observation, the daily La Prensa reported. Most of the suspected cases are in the San Pedro Sula area, La Ceiba, Francisco Morazan department and El Paraiso. Full article in the National Section.
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Echoes from Brad Martin "He was the nicest man. One meets someone like Brad maybe once in a lifetime." - Brad's wife, Estabana. |
"the people of Honduras have lost one of its greatest assets." Why is this Column Black? If is isn't black you are most likely using a browser that does not conform to current HTML standards. Unfortunately, that is not the only reason. By Stanley Marrder Normally, this space would have provided insightful travel information for people who are interested in Honduras by Mr. Brad Martin, but this week it isn't. Our dear friend, Brad passed away two weeks ago. To those of us fortunate enough to have known him, the news were devastating. |
| Saturday, November 2, 1996 Online Edition 27 | |
Copan NGO seeks to avert second ecological disaster By WENDY GRIFFIN Today this process is being repeated. Looking at the hills on the way to the Guatemalan border, it is easy to see that were once cleared for crops and remain bald today. These hillsides look like erosion waiting to happen. Some experts say that if Honduras put a monetary value its topsoil, losses due to erosion would exceed the export value of bananas.
Falling lempira not fault of government Juan Bendeck, president of the Honduran Private Enterprise Council (COHEP), says the falling lempira isn't entirely the fault of the government.
GREAT SITE! Dear Editor: [HTW is] one of the best newspaper sites that I have seen. My wife is Honduran and we live in Brisbane, Australia so it was great to find this link with her home. AndrewMiller
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"The children of poor nations are the principal victims of the outdated programs of international organizations" - Rigoberta Menchu Menchu: C.A. children victims of obsolete economic policies
By BLANCA MORENO Rigoberta Menchu, an Indian activist from Guatemala and recipient of the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize, said on her visit to Honduras last week that it's not enough to sympathize with the abuses suffered daily by Central American children. Instead, we must find a way to stop them. "The children of poor nations are the principal victims of the outdated programs of international organizations," she said. "If these organizations don't change the conditions they impose on the countries of Central America, the fight for the dignity of the children will be a lie." Full Article by Blanca Moreno in National Section.
Another controversial article passes Article 123 of the new Penal Code, whose wording is considered by many to be offensive to women, was approved last Wednesday (Oct. 23) by the National Congress. Taking advantage of the absence of the articles' chief opponent, Orfilia de Mejía, Congressman Rafael Pineda Ponce called for a vote and the article passed without opposition. Full article in Netional section
Police oppose proposition A proposed referendum to increase the size of the San Pedro Sula municipal police force is opposed by the Public Security Force (FSP), the daily La Prensa reported. Full article in National Section
Student vandals destroy govt property Demanding immediate payment of bus subsidies and a second "make-up" exam for flunkies, secondary school students of the Vicente Cáceres Central Institute rioted in downtown Tegucigalpa last Friday (Oct. 25), causing damage to buildings housing two government ministries. Full article in National Section
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Although the
popular picnic village of Ojojona celebrated its annual
crafts festival nearly a month ago, a trip there is still
worth the while of holiday shoppers and curio fans.
Arranged around a miniature town square, these clay
houses and bread ovens make great nativity scenes with a
Honduran flair. And although you may have to wait until
next year's festival to catch the town minstrels
strolling the streets, you won't be want for things to
see on a Sunday afternoon in Ojojona. Pack a picnic and
lunch on the grassy banks of the .
village creek.
Catch a December mass at the local cathedral, whose
Christ statue is reported to cry tears of human blood. Or
enjoy an eager soccer match between rival village teams.
Ojojona is located just 30km south of Tegucigalpa on the
highway to Choluteca 
