What bullshit. Lots of information about Honduras at www.soaw.org

I also read posts from Hondurans on social media, and believe them more than "reports" from "news" outlets

I was actually born and raised in Venezuela (currently residing in Miami for college), and my parents, friends and most of my extended family is still back home, and some posters here will believe the "news" from blatantly biased sources instead of the actual recounts of people actually living in the countries those sites are supposedly reporting on. It makes me laugh when they try to pass off Eva Golinger as a credible source for the truth, even though she's one of the lunatics that claims that Hugo Chávez's cancer was all a dastardly plan from the CIA.

It is useless to post a different POV. But the post I responded to was so hilarious that I couldn't resist

If posters really wanted to get a more accurate assessment they'd read the social media posts.

But then again, some of the more vocal posters here can't even read Spanish!

December 02, 2013
Thousands Rally in Honduras in Recount Call

The runner-up in the contested Honduras election has rejected the official results, alleging fraud. Right-wing ruling party candidate Juan Orlando Hernández was named the winner last week over Xiomara Castro, wife of ousted President Manuel Zelaya. But on Friday, Castro demanded a recount, citing fraud at the polls.

Xiomara Castro: "We have uncovered a disgusting, monstrous fraud, through which the Honduran people have been robbed of the presidency of the republic. We will not change our position until we are allowed to enter the electoral system. We are not going to accept the results from this electoral tribunal. We do not recognize the legitimacy of any government that is a product of this assault."

I live in Honduras, am an actual honduran, an upper-middle class one as a matter of fact (hence my speaking english...which also means I'm supposed to be a 'golpista' or coup-backer) and even I'll tell you, most of the people in my social circle (college students/healthcare workers) professed extreme hatred towards 'Juan Orlando', the US backed (US ambassador Lisa Kubinske had a 'hands-on' approach towards the process, even going so far as to announce to the local media that the total vote tally was close to completion) 'candidate', seeing him as the authoritarian, dishonest, thieving c... he is. Even his primary election opponents wouldn't recognize the legitimacy of his candidacy...until they were routinely bought out of course. He has even done all the things that Mel Zelaya was supposedly going to do unless he was ousted, yet none of the 'golpistas' raised an eyebrow, obviously 'cause he is the new face of the establishment. Me thinks Hernandez has got 'big plans' for the nation (this is a man who tried to pass a bill that enabled the selling off of pieces of the country's territory wholesale to foreign interests), 'big plans' who just so happen to coincide with the worldwide neoliberal agenda...and that's the real source of his 'legitimacy'.

I mean, most of the people I know were shocked/horrified at JOH's supposed win...people from all over the political spectrum, left/right. Well, not shocked, 'cause we all saw the fraud coming (that thing about elections in poor countries being rigged is totally true), but still, it has left a lot of people with a feeling of powerlesness. If there aren't massive protests it's probably because JOH's ONLY new electoral proposal (he's been president of congress for the last 4 years) was the creation of a 'military police' to supposedly combat crime in the streets...their first (official) mission? The repression of the anti-fraud student protesters, even going so far as to break into the UNAH (biggest, state-funded college) campus to beat their asses. JOH is basically holding a gun to the country's temple, and pretty much 99% of the media outlets in here make FOX News seem like a pinko agitprop zine...which means that they love him.

This is a country which has followed the neoliberal/US line to a T since nearly the 19th century..we even house the US base the contras used to launch from back in the 80s...how do you know Milton Friedman's full of s...? Just take a look at Honduras, the second poorest and yet most unequal (I think) country in Latin America.

we have heard from sources we have trusted, following post-coup Honduran news.

Your comments seem clear-headed, focused, completely aware.

Had no idea Lisa Kubinske was getting right down in the middle of things to this degree. I guess the meaning of the word "diplomat" is lost on her. Have seen her image popping up repeatedly from time to time, as she seems to revel in her "responsibilities" everywhere she's been. It's one great adventure to someone like her, unfortunately.

[center] [/center]
Army South commander strengthens partnerships in Honduras
October 23, 2012
By Robert Ramon, ARSOUTH

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (Oct. 23, 2012) -- On his first trip to the Central American region since taking command, U.S. Army South's commanding general traveled to Honduras, Oct. 3-5, to conduct an initial visit with the U.S. ambassador, meet with Army South Soldiers and to have discussions with key leaders in the Honduran military.

The visit coincided with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta's visit to South America and is in line with what Panetta stated is the U.S. goal for the Western Hemisphere -- to help nations in the region develop military capabilities and provide for their security.

Maj. Gen. Frederick Rudesheim, the Army South commanding general, met with U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Lisa Kubiske.

"I absolutely needed to visit the ambassador so I could understand and have a better appreciation for the support we provide to her country team and to our partners in Honduras," said Rudesheim.

More:
http://www.army.mil/article/89787/

[center]

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It's surprising to hear people in the smaller groups of upper income Hondurans have been questioning the value of the current government system there. I had simply assumed they would stoutly support it, as we've seen in some other US-supported oligarchies. It sounds as if there are some far more progressive people there than we had assumed.

It's true once the US-backed Honduran oligarchy has finally pounded the poor into terrified submission again, paralyzed with fear, too broken to speak out again, they WILL be watching everyone else, as well, to keep things the way they want them, with no surprises.

It was wonderful hearing from someone who KNOWS what is happening, doesn't find it honorable to suppress the poor, and sees the larger picture. It is a genuine special occasion seeing your post.

As you are aware, we are facing a nasty bit of corruption in our country, too. Mass media should not be given over to propaganda. Sorry that we now have to get it back into the responsible hands.

Good luck and thanks for being part of the our democratic cause.

Family and friends of mine voted all over the place. Some for Hernandez, some for Villeda, Some for Nasrala. None, and I mean NONE of them wanted Xiomara Castro as president.

They thought that it would be a shame that a woman who never graduated high school, can hardly express herself, is virtually illiterate and basically just a puppet for her husband would get the honor of being Honduras first female president.

Also, the strange fact that she disappeared for days after the night of the election fueled rumors that Mel beat her up (again).

No one was interested in that crap then, other than a right-wing troll who still infests this message board.

We've heard it all.

Prefer to hear from intelligent, mentally, morally, emotionally fit Honduran experts, and we're more than willing to wait for them.

If you were interested in the truth, you'd get your information from the social sites where you hear the imput of REAL Hondurans

But you don't even read Spanish, right?

Hey don't worry, I'll leave you to your little campaign in this useless corner of DU. Is not like it's having or ever has had any impact, lol.

Have fun!

s

better yet, don't post anything at all. Hernandez may be the worst president and person who ever lived, that doesn't mean Castro won the election.

"Banana Republic" Honduras Open for Business After Tainted Election
Tuesday, 03 December 2013 12:53 By Lauren Carasik, Truthout | Opinion

Few observers are surprised at widespread allegations of fraud, violence and intimidation in the November 24, 2013, election in Honduras, a country notorious for corruption; stark and longstanding social, political and economic inequality; and extremely fragile democratic institutions. After all, electoral mischief is what we have come to expect from the pejoratively termed "banana republics," countries in the global south characterized by iron-fisted oligarchic rule, the exploitation of resources and labor for international corporations and misery for the masses. But although we may want to distance ourselves from the suffering in Honduras, grinding poverty, inequality and anti-democratic principles do not occur in a vacuum: What happens in contemporary Honduran politics is inseparable from its colonial legacy and present-day economic and geopolitical importance to its powerful neighbors to the north and the interests of transnational companies.

Both Juan Orlando Hernandez of the ruling conservative National Party and Xiomara Castro of the left-leaning LIBRE (Liberty and Refoundation) Party claimed victory shortly after the polls closed. Allegations of fraud and irregularities surfaced during the election and continued to accumulate. On November 29, Castro, wife of democratically elected President Mel Zelaya, who was ousted in a military coup in 2009, denounced fraud and refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the election, demanding a vote-by-vote recount (although there is no clear mechanism for vote review), meticulously documenting her claim of electoral fraud and encouraging peaceful social protest.

In response to Castro's complaint, the electoral authority announced December 2 that it will recount the vote tally sheets that were transmitted to them. Given the context, it is not clear if this would even address any problems, because one of the allegations is that some tally sheets were altered before being transmitted. And it certainly does not address vote and credential buying, intimidation, etc. So this could make the electoral authority look responsive to complaints about fraud without providing real and meaningful review or redress.

Tampering With Democracy

Some critics allege a brilliantly orchestrated campaign to ensure and legitimize Hernandez's victory. Fraud, intimidation and violence before and during the election have a cumulative impact: dirty elections are stolen one vote at a time, through a variety of tactics that start well in advance of voting day. Hernandez's control over all the apparatus of government power, including the Congress, judiciary, military and electoral authority, facilitated the ease of influencing the outcome. The Honduran elite also control the media and its messaging to the electorate - and command a deep well of financial resources to inundate the airwaves and print media, with no public scrutiny of campaign financing. The poorly resourced LIBRE was vastly outspent by the National Party.

More:
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/20388-banana-republic-honduras-open-for-business-after-tainted-election

~ snip ~

The drug-trafficking and gang-related violence occurs in an international context, and current US policies contribute to the escalating disorder. Honduras serves as conduit for drugs destined for US consumers - the US State Department estimated that 87 percent of the cocaine from South America transits through Honduras, motivating the United States to invest personnel, equipment, logistical support and millions of dollars and in the militarization of counternarcotics efforts. A joint US-Honduran drug interdiction operation gone awry ended with the death of four civilians and the injury of three others in La Moskitia, causing critics to implore the United States to rethink its "war on drugs," where the US consumption of drugs fuels bloodshed south of its border. Aggressive US deportation efforts fuel gang violence, as do the burgeoning unemployment and poverty that reflect Honduras' position in the global economic order.

In response to the violence, Castro supports community policing. In contrast, Hernandez supports the militarization of policing, and he shepherded through congress the authorization for a military police force of 5,000 - 1,000 of whom already have been deployed in Tegucigalpa and Honduras' second-largest city, San Pedro Sula. Hernandez's law-and-order platform garnered support from some weary of the violence, who welcomed an iron-fist approach to crime. But the move provoked consternation among many sectors that point out the perils of employing soldiers trained in combat for the more delicate role of policing, which entails crime prevention, investigation and assistance with prosecution, a particularly important task in a country where impunity reaches above 90 percent. Yet mistrust for the National Police is pervasive. Compounding concern about corruption within its ranks, a story by The Associated Press in 2013 claimed that the US-funded National Police, under the command of Juan Carlos "El Tigre" Bonilla, were engaging in social cleansing against gangs, despite the Leahy Law that prohibits US funding of forces involved with human rights abuses.

Hernandez on his win...hmmm

@lunamagica: I'd recognize that the country didn't want Xiomara as president if I had the certainty that these elections were fair and transparent... which they obviously weren't. Sure, elections in Honduras have probably always been like this, but this time people took notice since there were (for the first time in our entire history as a nation) actual, viable electoral alternatives to the two-headed hydra (bipartisanship).

Besides, if we're gonna talk numbers, 63-66% of the country voted AGAINST Juan Orlando. It's only because of our country's deficient electoral laws (obviously tailored to favor archaic bipartisan rule) that there wasn't a "segunda vuelta", like there is in most countries in Latin America.

Social media is just the worst possible benchmark to measure popular opinion in poor countries such as Honduras, because the poor (70%-ish of the populace) aren't exactly renowned for their internet access rates. Even then, Xiomara has upwards of 100,000 'likes' on her facebook profile as opposed to JOH's 60,000-ish 'likes'...so much for your argument.

I find it curious that you should tout Ortega's word as fair and balanced, since probably up to a couple of weeks ago you probably would've spouted off foul words about him, Maduro, Correa and other vile, diabolical 'chavistas' (dog-whistle politick for basically anything/anyone that's even remotely to the left of the extreme right our country is politically situated in), like we're taught to by our orwellian media. If you ask me, he did it for political reasons...after all, the sandinistas have stricken political alliances with the right-wing ARENA (the extremely, egregiously corrupt Arnoldo Aleman's party..I'm not one to judge people by their appearances, but if you ever wanted to see a politican who reinforced Roger Waters' perception of politicians/businessmen as "pigs", well there's your guy).

is a vital reason to rewrite it.

The constitution should come from WITHIN the people of the country, most surely NOT be dictated from without, for Christ's sake.

~snip~

The current Honduran constitution was written in the early 1980s, during Ronald Reagan's presidency and shortly after 16 years of military dictatorships. Like other constitutions in Latin America, which were created during or briefly after the generals stepped down, Honduran's has countless restrictions, loop holes and flaws. The same could be said about the country's other institutions.

Commenting on the Central American state, Greg Grandin - professor of history at New York University - recently said:

"The Honduran military is effectively a subsidiary of the United States government. Honduras, as a whole, if any Latin American country is fully owned by the United States, it's Honduras. Its economy is wholly based on trade, foreign aid and remittances."

That is precisely the argument for reworking the honduran constitution as LIBRE proposes. What the anti-LIBRE electorate doesn't understand is that the current Constitution was drafted during a time where the country was little more than a US launching pad for contras. They treat it as a god-given edict that mustn't be tampered with...except when our country's elite needs to tamper with it for their own means of course (there have been bills that have enabled foreigners, vice-presidents and Congressional presidents to run for office while still in office...without the latter JOH's candidacy would've been impossible, though in all fairness it was passed abut 12 years ago to favor another candidate).

There is worry however that the cause of the constituyente may be coopted by the establishment for their own purposes...there have been rumblings of JOH wanting to use it to enable his reelection, which is the official reason why Mel Zelaya was ousted from power.

Sorry for taking so long to introduce myself! Well I'm marat_hn (real name and location withhold...lunamagica would probably throw me to the death squads if she knew them). I'm looking forward to participating in this forum with fellow democratic enthusiasts from around the world! Yes, even you, lunamagica.

The hurt surrounding this whole electoral process is strong. Imagine if Obama's win had been stolen away by republicans in shoddy elections (well...there is that whole thing that went down in Florida in 2000)! Wouldn't you guys have been pissed off?

Xiomara is an easy parallel to Obama, since her entire campaign was intelligent, positive and spoke about unity amongst hondurans and our intrinsic value as a people. Hell, there were even some references to free enterprise sprikled among there, so as not to scare off the 'golpistas'. Sure, wishy washy new age stuff, but it was a far smarter and more inspiring campaign than JOH's hatemongering,psychops and mudslinging..pretty much ALL of his spots and speeches were about Libre being socialist devils and how they opposed "traditional values" and his sole electoral promise of getting his personal military branch into the streets to "combat crime".

Did you know that his call centers called every single household in the metropolitan area at 2 AM in the morning of the elections purporting to speak on behalf of Libre? All of this to circumvent the "electoral silence" in place 15 days prior to the elections..oh wait, he didn't obey that ruling, local cable networks kept airing his spots even after that!

A lot of 'golpista' hatred toward the Zelayas stems from the media accusations of corruption which arose immediately after the coup. Now I'm not saying the Zelaya administration wasn't corrupt (probably no more or less than past administrations) but some (the most famous) of the accusations are completely ludicrous. I mean, would YOU believe FOX News if they aired "surveillance footage" of US Secretary of State John Kerry carting out a wheelbarrow full of money out of the federal reserve immediately after Obama had been ousted in a coup? What if ALL the major networks and newspapers were owned by Rupert Murdoch? Cause thats exactly what happened here in Honduras.