In undoubtedly the most internationally observed Honduran election in history, Honduras itself came out the winner with 61.3% percent of eligible voters turning out to vote.  This was an almost ten percent increase over the 2005 election in which now-deposed President Manuel Zelaya won with 49.9% of the vote.  This time, the National Party presidential candidate Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo won 56% of the vote in a surprising landslide victory over Liberal Party candidate Elvin Santos who won only 38% of votes, but had the backing of Honduras’ influential business community.  Lobo lost to Zelaya by a small margin in 2005.

Perhaps the biggest loser was Manuel Zelaya himself who had hoped that a low turnout would bolster his claim that the election was illegitimate – this morning he continued this assertion saying that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) had inflated the result and that, in reality, there had only been a 31-35% turnout.  In fact, several countries have already recognized the results, among them the United States, Germany, Mexico, France, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Peru, Costa Rica, Columbia, and Panama.  Spain remains divided over the results of the election carried out by the de facto regime, but Spanish chancellor Miguel Angel Moratinos said that while the country does not yet “recognize the election results,” they also “cannot ignore” the popular support won by Pepe Lobo.  Argentina, Brazil, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Uruguay, Ecuador, and Bolivia continue to insist that they will not recognize an election carried out by any other president than their political ally Manuel Zelaya.

The Organization of American States will convene on Friday, December 4^th to discuss the election results and decide whether or not to recognize them – just two days after the Honduran Congress votes on whether or not to allow Zelaya to carry out the last month of his presidential term.  This congressional vote was agreed upon by both Zelaya and Micheletti when they signed the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord on October 30, bringing a beginning to the end of the political crisis that has paralyzed the country since June 28.  However, while Zelaya signed the accord believing he would quickly be returned to office, Micheletti put off the vote until after the general elections to ensure that Zelaya would not interfere with them.  Congress is not expected to approve Zelaya’s return to power.

By Sophia Anderson

With some cautiously optimistic that an end to the crisis that has plagued the country for nearly five months is imminent and others fearful of terrorist acts threatened by the Resistencia, one thing is certain – the Honduran population awaits this Sunday’s general elections like none previous.

Supporters of Zelaya continue to demand his reinstatement and have been posting fear propaganda in cities and towns urging the population to boycott what they call “fraudulent” elections.   The front pages of today’s major newspapers exhibited an arsenal of heavy weaponry seized by police in the city of El Progreso and belonging to a terrorist group planning on destroying what is left of that city’s “Democracy Bridge,” among other targets, on Election Day.  Only half of the bridge was left standing after the earthquake of May 28.

Meanwhile, the country prepares as usual for the upcoming civic event.  Armed soldiers distribute truckloads of ballot boxes throughout the country while candidates hold rallies and hand out fliers encouraging citizens to vote for them.  The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) is urging citizens to do their part to restore the world’s faith in Honduras’ democratic process by voting on Sunday.  The National Registry of Persons (RNP) reports a three-fold increase in cedula (the national identity card presented in order to vote) requests in the past few weeks, with young people making up a majority of the applicants. The TSE expects a voter turnout ranging from 57 to 68%.  In the last general election there was roughly a 50% voter turnout and Mel Zelaya won by a small margin.

Opinions in the international community are mixed.  Several countries, among them Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil, have warned that they will not recognize the winners of an election carried out by the de facto regime.  Others, namely the United States and Panama, have said that they will because both Micheletti and Zelaya signed the San Jose – Tegucigalpa accord, which did not require Zelaya’s reinstatement.  Still others, such as El Salvador, have not decided yet where they stand.

A delegation of twenty reporters and human rights defenders from the United States and Canada will be present to observe the electoral process in various cities and towns throughout the country in order to prevent possible human rights violations by police and military personnel.  Panama has also pledged to send election observers.

The right to bear arms has already been temporarily suspended in order to prevent violence in the days leading up to the elections and alcohol sales will be strictly prohibited from six a.m. on Saturday to six p.m. on Sunday.

By Sophia Anderson

The following editorial was written by Andres Vallejo and published in Diario La Prensa on 10/26/09.

It seems incredible and is frightening that there are more than one billion undernourished people in the world, one hundred million more than last year. Instead of improving, the situation gets worse every day. One out of six people in the world goes hungry every day.

Ironically, this situation exists not because there is less food produced, but because the income of the poor and their opportunity for employment has decreased – therefore decreasing their ability to afford proper nourishment.

This is the explanation given by the general director of the FAO, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, on World Food Day. It is ironic that World Food Day is being celebrated with these figures.

It reminds us also, and the authorities should be very conscious of this, that world economic problems that make maintaining employment more difficult, do not only affect people who work in offices, banks, and factories, but also in rural areas where 70% of the world’s hungry live and work.

At the same time, the prices of agricultural supplies have increased geometrically: fertilizers by 176% and seeds by 70%; this makes acquiring them by big and small farmers that much more difficult, setting off a vicious cycle that results in less or more expensive production in the short term. In sub-Saharan Africa more than 80% of the prices of cereal grains are over 25% higher than they were two years ago. In Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean between 40 and 80% of the prices of cereal grains are 25% more expensive than they were two years ago. And, as a result of the lower demand in developed countries, what is produced is harder to sell or sold at lower prices, without benefiting the poor, whom the food does not reach anyway.

The remittances of emigrants that previously grew at a rate of 20% annually, and that in 2008 totaled $300 billion, have decreased by between five and eight percent, or in other words by $15 billion to $24 billion.
Furthermore, foreign aid by developed countries to the 71 poorest countries in the world decreased by about 25%. Combining all of these indices paints a bleak picture for the poor and puts at great risk the chance of reaching the goal of reducing by half the number of hungry people by 2015. Even if that ambitious goal is met, there would still be 420 million hungry human beings daily, without taking into account the fact that in the year 2050 the world population will reach nine billion – more than 2.5 billion more than today.

The attention given to the development of sustainable agriculture with an emphasis on medium- and small-scale farmers is a vital necessity – not only because of the basic need to feed human beings, of whom the poor are the primary victims, but also for the sake of global security itself.

Translated to English by Sophia Anderson.

While a major earthquake and a political crisis have brought Honduras, home to The Adelante Foundation, into the international spotlight in recent months, a much more insidious tragedy has been threatening the livelihoods of over one million Hondurans, especially in rural areas where over half of the population lives.  The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has had its attention on Honduras and neighboring countries such as Guatemala where a state of emergency has been declared.

Here in Honduras between 200,000 and 300,000 families (well over 1 million people) are suffering from food insecurity and the number continues to rise.  In addition to the increase in food costs as a result of last year’s drastic rise in the price of fuel, the main culprit is the “El Niño” climatic phenomenon which has caused a drought that has scorched corn, bean and vegetable crops in south-central parts of the country – especially in the departments of Yoro, Lempira, Francisco Morazán, Valle and Choluteca.

“Food insecurity” is defined by the FAO as “insufficient ingestion of food, which can be transitory, seasonal, or chronic.”  Angel Murillo, of the FAO, explained that in many parts of Honduras people consume only one of the three typical daily meals, and furthermore their diet consists almost exclusively of five products: coffee, sugar, corn, shortening, and beans.

Most families who have lost one crop already this year are dreading the upcoming planting season because if the bad weather persists they will not be able to plant and will have to eat the seeds instead, leaving themselves with nothing for next year.  This brings to light their lack of access to agricultural technology such as irrigation systems that would keep them from being so dependent on the weather.

The current drought and resulting famine emphasize the importance of Adelante’s work in the rural areas of Honduras.  One of the most common results of their increased income reported by our clients is an improvement in their families’ diets.  Furthermore, by diversifying their income sources their food supply becomes less vulnerable to natural climatic fluctuations.  Many of our clients previously lived exclusively off of a small parcel of land; now they have their own income-generating businesses that give them the flexibility to buy some of the food they prepare for themselves and their families.

By Sophia Anderson (Statistics taken from “Carencia de alimentos golpea a 300 mil hogares.” Diario La Prensa 10/22/09)

See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091030/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_honduras_coup

After a disappointing 2-3 loss at home against the United States last Saturday that left them in fourth place, Honduras had only one direct chance left to qualify for the World Cup, and it didn’t just depend on them. In order to move up to third place and qualify, they had to win tonight’s game in El Salvador AND Costa Rica had to either lose to or tie with the United States in Washington in games being played simultaneously.

It didn’t begin well. Honduras started out sluggish and Costa Rica quickly scored against the United States. By the end of the first halves, Costa Rica had a 2-0 lead and Honduras was still tied 0-0 with El Salvador. Hopes were fading fast, but in the 63rd minute Carlos Pavon headed in a goal to give them a 1-0 lead. Then, more than halfway through the second half, the U.S. finally scored their first goal. Despite their team’s lead, the Honduran crowd, knowing that their visa to South Africa depended on the United States equalizing against Costa Rica, watched nervously, hoping for a miracle. The game came to an end and fans and players alike were mourning the evening’s outcome, despite their win, when they heard the news. U.S. defender, Jonathan Bornstein, had delivered their miracle by scoring a header in the last few seconds of the game.

Reportedly a former shoe-shine boy from Puerto Cortes, Honduran soccer star Julio Cesar “Rambo” de Leon, was hunched over on the ground crying after the game when a reporter went over to inform him that Honduras had qualified. He lifted his head briefly and then burst into tears again, this time of happiness.

After months of suffering through a political crisis that has yet to be resolved, Honduras finally had something to be happy about. Fans in the stadium went wild as the news that the U.S. had tied the game filtered through the crowd. People immediately poured into the streets to celebrate the victory and the entire country turned into a giant carnival while interim president, Roberto Micheletti, declared Thursday a national holiday.

Soccer is life in Honduras. Under the best of circumstances this would be the happiest day in the life of most Hondurans. But after the anxiety that has dominated life for the last three months, La Seleccion has truly “soothe(d) the soul of a country” (Michael Lewis, http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.aspx?id=4978).

Rumors are circulating that the representatives of deposed president Manuel Zelaya and interim president Roberto Micheletti are finding common ground. With a little luck the “Guaymuras Accord” will soon bring the crisis to an end. Tonight, at least, Honduras feels like the luckiest country on earth.

By Sophia Anderson

Honduras is depressed. The country has suffered trauma after trauma over the last few months: first a major earthquake, then a political crisis that has dragged the economy into the mud. Most people are worried sick over the crisis and its consequences. Public school children will pass to the next grade having had classes only sporadically for the second half of the school year. Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, the transportation industry, and anyone else who relies on tourism, a major source of income in the country, are wondering how much longer they can survive the economic doldrums that the crisis has provoked. And more than anything the average Honduran, having neither contributed to nor benefited from the ouster of President Mel Zelaya, is heartbroken to see his beloved country treated as the black sheep of the world.
But tonight nobody will care about any of that. Tonight Honduras’ national soccer team (La Selección) has the chance to make Honduras the happiest country in the world. There is really no comparison in the United States to the importance of the Selección in Honduras. Not even Monday Night Football or the president winning the Nobel Peace Prize could possibly unify the population the way tonight’s game will. From San Pedro Sula’s Olympic stadium, to bars and homes with televisions tuned, even in the farthest reaches of the countryside where only radio waves reach poor peasants who walk hours over mountains to get to their homes, everyone will be glued to this game. Honduras has only qualified once for the World Cup, 27 years ago in 1982. A win tonight will guarantee their participation in the 2010 games in South Africa. The odds are in their favor – their record at home in World Cup qualifying games this time is 8-0. But the United States’ team, equally set on the goal of qualifying, will be playing to win.
The outcome of the game remains to be seen. It is hard to see how a loss could throw the country into a deeper depression that it already finds itself in, but the euphoria produced if they win might just be enough to jolt us into recovery.
By Sophia Anderson

By Sophia Anderson & Desirae Wrathall

When asked about her political perspective, Azucena Garcia states, “If Mel brings peace, let him come, if Micheletti brings peace, let him stay.” Azucena does not care who stays in office, she just wants the crisis to end and life to go back to normal. Julia Ramirez, sells cosmetics, but says that right now nobody is buying. People want to keep their money rather than spend it because they do not know what is going to happen next.

On Monday, September 21st, deposed president, Manual Zelaya, shocked the country when he snuck back in and took up residence in the Brazilian embassy. Almost immediately, chaos ensued as the acting government issued a nationwide curfew less than an hour before it was set to go into effect. Shopping cart jams formed in the supermarkets and traffic jams in the streets. The initial curfew lasted forty hours and shut down the country for almost two full work days. Interim president, Roberto Micheletti, lifted the curfew at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday after widespread concern was expressed, but nationwide evening curfews have continued since, interfering with commerce and transportation. Protests, primarily in the capital of Tegucigalpa, have resulted in violence and vandalism. Conflicting media information and varying rumors have caused fear and confusion. For a better sense of the reality of the situation, we spoke directly with clients to hear their personal perspective.

At the Miramar assembly meeting in La Ceiba, six women gather together on a shaded front porch. Irma Garcia, the Adelante credit officer starts out the meeting by saying “Welcome compañeras, thank you for being here today. Things have been tough, there are troubling events happening around us, but we are alive and well, and will keep moving forward.” All nod in agreement. After initial business is taken care of and an educational lesson given on “Domestic Violence”, the subject of the group discussion changes to the current crisis, and the participants give their personal accounts:

Devlin Posadas sells baleadas (a typical Honduran food, consisting of a flour tortilla filled with beans and cheese). She sells them in the street, at the billiard halls, and to some established clients. Last week, she made a hundred baleadas, a reasonable amount based on what she usually sells. But nobody wanted to buy even one baleada because they did not have any money nor would they buy on credit because they didn’t know when they would have any money. Devlin also works occasionally as a mariscera (a person who cleans seafood for export). There has not been any work lately because no boats have been coming in to port. Her husband works as a waiter at a hotel restaurant. Due to the curfew, he is not making his usual salary, but being paid hourly when the restaurant is open. His employer has even insisted that he come to work despite the curfew because the hotel had clients. Consequently, as there was no public transportation available, he had to walk all the way there – an hour journey – while avoiding the police and the fear of being caught and thrown in jail.

The assembly members discussed solutions to the crisis, primarily to hold the upcoming November elections and democratically elect a new individual to office. While Devlin nods in agreement, she says, “No voy a votar. I’m not going to vote. Even though I have always voted in the past, I am disillusioned by the whole situation. Mel was elected by the people and they took him out, so what’s to stop them from doing it all over again? The police would have to make me vote. Otherwise, I’m not going to bother.”

Besy Barahona sells food items and Avon products. Right now her business is doing poorly. She often sells her Avon products on credit, but right now people just do not want to take the chance. If they have a little extra money, they prefer to hold on to it because they never know when they might need it. They are also trying to keep their cash on hand since they don’t know when a curfew might go into effect and they would not be able to get to the bank. Besy says, “People have cut the luxuries; they don’t have any extra money to spend.”

Julissa Posadas makes packaged lunches and sells them to the workers at restaurants like Pizza Hut and KFC, but right now nobody is buying. Usually the workers like some variety as they get bored of eating pizza or chicken all the time, but right now they do not care – they just want to save money so they are just eating whatever the restaurants give them.

Azucena Garcia has a small caseta (snack food shop) in her house. She sells foods like baleadas, pastelitos (meat pies), and sodas. The majority of her clients are students on their way to and from school. With all the curfews and cancelled classes her businesses has dropped dramatically. Lately she has been making about L.24 ($1.27) per day. She says that right now people are saving money by eating at home. They are not spending on luxuries. “Hay que tener paciencia porque las cosas van a mejorar. You have to have patience because things will get better”, Azucena says. She has a lot of faith in God and she feels optimistic that this crisis is temporary and things are going to improve.

The group speaks in general about their desire for the situation to end, and for their kids to be back in school – classes have been sporadic – as public school children have basically missed three months of classes. Some feel that local crime has increased as the police focus on the political situation. They also humorously predict that due to the curfew, there will be a baby boom nine months from now.

Regardless of the politics, it is with your help that the Adelante Foundation continues to serve these women in a very difficult time in Honduran history. Thank you for your continued support.

3:54pm, Monday afternoon: I’ve made my grocery list and checked it twice, and I’m heading out the door. Walking through my kitchen, I shake my head at the sad state of affairs. Mother Hubbard’s dog would likely choose her cupboards over my own at this point. A trip to the grocery store is long over due. As I walk out the gate of my apartment complex and head down the street, looking for a cab to hail, things seem pretty normal. However, there is a sound of a distant siren which leads my thoughts to drift a bit as I wonder if La Ceiba has any emergency warning systems in place – in event of hurricanes or whatnot. Even now I’m not sure whether the siren was significant, but moments later, my neighbor, Angelica pulls up next to me in her car. “Where are you going?” she asks. (I’m assuming she’s thinking of offering me a ride.) “Para hacer mandados. Running errands,” I respond. She shakes her head adamantly. “Didn’t you know there is a 4pm toque de queda? Mel is back.” Literally translated, this phrase means “a warning or call to stay” but it is significant of a government imposed curfew. Before June 28th the day that Mel Zelaya was whisked from his presidential house to Costa Rica, I’d never heard this phrase, but now, its like an old friend, who unfortunately comes to visit at unexpected times and generally stays way too long. Mel is back! This is big news. I turn on my heals and head back towards home, stopping briefly at the small corner store to buy minutes for my phone, should I need to communicate with the outside world over the next few days.

The curfew was announced only 30 minutes before it went into effect. For those of us who didn’t happen to be watching tv or listening to the radio at the time, the warning was even shorter (about 1 minute’s notice for me.) Not a lot of time to prepare, by any standard. Originally the curfew was in effect until 7am Tuesday morning, but by end of day, it had been extended until 6pm. This means, other than the police enforcing the curfew, there will be no work for Honduras on Tuesday.

I wake Tuesday morning and turn on the television to get the latest on the evolving situation. Outside, my window, the guys next door are blasting their 80’s dance music mix and sitting around on the porch with their shirts off. They seem to be making the most of their unplanned day off work. In contrast, on the television, the situation in the capital looks tense and volatile. Mel Zelaya is making speeches, Roberto Micheletti is making speeches. The international community is reacting, the military has cleared the streets of protestors and Zelaya supporters from in front of the Brazilian embassy, where Zelaya has taken refuge.

Sitting in my “home office”, I continue to check the news, waiting for word as to whether we will once again be free to wander the streets come 6pm or if the curfew will be extended. I cant imagine that the grocery stores will magically open tonight anyway, after being closed all day long. How would the workers even get to their jobs with public transportation shut down? Until further notice, I’ll be staying at home, glued to the news, hoping for a peaceful resolution for Honduras, and subsisting on the few items remaining on my kitchen shelves: grapefruits, cheerios, tortillas and beans.

By Desirae Wrathall

Sign reads: "The Road to Understanding", highlighting the complexity and frustration of the politicial battle in Honduras. (Cartoon taken from online newspaper LaPrensa.Hn)

The political crisis in Honduras stands at an impasse. The interim Honduran government has not accepted proposals by the international community because every proposal demands reinstating deposed president Mel Zelaya. As talks continue to fail, Honduras begins to feel the sting of international sanctions. The United States had already suspended roughly $35 million in government and military assistance and has now suspended tourist visas to the United States – with more new sanctions likely in upcoming days. A host of countries, including the United States, has dismissed Honduran ambassadors and consular officials for supporting the current Honduran government. Neighboring countries have reacted harshly, isolating Honduras economically and politically from the rest of Latin America. Amidst the conflict, Hondurans seem to be holding their breath, just waiting for the upcoming November elections to set the country back on track. However, as countries continue to withdraw their support, the question on everyones’ lips becomes “Will the upcoming elections be recognized and validated?” United States diplomats say that it is too early to tell, but continue to stand firm that restoring Zelaya to office is the only way to negotiate a solution to this political crisis.

On the ground, the political predicament has taken its toll on an already suffering Honduras. During the traditionally high tourist season, destinations such as the island of Roatan are quiet – with beachside resorts like ghost towns, waves crashing on silent, empty beaches. Businesses dependent on tourism have suffered a financial beating this year, many operating at a loss.

Due to safety concerns and political instability, Habitat for Humanity and other development organizations who rely on foreign volunteers for fundraising and labor have suspended brigade activities for the current year. Educational programs that bring exchange students are also withdrawing from Honduras. In government departments and many NGOs, next year’s programming budgets are in limbo during the freeze on IMF and country donor funds.

Women attending an Adelante assembly meeting, high in the mountain village of Marcala.

In spite of all remaining obstacles, Hondurans are still hopeful that the situation will turn around, although they are not sure how or when. In the meantime, the Adelante Foundation will continue to move forward with their mission to improve the standard of living of extremely poor women living in Honduras, remaining dedicated to assisting those most vulnerable, who – in turn – are working to survive, caring for their families, and hoping their voices might also be heard amidst the clamorous sounds of international opinion and diplomatic negotiation.

By Desirae Wrathall