The original plan involved me and the rest of the group boarding a bus by now and heading to Atlanta for our flight to Honduras.  However, the State Department decided to extend their travel advisory and so UNCA pulled the plug on our trip.  Our tickets have been canceled, the money which was paid for our room and board while in Honduras is being refunded, and we are attempting to get a refund from Delta Airlines.  What’s worse is that the four local school in Honduras which were anticipating a visit from some American college students will now be disapointed to hear that they will have to wait because of the current, non-violent, political situation in their country.  While our group understands that the university had to withdraw their support of our trip due to the recent political events which are beyond their, and our, control, it doesn’t make it any less dissapointing to have the trip canceled.  We are most concerned about the people who we were trying to help who need the resources we were attempting to bring into their country.  We are considering vearious fund raiser activities to attempt to offset this loss of funds in some way.  If you are capable of helping Shoulder to Shoulder and the people of Honduras in some way please visit their site and look around for things they need which you could provide.

This is a huge find that I have been trying for weeks to locate and which was revealed to me in an article in this mornings news.  They suggested that I should “Google the Honduran Constitution and read it for yourself — Article 239″ and that’s exactly what I did.  Here’s what it says:

ARTICULO 239.- El ciudadano que haya desempeñado la titularidad del Poder Ejecutivo no podrá ser Presidente o Vicepresidente de la República.

El que quebrante esta disposición o proponga su reforma, así como aquellos que lo apoyen directa o indirectamente, cesarán de inmediato en el desempeño de sus respectivos cargos y quedarán inhabilitados por diez (10) años para el ejercicio de toda función pública.
* Modificado por Decreto 299/1998.
* Modificado por Decreto 374/2002 y ratificado por Decreto 153/2003.

http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Honduras/hond05.html

And for those of us who speak English, Google Translator tells me that says:

ARTICLE 239 .- The citizen who has ownership of the executive branch may not be President or Vice President of the Republic.

Anyone who violates this provision or the proposed reform, and support those who directly or indirectly, immediately cease the discharge of their duties and shall be disqualified for ten (10) years to exercise any public function.
* Amended by Decree 299/1998.
* Amended by Decree 374/2002, ratified by Decree 153/2003.

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fpdba.georgetown.edu%2FConstitutions%2FHonduras%2Fhond05.html&sl=es&tl=en&history_state0=

Why is all this important?  Well the argument is that the former Honduran president should resume his role as president in order to uphold the rule of “constitutional law” and that he is the only true “constitutionally elected” president.  Unfortunately the former president was removed from office because he insisted on holding a vote to see if people would allow him to extend his presidential term.  According to Article 239 of the Honduran Constitution, “Anyone who violates this provision or the proposed reform, and support those who directly or indirectly, immediately cease the discharge of their duties and shall be disqualified for ten (10) years to exercise any public function.”  Because of his actions in attempting to extend his presidential term the Honduran Constitution requires that he vacate the presidency and be disqualified from any public function for ten years.  The reason for this is to prevent strong individuals in the government from taking unilateral control of the country which has been a problem throughout Latin America especially during the era of caudillismo.

The first time that Zelaya tried to enter Honduras some of his supporters died in the confrontation with the military and now he is planning, not only to re-enter the country but to setup an alternative capital within Honduras.  I am still attempting to give this man the benefit of the doubt and presume that he thinks he is trying to help his people but I do not see any good that could come from him acting as a lame duck president for the remainder of his term.  Even if he were permitted to re-enter the country and resume his role as president, the congress and supreme court are in direct opposition to everything he wishes to accomplish.  In my opinion he should be focused on negotiating a situation which allows him to be reunited with his family in Honduras and live out his remaining years within his home country.  If he continues to provoke the congress, supreme court, military, and what appears to be half the general population of Honduras; the only thing he will accomplish is to begin a civil war.  Take a look at this report from the Associated Press which states that Zelaya is in route to not only return to Honduras but also to setup a second seat of the government somewhere within the country.  Let me know your thoughts on this in the comments section below.

I just got this email from Mo Jennings with the Shoulder to Shoulder group that is helping us with our volunteer trip to Honduras and I think it’s so important and provides so much great information about the situation in Honduras, and with Shoulder to Shoulder speciffically, that it is my post for this week.  Please take a look at it and help out Shoulder to Shoulder in any way you can.

July 16, 2009
Wanted: Courage in the Face of Disaster
Political Problems in Honduras means more suffering for the poor:  Transitions of power include uncertainty.  Recent events in Honduras highlight this reality.  For the past 20 years, Shoulder to Shoulder has worked with all types of governments.  We continue to do so today.  In light of recent events however, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and donor states, including the U.S. have or are planning to, withhold the millions of dollars of aid currently funding support for poor people in the hemisphere’s third poorest country.   This includes Shoulder to Shoulder projects!
Will the political problem affect Shoulder to Shoulder?  Shoulder to Shoulder serves over 40,000 people in the isolated mountains of Honduras who depend on the health care, nutrition and the educational services that support the poor.   Shoulder to Shoulder also depends on this very foreign aid for over $20,000 per month to buy medicines, pay physicians’ and nurses’ salaries and deliver services to the poorest areas.  We were due for payment two weeks ago and we are uncertain if and when it will come.  We are also not certain of the fate of the German government foundation the GTZ, which has agreed to fund a Shoulder to Shoulder project to place 1000 fuel efficient smokeless stoves in the most remote communities. 
Is Travel to Honduras Safe?  Shoulder to Shoulder programs and brigades remain on schedule despite recent events.
Shoulder to Shoulder’s travel policy is influenced by our experience and by the policies of well-established organizations such as the U.S. Peace Corp working within Honduras.  The U.S. Peace Corp has lifted all travel restrictions for their volunteers in Honduras.  This is significant because that organization is very cautious, has a demonstrated track record responding to sensitive political situations and is in close contact with information from national and international sources.  Art Ranz, COO, Shoulder to Shoulder, spent last week in Honduras.  He traveled freely without restriction.  He reported that unless you watched the news, you would know nothing of the situation.  The San Pedro airport, the one that Shoulder to Shoulder uses, was never closed, contrary to what was reported in the press.  Our staff on the ground has travelled freely even in the Tegucigalpa area without any difficulty.
Travel and service to the poor in Honduras will never be perfectly safe.  However, our staff and the communities we serve are vigilant in protecting the safety and security of Shoulder to Shoulder volunteers.  Presently, travel to our sites in Honduras is as safe as it has ever been.  Although there can be no guarantee of future events, we remain confident of the situation and will continue monitoring events on a daily basis on the ground in Honduras.
The poor are suffering the worst from these developments.  Although the US Department of State has issued a “travel alert,” that is no different than warning people not to travel to the Caribbean during Hurricane season, something we have been doing year after year. 
Funds are at risk of being cut off that support the very programs that help the poor the most.  They need your help now more than ever.
If brigade members decide to cancel travel, we will fully refund any money paid to Shoulder to Shoulder.  Unfortunately, airfare refunds are out of our control because the tickets are issued in the participant’s name.  Presently, most airlines are issuing 100 percent credits for cancelled travel to Honduras, but we expect this to change in the future.
What are we doing and what do we need:
Mostly money, secondly volunteers and the courage to remain committed to these communities!  Because the people still need all that we are doing:
Health Services:  The clinic in Santa Lucia is as busy as ever.  This year we will be strengthening our immunization coverage, targeting chronic diseases in the elderly and hopefully finding and installing a new digital x-ray machine.  The comprehensive clinic in Concepcion is scheduled to open to medical services in January of 2010.  It will double the population in range of Shoulder to Shoulder medical services.  The smaller clinics in Pinares, San Antonio, Magdalena and San Jose, El Negrito continue to provide services at the local level. Our two dental clinics provide high quality restorative dentistry.
Nutrition:  The Mathile Institute for Human Nutrition continues to support our efforts to provide supplement feeding to all children under two in the municipalities of Santa Lucia, Magdalena and San Antonio.  Ongoing research will enable us to determine the best methods and formulation for complementary feeding practices. 
Water:  We continue to deliver hundreds of home based water filters to the rural areas.  These are much desired by the local people as they are able to see dramatic reductions in the rate of diarrhea.
What will happen if the political situation is not resolved and less volunteers come?  The extent of services provided cannot be sustained with the current level of giving and volunteering if international funding dries up.  Given the nature of politics and the intransigence on both sides it is unlikely that things will change in the next six months.  We do not expect violence but if it does occur there will be likely a further deterioration of the economic situation for the poor and the demand for services will increase.   Shoulder to Shoulder still is an efficient low overhead organization.  Your donation will buy medicines, deliver services to poor people in remote areas and pay salaries of health providers.  Please be bold. 
Please Respond Now:  This enormous setback threatens to stall or stem the work of Shoulder to Shoulder at a time when our momentum and support is at an all-time high. For over 20 years, Shoulder to Shoulder has been a constant partner, avoiding the “quick fix” approach of many NGOs who arrive with lofty promises and then quickly vanish without any sustained progress. In contrast, our presence today among the needy is felt more than ever – Shoulder to Shoulder’s clinics, health centers, and field operations currently provide services to 20,000 people.
So as the world’s eyes and ears are turned to the back-and-forth during this transition of power, we must remember that the real battle is being waged in silence: the daily struggle of Honduras’ poor against hunger, disease, and despair.
So help us take full advantage of our recent momentum and continue your support of Shoulder to Shoulder when it is needed most. Please click here to read our exciting recent StoS status. (or copy this link to your browser ) http://www.shouldertoshoulder.org/files/0709accomplishments.pdf
Jeffery E Heck, MD
Executive Director
 
Art Ranz, DDS
Chief Executive Officer
 
Wayne Waite, Esq.
Board President 

I just had to add a link to this article which was written by Carlos Alberto Montaner for the Washington Post.  He is a “writer, journalist, and former professor” and “one of the most influential and widely-read columnists in the Spanish-language media, syndicated in dozens of publications in Latin America, Spain and the United States”.  He also seems to be saying the same thing I have been, only he uses more colorful language and more quotes.  Check it out and tell me if it does not resonate with my previous posts on this subject.

The former Honduran president attempted to return today and his aircraft was not permitted to land which forced him to go to El Salvador.  It seems that this stunt and the protests which preceded it have now cost someone their life as CNN is now reporting that at least one person has died today as protesters were removed from the airport through the use of tear gas and gunfire.  As I mentioned in my previous article, I see no way that this could end well if the former president is permitted to return to Honduras.  The best he could hope for is to spend the remainder of his presidency in a stalemate with the Congress, Supreme Court, and the military; the worst could be a civil war.  If President Jose Manuel Zelaya loves his country and his people as much as he says he does he should respect the value of their lives and work from outside the country to achieve the changes he so desires and spare his country the cost of civil war.  I do not know if his intentions were to extend his presidency there by making himself a dictator or to improve the situation for his people, more than 65% of whom live below poverty.  Either way he is in a no-win situation and the best course of action would be to swallow his pride and let his people continue to live in peace.  The new president, Roberto Micheletti, has no intentions of keeping the office after the up-coming election in November.  He plans to transition power to which ever president is newly elected on January 27th, as former president Mel says he would have.  The settlement that I would suggest is that perhaps Mr. Zelaya should not be exiled from his home in Honduras for the remainder of his life but only until the end of his presidency, or perhaps the elections could be moved up and he could be permitted to return under the newly elected president.  One thing Mr. Zelaya does have going for him is that the military is against him, so once he is no longer president he will pose no threat to the Congress, Supreme Court or military and they should consider permitting him back into the country.

I have to admit that I am a little biased about this situation because the stability of the region will determine if I am able to visit Honduras in August as part of a volunteer trip though UNCA.  It seems that if Mr. Zelaya returns the country will become even more polarized and violence and bloodshed may become far more common.  Also, I am basing my suggestion almost entirely on information from the media which could be a little biased.  I do try to avoid the biases by reading from multiple sources on the same topic and to that end recieve a list of the major stories about Honduras delivered to my inbox daily through Google.

There has been much discussion in the media about the “military coup” in Honduras and while the military did escort the president out of Honduras it seems they did so at the request of Congress which has appointed a new president until the elections are held in November and an new president is appointed in January.  Mr. Micheletti, the Parliamentary speaker now appointed president, has stated that former president Mel will be arrested if he attempts to return to Honduras.  It seems that the Supreme Court has ruled that former president Mel had committed a crime when he attempted to circumvent Congress and hold a vote to see if the people would allow for changes to be made to their constitution.  There is plenty of news coverage all over the internet which can fill you in on the details of the events which have lead Honduras to this situation, but I caution you to read over several reports with opposing biases before deciding the facts.  My primary concern is that the former president is in no position to help his people even if his intentions were in their best interests and as such he should cut his losses and stay out of Honduras.

What we do know is that, according to every source we have, Congress, the Supreme Court, and the military are united against the former president.  Suppose he is some how able to re-enter the country and assume his former role as president.  What could he accomplish?  He would need Congress to pass any laws and they want nothing to do with him.  They will certainly be working against him for the remainder of his term if he were to return.  He would also need the Supreme Court to uphold any laws he was able to somehow pass and they too would circumvent him in any way they could.  Lastly he would need the military to enforce any actions he chose to take and they are the ones who escorted him out of the country to begin with.  Unfortunately, at this point the only thing I think the return of former president Mel would do is incite a revolution.  For this reason I firmly believe that the former president should begin planning his retirement outside of Honduras and thus far it seems the rest of the world is beginning to see this situation the same way I do.  Former president Mel was planning to return to Honduras today and postponed his trip for 72 hours, hopefully by then he will have decided to postpone the trip indefinitely.

Todays is just a quick post because the news coverage of Honduras will be more than enough reading material.  I am just watching the news out of Honduras and hoping that this does not turn into the same kind of situation as exists in Iran. If you haven’t been watching the events of this weekend check out this site for the latest news from Honduras.

A quick run down of what happened:

1. President wanted to have a poll to see if the people wanted to change the constitution and allow him to serve another term (similar to what Chavez has done in Venezuela)
2. Supreme Court ruled that this would be illegal
3. President wanted to go ahead with the poll any way and asked military leader to help
4. Military leader refused and was fired
5. Congress reinstated the military leader and ordered that the president be arrested
6. Military arrested and deported the president to Costa Rica
7. Head of Congress became acting president
8. No deaths as of yet but people are rioting in the streets and the military has a curfew in effect
9. US, EU, Cuba, Venezuela, and others are backing the original president who has been deported to Costa Rica

At least one problem with choosing sides in this situation is that those of us who are not intamiatly familiar with the political climate in Honduras don’t know if the original president is acting in the intrests of his people and wishes to actualy do something about the stagering poverty in Honduras or if he is only looking to extend his term in office indefinatly.  We also don’t know if their congress and military are acting in the intrests of the constitution or the ruling elite who would prefer to keep the status quo.  I’ll be watching egerly to see how this unfolds.

It’s hard to believe that I haven’t posted to my Honduras blog in three weeks.  I’m taking twelve credit hours over the summer and seem to have lost track of time.  Some of the things I’ve been working on include projects for class, research for reports, and signing up for training to become an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) tutor.  If you are interested in volunteering as an ESOL tutor check out this site.  My ESOL training begins this Thursday and I’ll be sure to post an update on how that is going.  Also, I have completed my research project for my mini-mester humanities class two weeks early and will now be able to begin research into the history and political structures of Honduras.  I have been working like a crazy person and had to take this past weekend off, so my wife and I took a drive on the Parkway and went to Skinny Dip Falls for a hike and swimming, more on that here.

You may have noticed the calendar which was added to the blog, it was an idea from our last group meeting and everyone in the group is now able to post events to the calendar which will be displayed on the blog.  We have been meeting about once a week in mostly social gatherings at restaurants around town although our individual findings about Honduras have been the central theme of the discussions.  We are all excited about the trip and worried because it is only six weeks away and we feel so under prepared.  My belief is that we are mostly going to Honduras to learn first hand about the people and their struggles.  Most of the help we will provide will be in the form of community awareness seminars and fund-raising after our return.  For this reason most of my planing and packing is geared toward gathering resources for this.  For example I am bringing my camera to get photos of the area and the people and the XO laptop to determine if it is a worth while fund raiser project.  I have decided to leave my Eee PC laptop behind after learning about an internet cafe which is located a short distance from where we will be staying.  I will be updating the blog from there and have decided to only upload some of the best photos of the trip while I’m in Honduras due to their spotty and slow internet service.  There will be many more photos uploaded after our return.  I am still looking for travel insurance which will cover lost luggage and damaged or stolen electronics.  If you have any suggestions about this please leave them in the comments.

After two weeks of playing phone tag with the Henderson County Health Department I finaly got my travel vaccinations this week.  Most of the vaccinations are part of the routine requirements to attend school which means that all I needed was a shot for Typhoid and a prescription for Malaria medication.  They recomend that I get vaccinated for Hepatitas A & B, but I will look into other option for this because it would cost an additional $270 which I was not prepared to spend right now.  The Tyhpoid shot and the consult added up to $114 and the Hep A & B is a series of 3 shots which cost $90 each.  I will be checking into getting the Hep A & B from the clinic on campus to see if they have a discounted rate for students.  I plan to get the first round about a week or two before going on the trip because the second shot is due one month after the first and this will allow me to be protected while in Honduras but I will also have the option of getting the other two shots after my return.  The good thing about the Hep A & B shots is that after the series is complete they last a lifetime where as the Typhoid shot only lasts two years.  The CDC also recomends a Rabies shot but I passed on that one because I don’t plan to spend much time with animals and I will heed the warning I have recieved about not petting the wild dogs which wonder the streets.  Also, if I did get bitten by an animal we will be staying at the regional medical facility and I’m sure they would have the capabilities to handel Rabies.  For more information on the recomendations of the CDC, check out this link (http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/honduras.aspx).