Post Election/Inauguration Observations

The inauguration of Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo Sosa took place on January 27, 2010. Although by Honduran standards it was a grand affair, I have my own observations.

• As President Lobo stood giving his speech, the people behind him sitting in chairs drove me crazy. They fidgeted, the talked, they passed bottles of water back and forth. They talked on their cell phones. One man in particular sat there, with his legs spread wide and any minute, I expected him to have an itch that required a scratch. Just waiting for him to do it was extremely distracting. It just seemed like they were watching a parade pass by instead of the newly elected president. Just lacked respect.
• The delegation sent from Washington to attend the inauguration had no place to sit. They arrived and, gee whiz, where do they sit? Very quickly folding chairs were found and voila...they had seats. Who planned this gig anyway?
• I was bothered by all the people President Lobo thanked in his speech. The majority of them received resounding Booooos. Included in those that were booed were Oscar Arias, Insulza and Ambassador Hugo Llorens. I was at work during the telecast so I didn't catch all those who were booed but it also included many Hondurans. By the time Lobo finished his speech, 50% of the people had gotten up and walked out of the stadium. They too, didn't appreciate the people he thanked. I don't know if he ever thanked the citizens for electing him.
• When it came time for Lobo to sign the document granting amnesty to Zelaya, they booed. Personally, I think the government will regret not forcing Zelaya to take political amnesty. As Zelaya boarded the plane, all he said was "Regresare" or "I will return." Oh, you can bet he will. His resistence movement is continuing to mobilize and work toward the constitutional change (no term limits) and don't plan on disbanding just because Mel Zelaya is out of the country.

After the inauguration was over, the new President proceeded to the Brazilian embassy to fetch Mel Zelaya to take him to the airport. With him went the president of the Dominican Republic and I believe, Amb. Llorens. At the embassy, we all anticipated the departure of Mel. We had all been here when the whole thing started and this was kind of like closing the book on Mel. We looked out our windows to watch the motorcade drive off. As they all drove out of the street where the Brazilian embassy is and turned down Avenida La Paz, we all gave a sigh of relief. I bet the sigh of relief from the neighbors of the Brazilian embassy could have been heard for miles! What a horrible 5 months it's been for them!

Mel is currently staying in a mansion in the ritzy section of the Dominican Republic where celebrities have luxury homes. I've read that the citizens of the DR aren't very happy that they are footing the bill for Mel. You'd think with all the money he has stashed away that he could at least offer to pay the rent. It's reported that he won't be there long as Mexico is his next destination. Who knows if the Mexican government will house him for free. It wouldn't surprise me.

According to local papers and the rumor mills, Mel is already forming his own 'cabinet' and one day has plans of returning to overthrow the Honduran government. I pray nothing like that happens. What this country needs to do now is move forward and heal...heal from the wounds caused by a megalomaniac who was only concerned about himself. He stole, mishandled government funds and couldn't have cared less about the state of the country he was elected to serve and protect. I've already read comments attributed to him that reflect how he really feels about 'his' Honduras..."Don't go to Honduras," "Countries of the world...do NOT recognize the government of Honduras," "Do NOT give humanitarian aid to Honduras." Doesn't sound like he cares about Honduras now that he's safe outside of the country.

Move on, Honduras. Work hard at repairing your country. Get your teachers to teach school instead of picketing in the streets (and getting paid whether they are in class or not). Do something about the corruption. Do something about the rampant crime (14 homicides a day), and that means when you arrest someone, don't let them out the next day.

And last but not least, thank you to Roberto Micheletti. In your short term as President, you did a great job of holding your own. You held fast to your beliefs and convictions and didn't buckle under to the pressures from foreign countries who said you should restore Zelaya to power. And what a shame that Pepe couldn't have thanked you for what you did for the people of Honduras in his speech.

I wish Pepe Lobo luck. He is going to need it to get this country moving in the right direction.

2010 - So Far, So good

2010, or Twenty Ten as I have decided to say it, came in with a bang. Lots and lots of bangs...from guns, firecrackers, fireworks and anything else that would make noise. I was at a friend's house for New Years and she has a magnificent hillside view of Tegucigalpa. In every direction you could see fireworks displays. The celebration began at about 11:55 and didn't stop for about 3 hours. It sounded like a war zone. Holy Sonic Boom, Batman! Several times I felt like I should take cover...the bangs, booms and crackles were so close! At times it even sounded like small bombs going off. The same thing happened on Christmas Eve...hours of noisemaking with anything that would go boom. Definately a huge change from the serene type of celebration on Christmas Eve that I'm used to.


Politically, things are, on the surface, calm. Craig Kelly paid a visit to Tegucigalpa last week and had meetings with Micheletti and Zelaya. The newspapers are reporting all kinds of things, most of which are probably not true. The most bizarre is that the US is offering money to Micheletti to resign and give Zelaya full amnesty. My maid told me she read that in one of the newspapers here in Tegucigalpa and there's also been discussions of it on local online discussion groups. I just don't see that happening. The only thing I can think of that might have been discussed would be economic assistance as an incentive for the resignation and amnesty. But I don't believe Micheletti will agree to anything that gives Zelaya full amnesty (political, that is). Even if he were to be given political amnesty, Zelaya would still have to answer to the other charges against him.


We'll see. I doubt 2010 is shaping up to be a good year for Tegucigalpa's own version of Punxsutawney Phil. When will Mel stick his head out and see if he has 6 more weeks of living in the Brazilian embassy? Ooops..since it's been reported that he has been told he must be out by Jan. 27th, inauguration day, he only has a week and a half left there. What Mel will do is anyone's guess right now.

What I do know for sure is that I have just a little over 4 months left of my tour here. On May 20, I leave for my home leave. I'll fly to Kauai to visit my son, his wife and my 3 grandsons for about 2 weeks. Then on to Fort Worth for a couple of weeks to spend time with my Dad and my friends. Then to Washington DC for some training and on July 18th I fly off to Muscat, Oman. It's a long flight with an overnight stay in Frankfurt, Germany. My 2010 sounds a whole lot better than Citizen Zelaya's!

Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth...and Honduras

It's Christmas Eve, 2009. Last year at this time, I was on the beautiful island of Kauai with my son and his wife and my 3 beautiful grandsons. Seems like yesterday. On Christmas Day this year, I'll have to be satisfied with seeing them all via Skype. Coordinating the time difference might be tricky but we'll manage.

Things are quiet here in Honduras. The last word I heard about Citizen Zelaya was that he had resolved to spend his Christmas in the Brazilian embassy. It's anyone's guess just how much longer he'll be there. I must say it's been really nice the last couple of weeks...no demonstrations, no announcements from Citizen Zelaya...the quiet is wonderful. I'm sure we'll hear more from him, most likely before the inauguration on January 27th. Surely he will have something to say that he wants the news to spread around. I'm just enjoying the peace and quiet here in Tegucigalpa.

Sadly, the crime in Tegucigalpa and for Embassy employees is on the rise. In 2 different instances, 3 embassy employees were victims of armed robberies, all for a cell phone. One of the victims, a petite female, actually fought for her life. She refused their demands for her to get in her car, knowing that could mean certain death. Seriously. We don't advocate fighting back...give them what they want. But she felt her life was in danger and she did what she could. I hugged her today and told her how sorry I was that she had such an awful experience.

For all those who visit my blog, I wish you a Merry Christmas to those that that greeting applies and a wonderful holiday season to those who celebrate their own religious holidays. I hope that 2010 is a year full of terrific surprises for everyone. I know I'm looking forward to it!

A special Merry Christmas to all my family, living so far from me...I miss you and love you all so much.

This Little Country Could...And Did!

They were right. People kept saying that what Honduras needed to help the country was for the elections to take place. They did and it seems to have worked. The resistence movement has abandoned Citizen Zelaya, as have all but about 15 of those who had become squatters in the Brazilian embassy with him. Every time one of them left the embassy, dragging their suitcase on wheels behind them, I think we could all imagine Citizen Zelaya crying into his hands, wondering how they could leave him in his hour...er day..I mean month of need.

I believe, as do so many others, that he was too focused on himself (among other things). They finally saw him for what he really was...everything for himself, not for his country. He just didn't get it. The money and power went to his head. Well, the money is well hidden but that's another story.

Honduras learned a very important lesson, and future politicians should understand this. They saw that corruption is something that is unacceptable. They stood strong against many who tried to change their course, unsuccessfully. They can credit the interim president, Roberto Micheletti, for not giving in to the many threats and actions taken against Honduras.

On Dec. 2, Congress voted on whether or not to reinstate Citizen Zelaya as president. For the first time, the voting was televised and each of the Congresistas had their turn at the microphone. Some merely said they were in favor of the decision made on June 28th or they said they were against it. Others realized that what was happening in that room was really a historical event and they wanted their 15 minutes of fame....some thought they deserved 50 minutes of fame! Several times, the president of Congress had to interrupt them, respectfully reminding them there were others who were waiting to vote. They would thank him and proceed with their rant. The importance of this televised vote was that for the first time, the citizens of Honduras could actually see what the people they voted for were doing. I spoke with my maid, Gloria and tried to impress on her just how very important this was. I told her that in the US, we could always check the voting records of the people we voted into office. She was amazed. And by the way, they overwhelmingly voted to accept what took place back in June. Sorry Citizen Zelaya.

Back to Citizen Zelaya and his future. He really has only 2 choices...he can request political asylum and leave the country or he can walk out of that embassy into the arms of the police and be held accountable for what he has done. I hope he leaves. Honduras needs to recover from the crisis it has endured for the past 7 months. Healing can't begin if Zelaya is put in jail and begins the process of answering the charges against him. That would only stand to invigorate his supporters and we'd be back to where we were a couple of months ago, with the streets filled with demonstrators. He should just leave and let this country move on. Let the people here look to the future with a renewed sense of pride and encouraged by their newly elected president, Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo. Last week, he came to visit the Ambassador. I happened to be working in his office and when Pepe walked in, he came right over to me and shook my hand. I congratulated him and wished him the best of luck in his new role. He smiled and graciously thanked me. Then he and the Ambassador left and walked throughout the embassy. He greeted everyone he saw, from the cafeteria ladies on up. He seems to be comfortable in his new role as President and thanking the people for their votes sure didn't hurt his popularity any!

As I prepare to leave Honduras next May, I will leave knowing that I was here when the people of Honduras found out what it was like to stand up for what they believed in. They saw a leader who, at all costs, did his best to preserve the rule of law and keep their constitution intact. This really is the little country that could.

Democracy Lives On In Honduras

The people of Honduras have spoken. More than 60% of the voters turned out to put their ballots in those 3 boxes, one for President and Vice President, one for Congress and one for local elected officials. The majority of the votes went to Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo. It's not so much who won the election since they both had pretty much the same platform...improve the quality of life, create more jobs, repair the streets. It's more about the fact that people really really wanted to vote in this election. That 60% is a huge number...and it doesn't even take into account the Hondurans who live in the United States and who voted in any of the many cities who had voting polls set up. People were heard to say they flew HERE from the states to cast their vote in their home town. How many times have you heard that about a US election? This is a big deal for this wonderful country.

There were stories about citizens in their 70s and 80s who had never, in their lives, voted for a president. They were coming to the polls in their wheelchairs. One lady who had lost both legs below the knee came in a taxi and the poll workers brought her ballot out to the taxi. One scene on TV showed children in the polling place, excited to see their parents cast their votes. It was, for most Hondurans, a day to remember and a real lesson for the young.

Tonight, as I sit writing, Congress is voting on whether or not to reinstate Mel Zelaya. The vote that was just cast was the deciding vote as it resulted in a majority. There will not be a Mel Zelaya back in the Casa Presidencial! Someone send him the rest of his belongings! Chances are, they won't all fit in the Brazilian embassy, where he is still camped out, probably with head in hands right now, wondering what his next move should be. Mel, may I make a suggestion? Just as you snuck back into the country, figure out a way to sneak back out. I don't think this country wants to deal with you any more, even if it's you defending yourself in a court of law against the numerous allegations for which there is a warrant for your arrest. Sure, many would like him to pay for his injustices, but just as many want their lives to begin to heal and that means no more violence. No more demonstrations. No more anger. No more Zelaya.

This country wants to move on. They need to have a light at the end of the tunnel that's not another train coming at them in the form of more violence if Mel should be brought to trial. I can't imagine the scenes in the streets if that should happen. Let's hope that someone comes up with a really good final chapter to this story.

Shortly after Zelaya was whisked off to Costa Rica on June 28th, I said that Hollywood should jump on this story and make a movie. Sean Penn as Zelaya, Gene Hackman as Roberto Micheletti...and of course, Sally Fields would have to play me. What a historical time to be serving at the American Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I wouldn't have traded this for anything!

A Day For Democracy

November 29, 2009 has finally arrived for the citizens of Honduras. Today they go to the polls to democratically elect their new president. I've had the television on since a little before 7:00 a.m. this morning when the polls were to open. So far, very little in the way of problems for the voters. The only thing I've heard is that at one polling place, a small group of 'resistencia' members tried to block the way to the school where voting was to take place. They were calmly removed by the police with no violence or excessive force used.


Observers and 'reporters' (those who are in attendence to report if there appears to be any questionable activity) are present at all polling places, as are journalists from around the world. Local TV has been interviewing people who are in line to vote and all are excited about the chance to choose their new leader. The polls close at 4:00 p.m. and preliminary results should begin coming in within 2 hours after the polls close.


Ballots began arriving in the very early hours today in cardboard boxes, with military personnel guarding them. Each voter will cast a ballot in each of 3 boxes, or 'urna' as they are called. The ballots all have color photographs of each candidate for President, as well as the members of Congress and other local elections. To my knowledge, there is no computerized way of counting the votes, so it will all be done by hand. Observers will be there to make sure it's all on the up and up. I'm optomistic that things will go well and a new president will be announced later tonight or tomorrow.


As for Citizen Zelaya, I've heard that Spain has turned down his request for political asylum and he has applied to Nicaragua. I would rather see him across the ocean than right next door. Being so close could be problematic for Honduras.


I'm keeping my fingers crossed and trying to be positive about today's election. Good for Honduras. Even better for the people of Honduras. Show the world that you came through this crisis with your head held high and your constitution intact!



(Thanks to Mitch Cummins of Roatan for the picture.)

Let There Be Peace

Election day here in Honduras is almost upon us. The country will finally elect their next president. Roberto Micheletti has voluntarily stepped down, moved aside or otherwise removed himself from the picture in an effort to further legitimize the election in the eyes of the world, stating that if there were problems he would return immediately. With Congress left in charge, the country is once again under the rule of appropriately elected officials. The country has been functioning much better since the sudden involuntary departure of Manuel Zelaya in June but, nevertheless, the urgings from the US that Micheletti 'take a vacation' seems to have made sense to him.


The ballot boxes destined for cities some distance from the capitol have left the building where they have been stored and are in trucks on their way to the schools where they will be ready for Sunday's election. The schools have been closed for some time since they are the polling places for elections. As sad as it is, they've been empty pretty much all year due to the teacher's participation in many of the violent demonstrations by the pro Zelaya supporters. You see, the teachers have a very strong union. They don't pay taxes. They get paid whether they are in the classrooms or not. They get paid to demonstrate. And to think they are responsible for the future generations of Honduras...what a shame.


The only 2 candidates I've heard anything about are Pepe Lobo and Elvin Santos. They've been doing their best to convince the masses that they deserve their vote. I have no idea which one would be better for this country but odds are either one will be better than the previous president. I really hope, for the sake of the people of Honduras, that there have been some lessons learned as a result of this political crisis. There have been plenty of examples of what not to do, that's for sure. But with a history of years of corruption to overcome, whoever does win will have quite a battle to reinvent Democracy in the Honduran government. So much should be learned from what has happened during the past 5 months...and even before that.


The next few days will be interesting. Citizen Zelaya has torn apart the recently signed accord, paragraph by paragraph, by not abiding by its content. He has called for a boycott of the elections and in return, it was announced that anyone found promoting this action is subject to 6 years in prison. There are rumors flying about a 'toque de queda,' or curfew, beginning Friday afternoon. It's my guess that it will happen, if for no other reason than to make sure things are calm before the election on Sunday. And I would guess that if they do it for Friday, it will extend through Saturday also. With bomb threats and grenades appearing more and more often, it seems logical to call for a curfew to keep people off the streets.

I pray that things do remain calm and peaceful and that the elections take place without any questions of legitimacy or violence. There are observers coming from all over and even possibly a delegation from Washington. With the world watching, let's hope that no one does anything stupid. You know who you are.