As most of you know, I have lived in Tegucigalpa for the past 14 months or so, working at the American Embassy here. This is a wonderful country...the people are terrific, the climate is fabulous and if you can overlook the crime and corruption, it's a great place to live.
That being said, there is some pretty serious political unrest going on here. I've been spending most of my time posting links to articles on my facebook about the current situation here. The links below are excellent sources and covers all the angles. Please take a minute and read them. From what my friends in the U.S. say, there is very little press on this subject in the states. But the crisis here and its issues are so important and will have a direct impact on things in the states (as in the flow of drugs into the U.S. and the protection of Democracy in this small country) and it's important to know what's going on. This is not a time to stick your head in the sand and ignore it. Just be informed is all I ask.
Other great sites that are covering this crisis are http://www.ap.com/ , Christian Science Monitor (google it...not sure of the addy) and the Wall Street Journal (http://www.wsj.com/) . You may have to create a log on for some of these, but they are great sources of information and worth the trouble, especially if your hometown news isn't covering whats going on here.
Honduras Coup Analysis - What's Really Happening in Honduras? - Esquire
Magnolia
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Time is Running Out
Interesting read...
July 2nd, 2009,
"Within the next 48 hours, the situation in Honduras will reach its most critical point yet. Deposed Marxist dictator Manuel Zelaya has set the stage to try to retake power in direct defiance of that nation's Supreme Court, its legislature, and the vast majority of the Honduran people.
And if Honduras falls, the rest of Latin America -- already at risk -- will not be far behind.
That's why it is more important than ever for us as Liberty Leaders to get out the facts to all we know -- as quickly as possible. The attached commentary from a leading Honduran attorney, Octavio Sánchez, sets the record straight: Manuel Zelaya was seeking a third term through attempting to amend a portion of the Honduran Constitution which is illegal to amend. His removal was legal and constitutional. For more background, also refer to the following legal memorandum further explaining the timeline of events as they occurred and legal complexities.
A 'Coup' in Honduras? Nonsense.
By Octavio Sánchez
Tegucigalpa, Honduras – Sometimes, the whole world prefers a lie to the truth. The White House, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and much of the media have condemned the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya this past weekend as a coup d'état.
That is nonsense.
In fact, what happened here is nothing short of the triumph of the rule of law.
To understand recent events, you have to know a bit about Honduras's constitutional history. In 1982, my country adopted a new Constitution that enabled our orderly return to democracy after years of military rule. After more than a dozen previous constitutions, the current Constitution, at 27 years old, has endured the longest.
It has endured because it responds and adapts to changing political conditions: Of its original 379 articles, seven have been completely or partially repealed, 18 have been interpreted, and 121 have been reformed.
It also includes seven articles that cannot be repealed or amended because they address issues that are critical for us. Those unchangeable articles include the form of government; the extent of our borders; the number of years of the presidential term; two prohibitions – one with respect to reelection of presidents, the other concerning eligibility for the presidency; and one article that penalizes the abrogation of the Constitution.
During these 27 years, Honduras has dealt with its problems within the rule of law. Every successful democratic country has lived through similar periods of trial and error until they were able to forge legal frameworks that adapt to their reality. France crafted more than a dozen constitutions between 1789 and the adoption of the current one in 1958. The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since 1789. And the British – pragmatic as they are – in 900 years have made so many changes that they have never bothered to compile their Constitution into a single body of law.
Under our Constitution, what happened in Honduras this past Sunday? Soldiers arrested and sent out of the country a Honduran citizen who, the day before, through his own actions had stripped himself of the presidency.
These are the facts: On June 26, President Zelaya issued a decree ordering all government employees to take part in the "Public Opinion Poll to convene a National Constitutional Assembly." In doing so, Zelaya triggered a constitutional provision that automatically removed him from office.
Constitutional assemblies are convened to write new constitutions. When Zelaya published that decree to initiate an "opinion poll" about the possibility of convening a national assembly, he contravened the unchangeable articles of the Constitution that deal with the prohibition of reelecting a president and of extending his term. His actions showed intent.
Our Constitution takes such intent seriously. According to Article 239: "No citizen who has already served as head of the Executive Branch can be President or Vice-President. Whoever violates this law or proposes its reform [emphasis added], as well as those that support such violation directly or indirectly, will immediately cease in their functions and will be unable to hold any public office for a period of 10 years."
Notice that the article speaks about intent and that it also says "immediately" – as in "instant," as in "no trial required," as in "no impeachment needed."
Continuismo – the tendency of heads of state to extend their rule indefinitely – has been the lifeblood of Latin America's authoritarian tradition. The Constitution's provision of instant sanction might sound draconian, but every Latin American democrat knows how much of a threat to our fragile democracies continuismo presents. In Latin America, chiefs of state have often been above the law. The instant sanction of the supreme law has successfully prevented the possibility of a new Honduran continuismo.
The Supreme Court and the attorney general ordered Zelaya's arrest for disobeying several court orders compelling him to obey the Constitution. He was detained and taken to Costa Rica. Why? Congress needed time to convene and remove him from office. With him inside the country that would have been impossible. This decision was taken by the 123 (of the 128) members of Congress present that day.
Don't believe the coup myth. The Honduran military acted entirely within the bounds of the Constitution. The military gained nothing but the respect of the nation by its actions.
I am extremely proud of my compatriots. Finally, we have decided to stand up and become a country of laws, not men. From now on, here in Honduras, no one will be above the law."
Octavio Sánchez, a lawyer, is a former presidential adviser (2002-05) and minister of culture (2005-06) of the Republic of Honduras.
July 2nd, 2009,
"Within the next 48 hours, the situation in Honduras will reach its most critical point yet. Deposed Marxist dictator Manuel Zelaya has set the stage to try to retake power in direct defiance of that nation's Supreme Court, its legislature, and the vast majority of the Honduran people.
And if Honduras falls, the rest of Latin America -- already at risk -- will not be far behind.
That's why it is more important than ever for us as Liberty Leaders to get out the facts to all we know -- as quickly as possible. The attached commentary from a leading Honduran attorney, Octavio Sánchez, sets the record straight: Manuel Zelaya was seeking a third term through attempting to amend a portion of the Honduran Constitution which is illegal to amend. His removal was legal and constitutional. For more background, also refer to the following legal memorandum further explaining the timeline of events as they occurred and legal complexities.
A 'Coup' in Honduras? Nonsense.
By Octavio Sánchez
Tegucigalpa, Honduras – Sometimes, the whole world prefers a lie to the truth. The White House, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and much of the media have condemned the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya this past weekend as a coup d'état.
That is nonsense.
In fact, what happened here is nothing short of the triumph of the rule of law.
To understand recent events, you have to know a bit about Honduras's constitutional history. In 1982, my country adopted a new Constitution that enabled our orderly return to democracy after years of military rule. After more than a dozen previous constitutions, the current Constitution, at 27 years old, has endured the longest.
It has endured because it responds and adapts to changing political conditions: Of its original 379 articles, seven have been completely or partially repealed, 18 have been interpreted, and 121 have been reformed.
It also includes seven articles that cannot be repealed or amended because they address issues that are critical for us. Those unchangeable articles include the form of government; the extent of our borders; the number of years of the presidential term; two prohibitions – one with respect to reelection of presidents, the other concerning eligibility for the presidency; and one article that penalizes the abrogation of the Constitution.
During these 27 years, Honduras has dealt with its problems within the rule of law. Every successful democratic country has lived through similar periods of trial and error until they were able to forge legal frameworks that adapt to their reality. France crafted more than a dozen constitutions between 1789 and the adoption of the current one in 1958. The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since 1789. And the British – pragmatic as they are – in 900 years have made so many changes that they have never bothered to compile their Constitution into a single body of law.
Under our Constitution, what happened in Honduras this past Sunday? Soldiers arrested and sent out of the country a Honduran citizen who, the day before, through his own actions had stripped himself of the presidency.
These are the facts: On June 26, President Zelaya issued a decree ordering all government employees to take part in the "Public Opinion Poll to convene a National Constitutional Assembly." In doing so, Zelaya triggered a constitutional provision that automatically removed him from office.
Constitutional assemblies are convened to write new constitutions. When Zelaya published that decree to initiate an "opinion poll" about the possibility of convening a national assembly, he contravened the unchangeable articles of the Constitution that deal with the prohibition of reelecting a president and of extending his term. His actions showed intent.
Our Constitution takes such intent seriously. According to Article 239: "No citizen who has already served as head of the Executive Branch can be President or Vice-President. Whoever violates this law or proposes its reform [emphasis added], as well as those that support such violation directly or indirectly, will immediately cease in their functions and will be unable to hold any public office for a period of 10 years."
Notice that the article speaks about intent and that it also says "immediately" – as in "instant," as in "no trial required," as in "no impeachment needed."
Continuismo – the tendency of heads of state to extend their rule indefinitely – has been the lifeblood of Latin America's authoritarian tradition. The Constitution's provision of instant sanction might sound draconian, but every Latin American democrat knows how much of a threat to our fragile democracies continuismo presents. In Latin America, chiefs of state have often been above the law. The instant sanction of the supreme law has successfully prevented the possibility of a new Honduran continuismo.
The Supreme Court and the attorney general ordered Zelaya's arrest for disobeying several court orders compelling him to obey the Constitution. He was detained and taken to Costa Rica. Why? Congress needed time to convene and remove him from office. With him inside the country that would have been impossible. This decision was taken by the 123 (of the 128) members of Congress present that day.
Don't believe the coup myth. The Honduran military acted entirely within the bounds of the Constitution. The military gained nothing but the respect of the nation by its actions.
I am extremely proud of my compatriots. Finally, we have decided to stand up and become a country of laws, not men. From now on, here in Honduras, no one will be above the law."
Octavio Sánchez, a lawyer, is a former presidential adviser (2002-05) and minister of culture (2005-06) of the Republic of Honduras.
Monday, June 29, 2009
In The Midst of Chaos
My first overseas assignment and my first coup. I'm way too old for this.
Of course, I know it's no laughing matter. It's sad when a government is so terribly corrupt. It's sadder when it looks like he will get away with holding a 'poll' of the people to see if he should run for an additional term when the country's constitution forbids it. It's a shame when his best friend is Hugo Chavez. So, the military did what it felt it needed to do to preserve Democracy. They gave him an early wake up this morning, arrested him and whisked him away to Costa Rica. Then they proceeded to name the president of the Congress as the new President and he will serve out the remaining 6 months of Zelaya's term. They state they have a signed resignation from Zelaya...Zelaya denies it...the plot thickens by the minute.
This morning, there were tanks in the streets, jets flying low, soldiers with menacing looking guns and of course, supporters of Mel Zelaya in the streets. I haven't heard of any violence. Wait..I did hear that the Ambassadors of Cuba and Nicaragua somehow managed to find themselves in the street somewhere, one of them with a few bruises. But that has yet to be confirmed. Sad.
Messages have been sent out over the emergency radios that all embassy people were to stay home. I've done that all day. I've had a few calls from my bosses, filling me in on what's happening, which is very little. The last call came a few minutes ago informing me of the good news that I was Essential Personnel and (the bad news) I would have to report to work tomorrow. Apparently, the embassy will function on a limited staff for the safety of all Americans and locally employed staff (LES). And a word about our LES...they are the best in the world!!
Who knows what tomorrow will bring. In my mind, Zelaya's supporters are gathering around the campfire and planning their strategy. Chavez has vowed to defend Zelaya's right to be president...and he has placed his troops on standby. This has all the makings of a Movie of the Week.
P.S. All information here has been taken from different news sites. You can go to http://www.cnn.com/, http://www.elheraldo.hn/ or any other news source and probably read even juicier and/or more up to date stuff than what I've written here.
Of course, I know it's no laughing matter. It's sad when a government is so terribly corrupt. It's sadder when it looks like he will get away with holding a 'poll' of the people to see if he should run for an additional term when the country's constitution forbids it. It's a shame when his best friend is Hugo Chavez. So, the military did what it felt it needed to do to preserve Democracy. They gave him an early wake up this morning, arrested him and whisked him away to Costa Rica. Then they proceeded to name the president of the Congress as the new President and he will serve out the remaining 6 months of Zelaya's term. They state they have a signed resignation from Zelaya...Zelaya denies it...the plot thickens by the minute.
This morning, there were tanks in the streets, jets flying low, soldiers with menacing looking guns and of course, supporters of Mel Zelaya in the streets. I haven't heard of any violence. Wait..I did hear that the Ambassadors of Cuba and Nicaragua somehow managed to find themselves in the street somewhere, one of them with a few bruises. But that has yet to be confirmed. Sad.
Messages have been sent out over the emergency radios that all embassy people were to stay home. I've done that all day. I've had a few calls from my bosses, filling me in on what's happening, which is very little. The last call came a few minutes ago informing me of the good news that I was Essential Personnel and (the bad news) I would have to report to work tomorrow. Apparently, the embassy will function on a limited staff for the safety of all Americans and locally employed staff (LES). And a word about our LES...they are the best in the world!!
Who knows what tomorrow will bring. In my mind, Zelaya's supporters are gathering around the campfire and planning their strategy. Chavez has vowed to defend Zelaya's right to be president...and he has placed his troops on standby. This has all the makings of a Movie of the Week.
P.S. All information here has been taken from different news sites. You can go to http://www.cnn.com/, http://www.elheraldo.hn/ or any other news source and probably read even juicier and/or more up to date stuff than what I've written here.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Father's Day Suggestion
Father's Day is just around the corner. My father is 94 and for years I would try and come up with something special for him. A new sweater. A massager thingy. It was always hard to find something he would enjoy, knowing he already had everything. I then hit on the idea of giving him words from my heart. The first Father's Day Letter was thanking him for things that he did for me when I was young but never knew that a thank you would have been nice. It brought tears to his eyes. The next year, I wrote him about special memories as a child, times he made possible. Times that might not have been special at the time, but now are very special. Last year my annual letter to Dad was about the future. At 93, sometimes it's good to talk about what is still ahead. Like teaching his new grandson to play golf. Or to tell stories about how he ran bootleg when he was a teen. Well, maybe not that. 
My father has so many stories in his head...I wish he would be better about using the cassette recorder that was given to him to just talk into, recounting the adventures of his life. Years from now, his great grandsons would love to hear their great grandfather's voice. I know I will.
My father has so many stories in his head...I wish he would be better about using the cassette recorder that was given to him to just talk into, recounting the adventures of his life. Years from now, his great grandsons would love to hear their great grandfather's voice. I know I will. So, if you just don't want to give Dad another tie or bottle of aftershave, sit down at your computer and decide what you want to say to him. It's amazing...once you get started, it's hard to stop. I'm about to write my Father's Day message to my dad, tuck it in a card and mail it to him. He's in Texas, I'm in Honduras. A virtual hug will have to do until I get there later this year.
Love you Dad...Happy Father's Day.
Debi
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A Necklace of What????
I love jewelry. I have some very very nice pieces. Most of it is safely stashed away in a safe deposit box in a bank in Fort Worth, Texas. There's way too much crime where I live to wear diamonds and 14 carat gold.
Today I went to Valle de Angeles, a small village just outside of Tegucigalpa, Honduras where I live. I took a new member of the embassy staff to show her what a fun place it was and to hit some of the many little shops there. They sell everything, all handmade. We bought some artwork, wooden bowls, fresh mangos, painted pottery. And I bought a necklace. This is a most unusual necklace. When my friend Sally and I would go to Valle, we made sure we visited all our favorite shops. In one of these shops, they had a rack with lots of necklaces. I would admire this particular style of necklace. It was made with many small somethings (I had no idea what) that were practically weightless. The only problem was that they were always in colors that just didn't appeal to me. I was more intrigued with what they were made of than anything else.
Well, today, in one shop we visited that I had never been to, I saw the necklace with the same material. It was in many shades of brown and came with matching earrings. The owners of this shop were most helpful and immediately, without me asking, told me what the composition of this jewelry was.
I'm here to tell you that I am now the proud owner of a necklace made of FISH SCALES....multiple strands of lovely brownish taupe fishscales tied together in a lovely delicate brown thread with occasional brown glass beads. Who would have ever thought I would be wearing fish scales around me neck and on my ears???? Click on the picture for a larger version.
In Honduras, nothing goes to waste. And I think I'm going to have fun with this necklace! I'm thinking...Christmas presents!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Mother's Day 2009
My mother died in January 1976. I would give anything if she were alive today so that I could tell her how much I loved her and how I appreciated everything she did for me...the sacrifices she made for me. And watch her face as she read the sappy card I always bought for her. Mother's Day is not just another Hallmark card day. It's a special day that hopefully makes you think about your mom and the love that exists between you both.
Mom, if things are as I hope they are, you've most likely heard me the many times I looked up and told you home much I love you and miss you today.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you...
Mom, if things are as I hope they are, you've most likely heard me the many times I looked up and told you home much I love you and miss you today.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I love you...
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day 2009
Today I thought about being a mother. As I look back on my role, I think I've done a pretty good job. Sure, there are a few things I would have done differently but overall, I'm very proud of my 2 children...very very proud.
In May of 1973, my daughter entered the world, causing me considerable pain! She was ready to make her grand entrance but my body wouldn't cooperate. After way too many hours in labor, my doctor decided to do an emergency C-section. I have to tell you...babies born in this manner are just gorgeous babies! There no distortion of the head, no trauma of that push push push action..just slice and deliver! She was born on Saturday night, at 11:50 PM. Ten minutes later, at midnight, I experienced my very first Mother's Day. The nurse in recovery will probably never forget it becuase as she was checking my IV, I turned my head to her and promptly vomited this lovely purple stuff. Ahhh yes..a day to remember!
She always had her index fingers extended and as she grew, she would touch new things delicately and with just one finger. I would go shopping with her in the stoller and people would stop me and comment on what a beautiful baby I had! She grew more beautifu as time went on, both inside and out. Today, at almost 36, she is one of my 2 most favorite people in the world.
The other most favorite person in the world to me is my son. He was due on Valentine's Day, 1975 but decided he was in just the right position to come a week early. My doctor scheduled my repeat C-section for noon on February 7th. I went to the hospital, was prepped and at about 11:45 was wheeled into the delivery room. My doctor came over to me and told me there was a group of med students who had not observed a C-section and did I mind an 
audience. At that point, you really don't care who sees you and I said sure. In walks about 17 students, all dressed in their surgical greens. My doctors start doing whatever they do on the other side of that green curtain and I after a bit, I turned my head to look at some of the students. One in particular had a funny look on his face. About that time, my doctor said "It's a boy!" This medical student kept looking more and more shocked and I kept asking..what's wrong? As it turned out, nothing was wrong...my son was just a big baby! Today, at 34, he is the father of 3 sons...Gavin will be 3 next month and Micah and Makana turned 1 last March.
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