Central American Independence Day 2013

Today is Central American Independence day.

The past few days have been marked by marches and celebrations in many towns here in Honduras, mostly of children.

I was in the village of El Limon for a meeting when the primary school kids had a march, complete with flag and improvised instruments.

But Honduras continues to suffer injustice, inequality, and violence. The poor, especially, suffer the consequences of a system (both Honduran and international) that looks at the economic bottom line rather the capacities and needs of the poor. The poor are still looked down upon.

But is this really new?

Eduardo Galeano, the Uruguayan writer of the underside of history, has this entry, entitle “Independence as Prophylactic,” for September 14, in his recent book, Children of the Days: A Calendar of Human History:

On this evening in 1821, a handful of gentlemen drew up the Declaration of Independence of Central America, which they solemnly signed the following morning.
The Declaration states, or more accurately confesses, that they had to declare independence without delay, “to prevent the terrible consequences that would result should the people declare it themselves.” 

Telling – and still all too true, at least here in Honduras as the election campaign is in full swing.