I thought of naming this blog post “Honduras is burning,”
but the situation is much more complicated. Not only are the forests and fields
being burned, the hope of many people are being burnt up – but something may be
rising from the ashes.
So I’m calling it “Honduras suffering and struggling.”
Friday, April 26, there was a paro, a general strike,
which amounted to work stoppages in several areas of public works (including
health and education) as well as marches and some blocking of roads. Monday it
continued.
At the end of the month of May, there were two more days of
serious protests, that included major blockages of roads throughout the
country. The government responded in force – with tear gas and live ammunition.
Why the protests?
The event that triggered this was the consideration by the
National Congress of a “decree for restructuring and transformation of the systems
of education and health.”
It’s a rather complicated issue.
Many see this new legislation might lead to major loss of
jobs for those in health and education, especially since there are major
pressures on the Honduran government from international institutions to cut
back on public spending.
One person suggested that this will lead to the municipalization.
The municipalities will get the money to deal with health and education – and
when the municipality cannot fulfil these obligations they can contract this
out to private firms.
What are the fears of many public workers – as well as those
who benefit from public schools and health institutions: Privatization of
education and health; increased politicization of employees in health and
education; people employed on limited contracts and not long-term contracts and
stability of work.
There has been violence by the state – including several
deaths. The opposition has not completely nonviolent – there are photos of
young men throwing rocks as well as burning tires. There are also concerns
about infiltrators trying to provoke violence.
If you know me, you know I am opposed to all violence but
there is a great difference between a rock and pistols and machine guns.
Soon after the first wave of protests, it appeared that the
opposition had achieved a temporary victory. The head of the National Congress
announced that they were suspending the law, but they are looking for another
way to restructure education and health care.
Two disputed decrees of the restructuring bill were
retracted by congress representing an important, although partial, victory of
the protesters. Teachers and medical staff still demanded the complete
derogation of the bill as well as that the derogation of the proclaimed
state of emergency in the two sectors that allows the government to force
through laws without much public scrutiny.
But despite this action of Congress, the president seemed to
deny the retraction of the two paragraphs of the bill. This provoked more
protests, on May 30 and 31.
I did not witness the protests directly, but a medical
brigade coming to the region from the San Pedro airport had to stop in a town
in the department of Santa Barbara because of the blocked road. They saw the
repression against the protestors, and even got a whiff of tear gas. They saw
Honduran security forces throwing tear gas at non-violent protestors and
others. They heard a report that a child had been affected and died. No wonder
violence erupted in some areas. I am, of course, completely against violence,
but I can understand this.
The most infamous event of the protests was the burning of
tires at the entrance to the US Embassy. There are several anomalies that lead
me to wonder if this was a set-up, another example of the use of agentes
provacateurs by government, military, or para-military groups to discredit
the protests. First of all, where were the Honduran security forces that were
all over Tegucigalpa and where were the security personnel of the Embassy?
Secondly, how could that great number of tires get to the Embassy grounds?
There are reports of a group of Canadians and US citizens in the embassy for a
meeting. A protestor – a teacher – was arrested fairly quickly and sent to a
high security prison. Some wonder if
this is a set up.
The protests calmed a bit – but the opposition has not, up
to this moment, joined the table of dialogue. They see it as a measure to
pacify the protestors. I tend to agree with them.
I find it very interesting that the president held a press
conference about midnight Sunday to announce the retraction of the articles and
the new table of dialogue. He was accompanied by some representatives of the
health and education sector – but no one from the group that has been at the
head of the protests. The very next day there was, at least in our area, at
least meeting led by the ruling party mayors on the health and education
crisis. Maybe I am too cynical, but this appears to me to be part of an ongoing
campaign assembling faithful members of the ruling party.
The protests are fewer – but the struggle seems to be
continuing, with some sectors setting aside an hour each day to look at the
situation. I think this is good, since one of the major problems that I see
here is the lack of a critical consciousness. Another is fatalism, accepting
what happens without hope of changing anything. And then there is the corrupt
system that uses money and political favors, together with repression and
increasing militarization and demonization of opponents, as ways to keep the
status que and enhance the power of the governing political power.
It’s sad – and worrisome.
As the situation becomes even more critical, the use of
violence by government forces has brought international and national responses.
The bishop of El Progeso, Yoro, released a statement he made on Sunday. Not
only did he call for the dismissal of the problematic articles, but he spoke
strongly against the government use of violence. The message was addressed to
the president and to government officials.
“In the face of
the events that have happened in the last few weeks and those which are coming
upon us, I want to invite to stop continuing provoking the people even more, so
that they keep up the confrontations between the people who are demonstrating
their disagreement and the military police, with the industrial sector and the
whole country’s economy affected.
“It is lamentable
to see many people, who, under the weight of the sun, are struggling for a
cause which has to do with the good of everyone, are gassed by the police who
also are part of the people of Honduras…”
It is refreshing to hear a message from a Catholic Church
leader which is clear and oriented to the good of the poor and not influenced
by partisan politics.
Writing of the current crisis, they note:
Si cada problema deriva
en conflictos como el que ahora estamos viviendo, acerca de los sistemas de
salud y de educación, y si cada conflicto es manejado con la misma
ineficiencia, la consecuencias pueden hundir a Honduras en una crisis muy difícil
de superar.Se hace aún más dolorosa y comprensible la indignación de la mayoría de la población, el sufrimiento de los más pobres, la decepción de los jóvenes, el miedo de los migrantes, la angustia de los enfermos, la impotencia frente a la corrupción y la impunidad, el cansancio de quienes luchan por una Honduras mejor sin ver resultados.
If every problem drifts into conflicts like the one we are
now living, about the health and
education systems, and if every conflict is handled with the same inefficiency,
the consequences can drown Honduras in a crisis very difficult to overcome.
This is what becomes even more sorrowful and understandable: the
indignation of the majority of the population, the suffering of the poorest,
the disappointment of the youth, the fear of the migrants, the anxiety of the
sick, the powerlessness in the face of corruption and impunity, the weariness of
those who struggle for a better Honduras without seeing results.
The
statement is strong and I hope to translate it soon. But how will all this be
put into action – that’s the major challenge now.
Posts
