Every September 15th, corner stores close and Hondurans take to the streets to celebrate their independence from the Spanish crown. The day begins early with bombas and continues with parades, civic, and cultural events, and ends with everyone relaxing in their hammacks. Independence is quite possibly an even bigger celebration here in Honduras, with more than three days of marches leading up to the big parade... but as I watched all of these children march past in their uniforms and costumes, I couldn´t help but wonder... what exactly have they gained independence from?
Just in time to celebrate the ¨progress¨ of this great nation, President Pepe Lobo announced that he had let go ten of his primary cabinet members, including the Minister of Security, Director of Social Planning, Executive Director of Finance, and his Foreign Minister. Hondurans were in both shock and frustration when they learned that the Minister of Security, who had just recently told reporters that he had created a list of officials working with the drug cartel and would begin to clean house, was removed from his post ¨to spend more time with family.¨ Pepe´s actions were no doubt strategically well timed to reduce media fallout by focusing on upcoming national celebrations. Finding additional information about Oscar Alvarez´s termination is nearly impossible, as corrupt news sources favor highlighting the parade batton twirlers over inner workings of the Presidential cabinet.
When asked to comment on his decision to let these key staff members go, Pepe replied: ¨People can be let go because they do not meet expectations, or because they meet their goals and then can move on to new posts, or to allow them to reintegrate into their private lives and spend more time with family¨… what???
He continued on to say that changes occur to ¨breathe new life¨ into a new office, but in the same ¨breath¨ Lobo discussed the possibility of bringing new people in to change directions… always with the goal of achieving results--- what type of results the ever elusive President Pepe wants to achieve were obviously not detailed in this conversation…
Children portraying ¨Dignified jobs of Hondurans¨
A day before Independence Day, an article in the most unbiased news source reported 3 cells of the well known Mexican Zeta drug cartel here in Orocuina. The women I know were able to immediately state where two of them are located, but due to fear of retribution, will never turn them in.
Possibly the saddest part of these events is that the anger and frustration seen in the eyes of Hondurans, quickly melts away to a disheartened resignation with half hearted jokes that their country will never be able to be free of things like corruption, violence, and dependence on the US. I suppose, for this reason, it is easier to watch the batton twirlers...
Waiting for the Independence Day parade to come into downtown Orocuina
A beautiful day couched in sad thoughts of an all too honest reality.
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