Since the Elections

Hello, friends.

I haven't updated since, well, ever, and I thought I should again depict the details of my life as a foreigner in Honduras.

The hotly contested elections unfolded on November 29th, and despite fears of both violence and boycott, there was widespread peace and participation. In fact, it was the highest proportion of voter turnout in the history of Honduran democracy with about 56 percent of eligible voters practicing their suffrage right. The United States State Department claim that the elections were both fair and transparent while hesitating to recognize President Elect Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo as the next head-of-state without addressing the issue that, yes, their was a military-executed removal of the ousted Manuel "Mel" Zelaya on June 28th.



Pepe looks strangely like a Latino Barack Obama, and coincidentally, he ran a campaign based on "change" using the slogan "Pepe es cambio ya" or "Pepe is change". "Ya" is difficult to translate by the way; it roughly means "now", "already", "soon", etc.

The United States demands include a Unity Government involving Zelaya as well as a truth commission to determine what actually occurred on and after June 28th. The notion of truth commissions conjures up horrifying images implanted in my mind from reading Ariel Dorfman's "Death and the Maiden" and then watching Roman Polanski's film adaptation starring the ethnically-ambiguous Ben Kingsley (the one who has portrayed Gandhi, Moses, Otto Frank, etc.) who portrays a doctor that participated in torturing supporters of the previous autocratic regime. Truth commissions remind me of intelligence tests; they seem very official and objective, but they fail to accurately report what they're measuring, i.e. "truth" or "intelligence". Regardless, the Honduran Congress has voted against reinstating Zelaya who has sought refuge in the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa since September. Mr. Lobo is currently seeking amnesty for all, including the ousters and Zelaya himself who faces arrest if he exits the embassy. It seems that Honduras wants to move forward and leave this crisis and Mel Zelaya behind it.

Part of moving forward involves addressing the drug trafficking that has tilted the rule of law in favor of corrupt narcotic peddlers. Though statistics are lacking, many "families" in Honduras earn a hefty proportion of their income by catalyzing the transport of drugs from South America to the United States. Recently, the director general of the national office for combating drug trafficking was murdered in his car by hitmen on motorcycle. Earlier this week, he warned that the avenues through which drugs were infiltrating Honduras were increasing, mainly through additional secret airfields on the large properties of the wealthy elite. The former director general claimed that Honduras is on the precipice of becoming another "narco-state" similar to the those that have ruled (or currently rule) Venezuela and Colombia. The rule of law in Honduras is weak, and with drug revenue feeding the corruption at the political and legal levels, development will remain beyond Honduras's reach.

One solution to the ills of narco-trafficking is the legalization and regulation of all the produce of the planet, psychoactive or not. But if the nations of the world have difficulty collaborating to address climate change, I doubt they'll rally around a global repeal of prohibition.

Other than that, the weather here is wonderful.

Be well,
El gringo joven

Bienvenidos

Thanks to the gentle urging of a friend, here's the first edition of my publication, "Gringo Joven". This resource, named for the Carlos Fuentes novel "Gringo Viejo", will document the experience and thoughts of a young estadounidense or what is commonly called an "American". Some things I might write about include the origins and significance of words like "Gringo" or "American" and the distinctions and similarities therein. Alas, I digress.

I, Quincy Holmer, live and work in Juticalpa a town in the Olancho department of Honduras. Olancho is comparable to Texas with regard to its autonomy, spirit of liberty, and ubiquitous cowboy wardrobe. The climate is tropical yet dry and dusty at times. Honduras suffers the unfortunate irony of being mountainous yet not volcanic, which divides the country's resources and inhibits connective infrastructure without the boon of fertile ashen soil. Olancho is an agrarian department, but Juticalpa has all the conveniences of the developing world, including a cinema and prominent cell phone services.

Inconveniently, I must depart to prepare dinner for some of my friends and colleagues. The main course is a curry that includes broccoli, spinach, onions, garlic, cilantro (also known as coriander), tomatoes, peppers of all kinds, and coconut milk. It's one of my finer dishes, which puts at the top of a list of three that also includes spaghetti and beans 'n rice.

Be well until next time.

-El gringo joven