Honduras

A case study of contemporary Latin America

General Info

• Economically one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere

• Over 50% below the poverty line (3.6 million people)

• 90% mestizo population

Ancient History

• Pre-Columbus Honduras made up a major part of the Mayan Empire. – Copan was main sacred and cultural center for

Mayans and one of their biggest cities• Ruins of ancient Mayan cities scattered all

over the country

Europeans Arrive

• 1502 – Christopher Columbus lands in Honduras on his 4th and final journey to the New World– Gives it the name Honduras in reference to the

journey there, means “treacherous depths” or more literally “hardships”

• 1525 – Spain begins conquest of Honduran territory

• 1539 – Spain succeeds in the conquest of Honduran territory after bitter struggles with the native population

Encomienda System

• Spanish established system of silver mines using Encomienda system– Used local indigenous population as labor force until

they died off from disease – After die off, switched to other Central American

natives and then African slaves (imports)– Stopped importation of labor in 1650

• Also had numerous banana and sugar cane plantations using the same system (still around today)

Downfall of Spanish rule

• 1810 Napoleon overthrows the Spanish throne -> unrest in Honduras over opposed rule

• 1800 s – Northern coast falls to British buccaneers and ′British protectorate established over the coastal areas

• September 15, 1821 – Independence gained from Spain along side other Central American nations– Spain was too weak at this point to put up resistance when

they declared independence• Same date – Honduras becomes part of the Mexican

empire

Regional Unity?

• From independence until 1850, Honduras made several pushes for regional unity

• Origin of flags 5 stars: shows regional unity with 5 Central American nations that formed a Federal Republic of Central America, dissolved in 1840– El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, and

Nicaragua

Banana Republic

• In Early 1900’s several US owned companies established numerous banana plantations, particularly in the North– Controlled large percentage of nations work force

and resources, but did not contribute to the economy due to foreign ownership

– US troops inserted into Honduras several times between 1900 and 1925 to suppress movements against the plantations

1900’s

• Served as a base for US operations fighting the spread of Communism in Central America

• Experienced many reform movements towards socialism (the left) but remained sided with the US

Hurricanes

• In 1966 Hurricane Fifi destroys much of the infrastructure developed in Honduras and damages many of the plantations in the North of the country

• In 1998 Hurricane Mitch causes widespread destruction: 70% of all crops and 80% of transportation infrastructure – Nearly all bridges and secondary roads

• President Carlos Roberto Flores claims it has reversed 50 years of progress in Honduras

Governmental Problems

• Since independence there have been nearly 300 rebellions of various size

• Several political upheavals that has dramatically change the governing system

• Most recently in 2009, the head of Congress Roberto Micheletti with the support of the military detains and exiles President Manuel Zelaya and seizes power

Government Problems cont’d

• Micheletti coup was considered an illegal de facto coup, no foreign nations accept his leadership and instead cut off aid and support for Honduras

• For a month following the coup the government, using the military as support, suspended civil rights and freedoms of speech, press, and expression – Also shut down several newspaper that spoke out

against the new government

Results of the Coup

• Much of the recovery efforts from Hurricane Mitch had been fueled off of foreign aid and government allocation of resources

• With the new political struggle the government did not have the foreign aid or resources to allocate so much of the recovery stopped

Honduras today

• The economy of Honduras is still struggling today their economy is based around:– mineral mining (mostly silver)– Plantations; mostly sugar cane and bananas but

some coffee as well– Developing textile industry

• 3.6 million below poverty line • roughly 10% of population internally displaced• 57.4 on Gini index

Crime• Honduras functions as a major operational point for arms and

drug trafficking throughout Central America and into the US• MS-13, a massive and violent street gang from El Salvador runs

much of the drug and arms trafficking from Honduras into US– Gang numbers growing due to economic crisis in the country

• Over the last 4 years Honduras has the highest homicide rate in the world at 6600 people per year (8 million population), a rate of 90 people per 100,000– San Pedro Sula is the most dangerous city in the world for the last 3

years based on crime and murder rates– US has 316.1 million people and 16,238 homicides, a rate of 4.7 per

100,000– Next closest to this score is 53.4 per 100,000

Immigration

• Violence and poverty had led many people to flee Honduras for the North and the United State. – Mostly children because they are the victims of much

of the violence• As of August 17,000 plus unaccompanied

children have come to the US in 2014 alone– Already doubles 2013 count

• Almost 575,000 Honduras immigrants in the US– 60% are undocumented

My experience

• Summer of 2010 I went to Honduras to work in a refugee camp called Colinas de Suiza– Worked constructing a school for refugees from

Hurricane Mitch and the political coup• Flew into SPS airport • Customs story and gas story about driving out

of town

Colinas de Suiza

• About 30 miles South of SPS in the hills• 10,000 people– Refugees from hurricane, crime, and political coup

• Have no running water, delivered there by truck– Dr. Munoz water project

• One room school building for all of the kids• People mostly work in nearby sugar cane plantation or

textile factories– Make on average $6 a day

• Spend 1/3 of it on water alone

Work

• Stories about the work and building a school there

• Materials used• How to make concrete

Culture Shock

• Stories about cops in city and outside bank• Driving accident• Trash everywhere

But…

• People around, especially outside city very happy and welcoming

• Most people just trying to make a living and get by

• Ruins of Copan and town=best town ever• SOCCER