The big pool has been taken down for awhile but we filled the two baby pools today for the little kids. They had a blast splashing around. It was tough getting a photo of their faces because there was so much splashing going on.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Talks end without any agreement
Unfortunately, the current Micheletti government refused to budge and the mediation ended yesterday without any agreement. The mediator said he will continue working, but it does not look of much use.
Link to video news report: http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=108253&newsChannel=worldNews
Link to article detailing current situation. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1749101420090720
Mel's wife had said he will return on Friday, the day I am planning on leaving. This article says the weekend. Regardless I am probably getting out at a good time because the expectations are not that he will return to a calm happy homecoming.
Link to video news report: http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=108253&newsChannel=worldNews
Link to article detailing current situation. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1749101420090720
Mel's wife had said he will return on Friday, the day I am planning on leaving. This article says the weekend. Regardless I am probably getting out at a good time because the expectations are not that he will return to a calm happy homecoming.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
No Resolution in the Talks
The two sides in the Honduras governmental battle spent the day in mediation Sat and did not resolve the dispute by the deadline Mel Zelaya set for returning to the country as president. The president of Costa Rica is the mediator trying to reach an agreement. He put out a seven point proposal that suppoesedly Mel's people are somewhat willing to agree to but the current people in charge have not been willing to accept. They said they will try to talk more today, but Mel already said he will take his own actions if there was not agreement Sat. night.
The seven points are:
1. Reinstate Mel as president to finish his term in Jan.
2. Install a national unity government with representatives of both sides governing until Jan.
3. Mel gives up his efforts to amend the constitution to seek another term in the future.
4. The elections get moved up from Nov. 29 to Aug or Sept. supervised by international authorities.
5. The control of the armed forces is transferred from the president to the election tribunal one month before the election so Mel has no control over the election process.
6. All parties involved are given amnisty for anything either side did politically in this crisis, i.e. they don't prosecute Mel and he can't prosecute them when he returns.
7. An international pannel with representatives from the OAS is put in place to monitor the government and make sure everyone is in compliance.
It seems like a workable resolution to the problem, returning him to power, but limiting his power and having watchdogs supervising. So far the people who removed him are not willing to accept it because they said they would not agree to any proposal that reinstates him as president under any conditions. That's a strong line in the sand that may not move.
Mel has said his plans are to return this week to take back the presidency one way or the other. I don't plan on sticking around to see all that go down. I will be leaving on Friday to go home for a month and hopefully the problems here will resolve during that time so I can return to a stable country once again.
The seven points are:
1. Reinstate Mel as president to finish his term in Jan.
2. Install a national unity government with representatives of both sides governing until Jan.
3. Mel gives up his efforts to amend the constitution to seek another term in the future.
4. The elections get moved up from Nov. 29 to Aug or Sept. supervised by international authorities.
5. The control of the armed forces is transferred from the president to the election tribunal one month before the election so Mel has no control over the election process.
6. All parties involved are given amnisty for anything either side did politically in this crisis, i.e. they don't prosecute Mel and he can't prosecute them when he returns.
7. An international pannel with representatives from the OAS is put in place to monitor the government and make sure everyone is in compliance.
It seems like a workable resolution to the problem, returning him to power, but limiting his power and having watchdogs supervising. So far the people who removed him are not willing to accept it because they said they would not agree to any proposal that reinstates him as president under any conditions. That's a strong line in the sand that may not move.
Mel has said his plans are to return this week to take back the presidency one way or the other. I don't plan on sticking around to see all that go down. I will be leaving on Friday to go home for a month and hopefully the problems here will resolve during that time so I can return to a stable country once again.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
School
Fifth week without school. The teachers think that by continuing their strike it shows their opposition to the current governments overthrowing the elected president.
The support of the two sides in this matter really falls on class lines. Better off class favors the new president, poorer class favors the old president. The better off class all send their kids to private school so the strike is not affecting them anyway so I really don't know what the teachers think they are accomplishing with the strike.
The support of the two sides in this matter really falls on class lines. Better off class favors the new president, poorer class favors the old president. The better off class all send their kids to private school so the strike is not affecting them anyway so I really don't know what the teachers think they are accomplishing with the strike.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Still Calm Here
Not much change in the political situation here. There were lots of problems in Tegucigalpa on Sunday, 4 hours to the south of here, but nothing in our area. I took the boys to the movies on Sunday and everything is business as usual in town. You would never know there were political problems going on from the looks of things here in San Pedro Sula. That's a good thing.
The private schools started back yesterday after 3 weeks out of school. That is the majority of the kids here at the casa. However, the public school strike goes on, The 12 kids who go to public school are now in their 4th week without school, 2 weeks closed for the flu outbreak and 2 after the president was ousted. That is not expected to change soon, but hopefully it will. The ousted president is in Washington talking with Hillary and the new government said they are now willing to "talk" but won't reinstate the old president. That's progress at least.
The private schools started back yesterday after 3 weeks out of school. That is the majority of the kids here at the casa. However, the public school strike goes on, The 12 kids who go to public school are now in their 4th week without school, 2 weeks closed for the flu outbreak and 2 after the president was ousted. That is not expected to change soon, but hopefully it will. The ousted president is in Washington talking with Hillary and the new government said they are now willing to "talk" but won't reinstate the old president. That's progress at least.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy 4th of July
This is the 7th time I have been here in Honduras on the 4th of July over the past 8 years and this time I appreciate the democracy that our founding fathers started more than ever.
Things here are still very, very calm, but part of that is due to the removal of several constitutional rights. The pro-Mel (ousted president) people have not been allowed to protest anymore. The new government got rid of the right to assemble in public and have prohibited them from passing on highways towards the capital for rallys. The press has been 100% in favor of the new government, very different from what I hear here in the neighborhood. They covered extensively a big rally in favor of the new government yesterday that the military did not break up as they have with the pro-Mel rallys the past 3 days. I am trying not to take any sides in this, but the taking away rights from one side and not the other is very bothersome. Both sides need a voice in any democracy for it to be legitimate.
Imagine Obama coming to office and getting rid of all Bush supporters in the congress, state and local governments and prohibiting people from rallying in support of Bush. Or imagine the impeachment of Clinton taking place in secret one night without him there nor the media and the result carried out by the army at 5am the next day, and Clinton supporters not being allowed to protest against this.
I didn't like Mel as a president and still don't, but even more I don't like the way he was taken out and the current system denying basic rights of the people to express themselves and travel freely in this country. Let freedom ring. God bless the USA and our great form of government, lasting over 230 years now. Sure there are problems and issues at times, but those founding fathers way back when really got it right. When you look around the world at all the other countries and how they are doing it, some places may have a few things better here and there, but overall we have it great and are the shinning light on the hill for all the world to see and try to emulate.
Happy 4th of July. Give thanks for our wonderful form of government and pray for Honduras.
Things here are still very, very calm, but part of that is due to the removal of several constitutional rights. The pro-Mel (ousted president) people have not been allowed to protest anymore. The new government got rid of the right to assemble in public and have prohibited them from passing on highways towards the capital for rallys. The press has been 100% in favor of the new government, very different from what I hear here in the neighborhood. They covered extensively a big rally in favor of the new government yesterday that the military did not break up as they have with the pro-Mel rallys the past 3 days. I am trying not to take any sides in this, but the taking away rights from one side and not the other is very bothersome. Both sides need a voice in any democracy for it to be legitimate.
Imagine Obama coming to office and getting rid of all Bush supporters in the congress, state and local governments and prohibiting people from rallying in support of Bush. Or imagine the impeachment of Clinton taking place in secret one night without him there nor the media and the result carried out by the army at 5am the next day, and Clinton supporters not being allowed to protest against this.
I didn't like Mel as a president and still don't, but even more I don't like the way he was taken out and the current system denying basic rights of the people to express themselves and travel freely in this country. Let freedom ring. God bless the USA and our great form of government, lasting over 230 years now. Sure there are problems and issues at times, but those founding fathers way back when really got it right. When you look around the world at all the other countries and how they are doing it, some places may have a few things better here and there, but overall we have it great and are the shinning light on the hill for all the world to see and try to emulate.
Happy 4th of July. Give thanks for our wonderful form of government and pray for Honduras.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Volunteers Head Home
Megan and Bianca said goodbye to all the kids and we took them to the airport for their trip home today. They wanted to stay but were concerned over the political unrest here. The kids were all sad to see them go so soon, but enjoyed the time they all had with both of them.
Everything else is still very calm here; business as usual for now. The ousted president's uninvited return got delayed from Thursday until Saturday to give the Organization of American States time to try and work out a peaceful return. Lets all pray for that!
Everything else is still very calm here; business as usual for now. The ousted president's uninvited return got delayed from Thursday until Saturday to give the Organization of American States time to try and work out a peaceful return. Lets all pray for that!
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