Honduras (kirkf.com) - This comment was provided to me by mi suegra:
This is a pitiful article. When I think of my husband, 27 years ago holed up in the Chamber of Commerce with NO shower, one bathroom, NO change of clothes--and surrounded by Communist guerrillas--all the while I was at home with our newborn baby, worried to death for his safe return! This reporter is a spoiled brat. I hope the police and military eat ALL the food anyone sends him. WITNESS: Holed up in embassy with ousted Honduran president - Yahoo! News
Honduras (kirkf.com) - This was provided to me in Spanish by Gloria Leticia Pineda and translated by mi suegra:
Obama, you’ve got the wrong country. Honduras is not a “banana republic.” In the past, the Gringos used our country as if it were their personal “hacienda.” They “bought” governments and people. Those days are over! We have matured as a people and we are laying our bets on democracy. You have betrayed us; you have underestimated the web that binds us to this cause. McCain was right—you don’t have the slightest idea of how to deal with international relations. You have given yourself over to the interests of the international leftists by punishing us with the suspension of visas. And you believe that this will make us crumble? Perhaps Llorens has not explained to you that this nation prefers to suffer the world’s condemnation than to bow before those who are using our cause to justify their ambitions?
The reaction of the U.S. should not surprise us; they suffer from the same complex that the Germans had after the Holocaust. For those who are not familiar with North American racism—they would be interested to know that the North American government tried to eradicate it with stupid politics such as the “busing” system that consisted of moving students from one area of town to another with the object of integrating North American society.
Neither is it possible for you to force on us Zelaya’s return as President. First, because he ceased to be President from the first moment that he violated Article 239 of the Constitution. Second, because these Indians are stubborn and the more you try to twist our arm, the more we are going to stick to our guns. History will show that here you made a mistake; you should read what happened in Haiti when the U.S. forced them to restore President Aristide to power—he was legendary for his high level of corruption. We are not Haiti. Even more we want to be like Israel and Taiwan—countries used to marching to their own drummer. What a coincidence that these are the two countries that jumped at recognizing the government of Micheletti. Japan also. Suffering has made them more human.
I think it’s necessary to remember that in Honduras we are talking of something more than Zelaya’s return. Here we are talking about the meeting of a little country, upright and courageous, that has stood up to the interests of the Sao Paolo Forum. Maybe you didn’t know, but the Forum is the clumping together of the great leftist group of Latin America which includes among others—Lula, Chavez, Correa, and Morales. This shouldn’t surprise you; but what if I told you that FARC and various radical and illegal institutions are also part of this Forum? They have been coming together in conferences in different countries for about 18 years to plan the legalization of an uprising that hopes to irradicate freedom for business—appropriating all the means of production for themselves—Castro style. The ends of this Forum hold to the same ideology as its predecessors of the last century. They have aligned themselves with narco traffikers in order to follow the drug corridors that cross our territory. How is it possible that our historic ally has abandoned us to our own fate? This double standard of the North Americans stupefies all logic.
So then, Obama, I want to repeat that you won’t shatter us with your threats. We prefer this rather than bend to the will of invading countries. Don’t be surprised by our resistance to international pressure. It’s easy since we know that what we had before June 28th was worse than what is happening now. We long to practice our freedom and we know that the salvation of our country has its roots in the strength of Christian and democratic moral principles. We have learned our lesson. We know not to confide in populist presidents, that the international financial institutions bend to the will of the greedy, that the OAS is not seeking democracy, that not all the Nobel Peace Prize winners are authentic, and that traditional allies such as the U.S. can be turned against us without caring why.
I have a memory that has stayed with me from a long time ago—the perseverance of John F. Kennedy who fought for Latin American integration. The government leaders of the U.S. that I remember from that time stood out by visiting our country, learning about our needs and our culture. That’s what brought the first groups of Peace Corps and AID workers. Also the Ambassadors of that time did not just fulfill their diplomatic job—they saw that their spouses became involved in noble causes; how can Diana Negroponte be forgotten—she adopted 5 little Hondurans. Now they are graduates of Georgetown University. Diana, a lawyer, organized a social project in Puerto Lempira that she would visit by helicopter.
Surely, Obama, you have a lot to learn. You think you will humiliate us with the threat of suspending visas and so many dollars from the Millenium Challenge Account, that we will bend to your whims.
I invite you to come to Honduras and you will learn to recognize the dignity of our people. We remain steadfast!!
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Pide la ayuda de Nuestra Señora, la Virgen de Suyapa, la Patrona de Honduras.
If you can read Spanish, check out La Prensa Honduras, for more information on the current events look at Honduras.
Channel 10 news, one of the most respected and popular channels in Honduras, has a text message poll each night. Usually there are 3,000-5,000 votes on a normal night. More than 80% of the population have cell phones − yes, even much of the poor. The polls encourage votes by including a contest with a prize of L.15,000 (US $794) and other freebies for a lucky random caller.
In the first week or so after June 28, a special poll was held in which the prize was one million lempiras (about US $53,000). The question was:
Do you believe that we Hondurans are capable of getting Honduras out of this crisis through reconciliation and dialogue?
More than 34,300 people voted 'yes' − 96% Only 1,500 voted 'no' − 4%.
This was a record breaking response in the history of their polls.They continued the same poll again the next day. I didn't see the final results, but with about 20 minutes to go, the vote was approximately 63,000 yes (95%) and 3,000 (5%) no. Spirits and confidence are high.
The next two polls were taken early on in July:
How confident are you that we Hondurans can get out of this political crisis?
Much 95% Little 5% Do you believe that the intervention of the USA will help resolve the political crisis in Honduras?
Yes 88% No 12%
Unfortunately, by July 23, after threats by Hugo Chávez against Honduras were ignored by the USA, OAS, and UN, faith in the USA fell: Do you believe, with the threat by Chávez, that the USA has abandoned Honduras?
Yes 84%
No 16%
While the curfew seemed to be one of the issues causing the most concern for people in other countries, in another Channel 10 poll (after about 10 days of curfew), viewers were asked, Do you agree with continuing the curfew?:
Yes 87%
No 13%
Why would they say that? Because crime is so high in Honduras. The curfew reduced crime and made people feel safer.
On July 20, after the talks in Costa Rica, viewers were asked: Did the Honduran government do right to reject the restitution of Mel Zelaya? (I don't have a photo of the final results on this one, but it didn't change much.)
Yes 94% No 6%
On the one month anniversary of the ousting of Mel Zelaya, July 28, the following question was asked: After a month of the political crisis, how do you think the result of the destitution of Mel is?
Positive 90% Negative 10%
More recently, on August 11, viewers were asked: How confident are you that Hondurans can get out of this political crisis?
Very 90% Little 10%
On July 31, after severe road blockages by the zelayistas, the question was: Do you believe that the police have the duty to remove the protesters that are blocking the roads and highways?
Yes 94% No 6%
On July 29, when there was talk of increasing sanctions against Honduras, Do you believe that pressure from the USA against Honduras is fair?
Yes 14% No 86%
I have not witnessed such a feeling of self-empowerment among Hondurans in the 8 years that I've been here. In fact, I've witnessed just the opposite: a beat-down, 'what's the use', 'nothing makes a difference', 'we can't change it' attitude.
The economic reality may change, but right now, people are ready to stand up to the whole world, including the US, and say "Leave us alone! We know what is best for our country!"
I doubt that many people − outside of Honduras! − could have predicted that Honduras would hold out for this long. Here we are eight weeks later. Some may call that defiance or arrogance or stupidity. I call that self-empowerment and self-determination and I think that it is a very good thing for the collective Honduran psyche.
A few weeks ago, Hugo Chávez pledged to "overthrow" Roberto Micheletti. Micheletti responded to Chávez's threat on Honduran radio, saying, "Nobody scares us."
Hondurans are proud people. They like hearing things like this. Respect and dignity are very important to Hondurans and they feel that the world is showing them neither.
Continued insults only serve to solidify the resistance to world pressure.
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Pide la ayuda de Nuestra Señora, la Virgen de Suyapa, la Patrona de Honduras.
If you can read Spanish, check out La Prensa Honduras, for more information on the current events look at Honduras.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (kirkf.com) - Another post from La Gringa's Blogicito. This has been translated into Portuguese:
Para aqueles que têm preconceitos do que são − e do que não é − um o golpe d'etat, e não está pronto para fazer um esforço de pensar, ele será difícil mudar seu cabeça. E será mais difícil ou impossível conseguir naqueles que, um pouco do que para vir rectificar conclusões, estão interessados em defender ou em atacar o que aconteceu em Honduras nos dias perto de 28 de junho de 2009. Os preconceitos são tão difíceis de remover como tatuagens. Entretanto, povos que têm ' nenhuma vela no funeral' pode sentir obrigado a distinguir e experimentar a satisfação de encontrar a verdade.
Para alguns povos, o que aconteceram no último domingo em junho era um golpe d' etat, mas para outros − que eram a mairoria − já não era, e esta aproximação responsável começa a recolher a força dentro e fora de nossas fronteiras. Já há umas indicações mais responsáveis e mais prudentes no mundo, após ter recebido mais informação. Em muitos países de Europa e da América, por exemplo, estão prosiguendo com mais cuidado.
As novas definições são usadas ao falar de Honduras, e, mesmo aqueles que começaram falar sobre um golpe d'etat concordou que na suspensão do presidente da república que nós tivemos, há sobre quatorze fatos significativos que marcam uma diferença grande do golpe tradicional d' etat. Estas diferenças são anotadas como segue:
1. As forças armadas não apreenderam o poder em Honduras, elas não prendem nenhum escritório do governo, exceto aqueles que pela lei foram atribuídas sempre pela Constituição da República.
2. Todas as leis continuam a se aplicar. O país não é governado pelo decreto, como acontece nos golpe d' état. Os processos administrativos são mais eficientes, como evidenciado pela aprovação do orçamento da república, que foi tabelada deliberadamente por nove meses.
3. As três filiais do ato de governo com independência completa e sem algum subordinação, como requisitado pela constituição da república. As decisões são feitas de acordo com as leis.
4. O supremo tribunal eleitoral não mudou nem suspendeu a reunião das eleições gerais a acontecer no próximo dia 28 de novembro, de modo que os povos nas votações decidissem quem será as autoridades para os próximos quatro anos, começando com o presidente da república e aqueles designados [nas eleições primárias] a este escritório, os congressistas de todos os estados ao congresso nacional, e os gorvenadores e os vereadores de todas as municipalidades no país.
5. O seguinte presidente da república tomará o posse no dia 27 de janeiro de 2010, e de acordo com nossa lei eleitoral, os congressistas e os governadores tomarão a posse apenas alguns dias antes.
6. A corte suprema e as cortes continuam a funcionar normalmente, com responsabilidade e independência, apesar das pressões do exterior.
7. O congresso nacional de Honduras prende suas sessões regularmente; os congressistas submetem contas usando a direita de iniciativa; as leis são sabidas, discutidas, aprovadas, e publicadas como expor nos procedimentos parlamentares e nas leis que existem por muitas décadas.
8. Os organismos fiscal do estado cumprem com seus deveres sem a interrupção e sem as intervenções repreensíveis, aderindo à lei.
9. O supremo tribunal eleitoral está preparando, de acordo com procedimentos existentes, as eleições gerais seguintes, não permitindo o " extrangeiro; “recomendações” para contaminar a consulta popular.
10. As direitas humanas de todos os povos e demonstrações calmas foram respeitadas. Mesmo houve uma abundância da paciência com indivíduos que provocam a desordem e vêm conduzir delitos com efeitos chocantes, tentando produzir víctimas para usar-se como uma bandeira do esforço.
11. A ordem é mantida e foi uma surpresa bem sucedida em reduzir o tráfico de droga, com sucesso muito maior do que durante os anos passados.
12. Os técnicos continuam em suas posições, assim como os empregados que actuam dentro da lei, e mesmo os oficiais sênior que têm um compromisso democrático a Honduras.
13. O toque de recolher, que era necessário inicialmente manter a ordem e a segurança e prevenir a violência, foi mantido somente nos lugares, particular na fronteira, onde poderia haver um conflito.
14. A direita livrar a expressão do pensamento é respeitada, embora alguns indivíduos a usem para confundir, se encontrar, insultar e difamar.
Ainda com o número quatorze, são os setores que suportam as ações do governo atual. Nove são parte da organização do estado; àqueles são adicionados a Associação de Advogados, comissão anticorrupção nacional, comissário de direitas humanas, os quatro partidos políticos os maiores, o católico e as igrejas protestantes, o Conselho do Honduran da empresa livre, a associação nacional dos fabricantes, e organizações numerosas da sociedade civil.
Como é possível, a seguir, que a contaminação ideológica move seus penhores para isolar nosso país e não divulga as quatorze diferenças que existem entre um golpe d'etat e o que aconteceu em Honduras?
−Ramón Villeda Bermúdez
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Pide la ayuda de Nuestra Señora, la Virgen de Suyapa, la Patrona de Honduras.
If you can read Spanish, check out La Prensa Honduras, for more information on the current events look at Honduras.
This may not be one of the most serious acts of the Zelayistas, but it is definitely one of the most shameful.
A masked Zelayista sprayed Ramón Velásquez, vice president of the National Congress, with water and then kicked him. As Congressman Velásquez turned to look, another man ran up and kicked him again.
Immediately another Zelayista, a head taller than the 71-year-old, ran up and grabbed him as if to choke him and also kicked him.
Four others came running, surrounded him and began hitting and kicking at him.
Thankfully some nearby citizens, including women, gathered round him to protect him and keep the cowardly attackers away.
Shortly after the attack, Velásquez said that he was okay. He said he was going to the Congress when the mob attacked him, but the police and soldiers rescued him from his aggressors, "who didn't cause me too much harm."
Hondurans generally show great respect to those of the 'third age'. Regardless of his politics, this is someone's grandfather. Shameful!
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Pide la ayuda de Nuestra Señora, la Virgen de Suyapa, la Patrona de Honduras.
If you can read Spanish, check out La Prensa Honduras, for more information on the current events look at Honduras.
HALEAKALA SUMMIT, Maui (kirkf.com) - Not that bad, what? Elena and I saw a person bike riding wearing a yellow rain jacket several times as we drove up to the Haleakala Summit. We would stop and enjoy the view and unknowingly, the bike rider would pass us. When we continued up to the summit, we would see and pass bike rider again. This happened several times.
As we passed the bike rider a final time pulling into the parking lot at the summit of Haleakala, I told Elena, hey, that's a woman! After we parked, I told Elena, I have to speak with her, grabbed my camera and went over to her. I had no idea I was going to meet a grandmother that just biked to the summit of Haleakala, all I can say is WOW! She made me feel 12 inches tall since I once was quite a bike rider but have not been on a serious ride for some time.
We just want to say how thankful we are at her generosity of sharing the very inspirational moment and I have been in contact with her since and wanted to share her story. We still talk about between ourselves and with friends about this amazing woman, Joyce. All I can say is I will be getting back on my Trek! I have a Star Trac gathering dust in my family room and as soon as I am done with this post, I will be riding it as well!
Ed and I went on our family vacation to Maui, HI. Besides snorkeling, hanging out on the beach, and eating, I wanted to stay in shape and thought about riding.
Most visitors ride Haleakala downhill but I thought it would be fun to try to ride my bike UP Haleakala. The bike rental is easy. Check out Maui Cyclery. They rented me a Litespeed. I brought my bike shoes and pedals they set me up all I had to do was ride uphill. The folks wished me luck and said, "Slow and steady gets you there." Sounded good to me.
How I Trained
Riding these past 20 years, with our amazing bike club, was my basic training. I ride about 100-150 miles per week. Mostly it’s Al’s Wednesday ride, and a ride on the weekend. Each ride covers between 40-70 miles with 1,500-4,000 feet elevation gain. My Calfee, carbon fiber, is very close to the bike I rented in Hawaii.
If you can ride your bike up Mt. Hamilton, 18 miles, average 5- 8% grade, you can climb Haleakala, 36 miles, average 5-8 % grade. The difference is the distance and the elvevation, Mt. Hamilton at 4, 200 feet vs Haleakala at 10,000 feet. My ride up Haleakala took about 6 hours.
What Helped?
It was helpful that my dear husband Ed (probably the smarter of us), offered to provide support and guidance (SAG) for this ride. His SAG vehicle stopped every hour, important for two reasons. One, he carried the water/Gatorade and food. Two, there is no reminder to stop and rest anywhere on the route and there are no places to buy food/drink after Kula.
Who can do this ride?
I think with the right training, support, and willingness on your part, you can do this ride. Afterall, I’m a 55 year-old grandmother!
What Next?
I want to do this ride again, with the aim of less than 6 hours. I think riding up Mt Hamilton two times in a row would be good training. Maybe other FFBC members will want to join me in this training.
Keep the rubber on the road and may the wind be at your back,
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (kirkf.com) - The government of Honduras responds with a measure to expel the Argentine Diplomats from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The Argentine Diplomats were given the same treatment given to the 20 or so Honduran Diplomats in Buenos Aires, Argintina. Here is a statement from the Honduran Foreign Ministry:
"The diplomatic relationshiop between Honduras and Argintina will continue from that date through the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires,"
the statement also says:
"In regard to the prominent Argentine personnel in Tegucigalpa and thus ending their roles in Honduras, will be granted equal treatment, time and facilities to be granted to Honduran officials accredited in Argentina, based on the principle of strict reciprocity, ".
So the Argentine diplomats will be given the same 72 hours to leave Tegucigalpa, Honduras just as Ortez Williams was given to leave Buenos Aires after making statements supporting the current government of Honduras.
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Pide la ayuda de Nuestra Señora, la Virgen de Suyapa, la Patrona de Honduras.
If you can read Spanish, check out La Prensa Honduras, for more information on the current events look at Honduras.
MIAMI, Florida (kirkf.com) - There are many companies out there that promise they can eliminate your debt. They either call you or send you letters stating they are able to eliminate your debt regardless of your credit. During this time of economic struggle, the predators are out to get you, so be careful. If you have been contacted by someone that tells you they can eliminate your debt, before taking action, please read this United States Government Help With My Bank. This site is full with information about Debt Elimination Schemes, Making Home Affordable, Credit Cards, Credit, Insurance, Banks, Mortgages, Loans, and other information. As you can see, this is a very comprehensive site and very informative.
MAKAWAO, Maui (kirkf.com) - We were wanting something to do that would be a bit out of the ordinary while we were on Maui. We completed a morning of snorkeling and a nice dinner at Mama's Fish House the day before and driven up to the Haleakala summit and enjoyed all there was to do on the summit and some trails. We made the reservation at the Piiholo Ranch the day we drove to Hana through the Wailea Marriott Concierge. Their first choice of ranch was sold out so they recommended the Piiholo Ranch. To be honest, I was a little scared since this was the Concierge's "second choice" but we went with it and thought it would be enjoyable.
During our drive down from the summit of Haleakala, I was sure to drive through Makawao so I would know where I was going the next day. The ride start time was at 1pm. We noticed a U.S. Post Office there and since we purchased a coconut to mail to the kids back in St. Louis, Missouri; we thought we would stop by there on the way to the ride to drop it off and get it mail. There is more to mailing a coconut than I thought and I will leave it at that.
The weather that day was warm in the valley but we wore jeans as recommended with long sleeves. We knew the ride would take us to fairly high altitudes and were prepared with our jeans, long sleeves and jackets for the cooler weather. If you have time and need a light jacket, check out some of the shops in Makawao. Elena was able to purchase a new jacket in Makawao right before the ride and it was just perfect for her ride. You can see her below with her horse and her new jacket.
When we arrived we were greeted by Kara our guide. She was friendly from the start and any anxiety we had about this ride was eased. We had a moment to meet the other two riders, David and his daughter Lauren. David was originally from Maui so he was able to provide some good tips on places to go.
After our meet and greet with the riders, Kara went over the safety of riding with the four of us. Kara was especially careful to explain every detail. David, Elena and I all noticed this and let Kara know that even though we had all ridden before, it was good to be thorough and safe. We all appreciated her thoroughness and concern for safety. She was also very helpful in making sure our stirrups were adjusted properly and watched as we rode around for a little bit before we left to make sure everything was safe.
Kara was able to provide some information about nature and the Baldwin family ranch while on the ride. We even got a chance to say hello to Peter Baldwin just before we stopped to give the horses a drink of water.
Kara was even nice enough to take a photo of us with the gorgeous view in the background to give us a rememberance of our horse ride. She knew just the right spot!
Kara was a very pleasant guide and provided so much information about the ranch, Maui, plants and cattle we were not able to absorb it all in a "2 hour" ride. She made sure we got our two hours of riding in, I think it was a bit more like three. Kara was very nice and offered to discuss more about the ranch and Maui after we got back but we were tired and we knew she still had a lot of work to do.
We did find out at the end that Kara also did wedding and events and got her website information. So if your thinking of a Maui wedding or event, give her a call. If she provides the same level of kindness, care and safety for the weddings and events she plans as in the horseback guiding she does, I am sure she will not disappoint.
So did we like the horseback riding on Maui, absolutely and we highly recommend it. We also liked the town of Makawao and all it had to offer.
We just got an update from Kara and it looks like they are going to make it through the now tropical storm:
"Seems like the hurricane is downgrading as it gets closer to us but we're all waiting and prepared in case it changes. I went to the ranch today and had a pretty wet ride. We've blanketed all of the horses in case it rains harder tonight. So we'll see! I'll have to put together some of our personal recipes for fish here. So many ways to do it island style yum! Keep in touch and let me know if you'll be back any time soon. Hopefully you'll get to come to a competition and meet more local horsepeople. Take care and have a great week!"
She also said she would share some food recipes with me so once I get them, I will let you know how well I was able to cook them up!
La Gringa's Blogicito has provided and translated the following article in La Prensa Honduras. I read this post now nearly a month after she posted it but I believe it provides a good perspective in what might have happened and the word needs to get out so this serious situation is fully understood.
Computers that already collected and tallied the votes Photo: La Prensa, Honduras
How can the ballots be counted, you ask, since the vote never took place?
¡No importa! as we say in Spanish.
Agents of the DNIC (criminal investigation) discovered ballots, computers, and certified vote counts in an office rented by Enrique Flores Lanza, member of Zelaya's mediating team who you may remember made a L. 40 million cash withdrawal from the central bank four days before the election was to occur. The count sheets neatly tallied the yes and no votes, the blank or disqualified votes, and the totals for various mesas (polling places).
You won't be surprised to learn that Zelaya's proposal won heartily with approximately 80% affirmative votes.
In fact, Zelaya's people should have probably used a little more discretion to make it believable. In one tally sheet that was reported, 'yes' votes totaled 450 while 'no' votes totaled only 30. Since a Gallup poll conducted from June 30 to July 4 reported that 63% of the respondents were against the fourth ballot box for a Constitutional Assembly, the fraudulent results should have been a bit more modest in favor of the cuarta urna.
Though this find was widely reported in the Honduran media, complete with reporters on the site of the investigation in process, here we are three days later and I'm willing to bet that you haven't heard about it yet from the media in your country.
It appears certain that the Honduran people narrowly avoided the prospect of a Chavez clone setting up shop as a dictator for life in their country. Only the courageous actions of their political, military, and judicial leaders avoided catastrophe.
I am ashamed of our president and government that they continue to support Zelaya at the expense of Honduran freedom. And I am ashamed of our media who obviously backed the wrong horse and are too arrogant to admit it.
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Big surprise: Today at the 30th anniversary of the Sandista revolution celebration, Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua, put forth the idea of a Nicaraguan referendum "to have a better constitution".
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How can Honduras get a fair shot if none of the major media outlets are reporting the facts. It is NOT acceptable to dismiss news by saying, "Oh, it's coming out of the Honduran media therefore it must be false."
Reporters, come down and find out for yourself, please! Our newspapers have political leanings just like all of yours. That doesn't mean that everything they report is false.
Even better would be if some countries would send their own investigators to follow along with Honduras' investigators and report on their findings. I have no doubt that Honduras' government would welcome that outside cooperation with open arms.
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Pide la ayuda de Nuestra Señora, la Virgen de Suyapa, la Patrona de Honduras.
If you can read Spanish, check out La Prensa Honduras, for more information on the current events look at Honduras.
