De la Pluma de Juan Ramon Martinez

Escribe Don Juan Ramón Martinez en su columna de hoy en la Tribuna (para ver articulo completo hacer un click aqui):

"En el discurso envenenado que sembró Zelaya y su grupo “liberal”-socialista en la mente de los hondureños, destacan dos grandes falsedades. La primera de ellas es que el gobierno no hace nada a favor de los que menos tienen, porque se lo impide la Constitución, las leyes y la fuerza de los grupos fácticos que operan alrededor de los partidos políticos en que se han dividido los hondureños. La segunda es que, más importante que la producción de la riqueza, lo fundamental es que la pobreza de cada uno de los compatriotas que sufren esta verdadera maldición, es el fruto de los ricos que han logrado lo suyo, debilitando las posibilidades de aquellos para salir de la incómoda situación en la que están. Típica cultura de la pobreza, que le gusta a los pobres."

El primer argumento lo he hecho también yo en este foro (y en otros). Zelaya y sus seguidores se valieron de un falso argumento para tratar de permanecer en el poder llamando a una Asamblea Nacional Constituyente. Es mas, ni siquiera lo podemos llamar un argumento porque jamas documentaron que partes de la Constitución o que leyes son las que causan la pobreza en nuestro pais.

La existencia de los grupos "facticos de poder" creo nadie la puede negar, la cuestion era como manejar el pais para que todos avanzacemos como resultado del esfuerzo de cada uno de nosotros. Definitivamente no destruyendo la riqueza existente ni estableciendo un sistema de beneficiencia improductiva que paraliza el engranaje productivo del pais.

Ojo, no estoy escribiendo aqui que subsidios con finalidades especificas y metas claras no pueden ser efectivos, menos aun que hay no programas validos para tratar de reducir la pobreza, como tampoco creo en los que pregonan que el Estado tiene muy poco (o nulo) papel en la vida de un pais. Mas de esto despues.

Una nota final. Un pequeño detalle que muchas se nos olvida, y que Juan Ramón Martinez señala en su articulo, es que la propuesta de Zelaya implicaba un auto-golpe de estado para darle paso a la Asamblea Nacional Constituyente, que de paso derogaba el Congreso, Corte Suprema de Justicia, y quizás hasta los partidos políticos. Que poca memoria y capacidad de análisis tenemos.....

Los Hijos del Infortunio - La Historia de un Pais al Reves

I am almost done reading this book by Cesar Indiano. I really like this book as it's author is quite irreverent and does not mince words while deconstructing several myths in our history. Interestingly enough, Cesar Indiano, is a dramatist, who developed a knack for reading, learning and studying our history. Granted, in some parts, the book is a bit repetitive, and his use of long lists of names and options can get a bit winded at times, but it is very informative.

 I would also recommend reading a letter Cesar Indiano has circulated during the crisis.
http://www.sibila.com.br/index.php/mix/695-honduras-los-hijos-del-infortunio


Jose Falck Zepeda (in the end another "Hijo del Infortunio" from Honduras, much less so, than most in my country)

I'm back and continue to be worried

Dear Readers,

After a week-long family vacation, a week-long training course I delivered at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture ( CIAT - www.ciat.cgiar.org) and a three day visit to the home land to establish some connections to further IFPRI's (my employer- see IFPRI - www.ifpri.org) interests , I am back. I am back and quite worried due to recent developments which bring a lot of questions about what is happening in my country and who is/are the actors behind these developments.

One of the most worrisome developments is the series of journalists that have been killed during the last months. Granted, this could be fully the result from the generalized violence and insecurity that characterizes Honduras today. However, it could also reflect other potential causes including organized crime or political organizations trying to either repress the press or create the perception of insecurity, thus creating a shroud of discontent and discredit attached to the current administration. I do not know which one is truly the cause, or if it is a combination of different issues here.  

I certainly agree with Tambopaxi's worry about the potential impact on our current democratically elected administration. I am also worried, and now more than ever disagree with President Lobo's foreign policy of appeasement to gain "recognition" of his administration, in many cases, cow towing to the criticism and even bowing our heads to other countries' leaders.

I believe that we have to learn survival without anybody else in the world. Lets not make it that dramatic. Lets open relations with all countries who are willing to enter into a relationship as "friends". If any country starts putting conditions for recognition and is not willing to recognize us as a democracy (i.e. El Salvador, Nicaragua, Venezuela or Cuba) -granted in evolution- then we bypass them for other international relations. If a country, delays unnecessarily giving the diplomatic acceptance of our country's ambassador as a way to pressure and, yes, humiliate us even further (i.e. Spain and other countries), we bypass them. When they are willing to treat us with respect and as "friends", then we gladly return to the discussion table.

In this sense, we need to learn from the experience of Singapore, Israel, and Taiwan; who at one point of their story, they decided that they would survive as free, proud, independent and democratic nations. If other countries do not want to recognize us a such...then its their loss...not ours.