Topic: Our Central American spring': protesters demand an end to decades of corruption (Read 312 times)
August 15, 2015, 07:59:49 AM
The crime rate in Honduras (and to some extent that in Guatemala) is shooting up without any sign of a slowdown. Both these countries are densely populated, and therefore the available natural resources are shrinking year-on-year. And to make things worse, the Mexican drug war has spilled over to Guatemala and Honduras. Ideal conditions for the existence of corrupt politicians.
August 15, 2015, 05:39:16 AM
Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández has vowed to root out corruption ‘no matter who falls’ while in Guatemala the promise of new elections has not sated: ‘Without reform, it will just be about choosing the next group of thieves’
As the sky dims over the Honduran capital, the streets are ablaze with the flames of thousands of torches, each one carried by a citizen outraged by the entrenched corruption and impunity in this Central American country.
Though the light from the bamboo torches gives the protest a festive air, the message the protesters are sending is serious. One handmade sign reads “The corrupt have ripped apart my country.” Another says: “Enough is enough.”
It is a scene that has been repeated every Friday evening for nearly three months, since the government party was linked to a fraud and graft scheme that nearly bled the national health service dry.
The route taken by hundreds of peaceful protesters on a recent Friday was particularly symbolic. It started at the Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS) whose former director and other officials allegedly siphoned off some $200m through shell companies to pay for luxury lifestyles complete with mansions in Miami, sports cars and lavish parties with highly paid prostitutes.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/14/honduras-guatemala-protests-government-corruption
As the sky dims over the Honduran capital, the streets are ablaze with the flames of thousands of torches, each one carried by a citizen outraged by the entrenched corruption and impunity in this Central American country.
Though the light from the bamboo torches gives the protest a festive air, the message the protesters are sending is serious. One handmade sign reads “The corrupt have ripped apart my country.” Another says: “Enough is enough.”
It is a scene that has been repeated every Friday evening for nearly three months, since the government party was linked to a fraud and graft scheme that nearly bled the national health service dry.
The route taken by hundreds of peaceful protesters on a recent Friday was particularly symbolic. It started at the Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS) whose former director and other officials allegedly siphoned off some $200m through shell companies to pay for luxury lifestyles complete with mansions in Miami, sports cars and lavish parties with highly paid prostitutes.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/14/honduras-guatemala-protests-government-corruption
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