Honduras 11-28-2008
 
1. Primary Elections
 
La Prensa, Conservative paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 75,000):
I Promise. Presidential pre-candidates agree to attract investment to face international financial crisis. (Page 2-3)
 
Public Ministry intervenes RNP for Illegal Fees: 48 hours before elections, RNP has been intervened for charging fees for document issuance. (Page 4)
 
100 ID cards found at Congressional pre-candidate’s home: The District Attorney’s Office against Corruption found the documents at José Ricardo Gamero’s home in Cortés. Gamero is a candidate under Elvin’s movement. (p. 6)
 
Schools are guaranteed for Primary Elections: The Government and teacher leaders reached an agreement last night for late salary payments. The Government will start making payments between December 10 and12. (p 14)
 
La Tribuna, Liberal paper based in Tegucigalpa (circ. 40,000):
Farmers protest in front of the Supreme Court: They threatened not to vote if Executive Decree 18-2008 is not ratified. The decree obligates the State to resolve the agricultural debt of 35 years. (p. 2)
 
Pre-candidates against the clock. The electoral material has been distributed, only Francisco Morazan is missing. (p. 114)
 
TREP system is ready to issue election results. A simulation was done yesterday to verify if the TREP system is working correctly. 6,000 TREP officers will transmit electoral results through cell phones. (p. 117)
 
Diario Tiempo, Liberal paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 60,000):
TSE and Public Ministry will design plan to avoid boycotts to electoral process. A group of District Attorneys and TSE members designed a plan yesterday to stop any attempt of boycott. (p. 2)
 
 
2.  Politician’s murder
 
La Prensa, Conservative paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 75,000):
Sister will substitute Mario Fernando Hernández in ticket: María Florencia Hernández will be the candidate for a Congressional seat for Cortés, substituting her recently murdered brother. (p. 6)
 
Diario Tiempo, Liberal paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 60,000):
Mario Fernando’s sister will substitute him in the Congressional ticket. (p. 6)
 
Maria Florencia Hernandez: My brother’s crime was for political reasons. She says Mario Fernando’s adversaries were afraid he would win. (Page 6)
 
 
3.  TPS
 
La Prensa, Conservative paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 75,000):
54,000 Hondurans have not registered for TPS extension: Foreign Affairs Ministry will visit several cities to verify work at the Consulates. (p. 16)
 
4. Ministers of Finance reviewed by American Economics magazine
 
La Prensa, Conservative paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 75,000):
Experts fail Rebeca Santos administration: According to the magazine, the Honduran Minister of Finance is not ready to face the international financial crisis. She received a grade of 3.8 of 10.  (p.18)
 
5. Channel 8
 
La Prensa, Conservative paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 75,000):
Minister Flores Lanza says that Channel 8 belongs to the people: Court’s ruling is not firm and broadcasts will continue. (p. 18)
 
Diario Tiempo, Liberal paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 60,000):
The government will defend at all cost the Channel 8 frequency. Flores Lanza says that businessman Elias Asfura wants to maintain Channel 12 through use of his influence in the court room. (Page 20)
 
 
6.  Refuge to 46 foreigners
 
 
La Prensa, Conservative paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 75,000):
Honduras provides refuge to 46 foreigners: among them 3 Ethiopians, 1 Ecuadorian, 6 Peruvians, 4 Iranians, 4 Colombians, 1 citizen of Sierra Leona, 18 Cubans and 9 Haitians. (p. 20)
 
7. Economy
 
La Prensa, Conservative paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 75,000):
Manufacturing Industry will lay-off 10% of work force: Businessmen say that investment during 2009 will be limited to the strictly necessary. (p. 86)
 
La Tribuna, Liberal paper based in Tegucigalpa (circ. 40,000):
Increase to minimum wage will cause 40,000 lay-offs: COHEP considers that a minimum wage increase is unsustainable. (p. 2)
 
Diario Tiempo, Liberal paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 60,000):
If minimum wages increases businesses will have to lay-off employees. COHEP considers it is best to maintain the current employment rate. (Page 18)
 
 
8.  MCC
 
La Tribuna, Liberal paper based in Tegucigalpa (circ. 40,000):
Zelaya’s administration says Honduras will not be punished like Nicaragua: Minister Flores Lanza guaranteed that the US will not suspend MCC funds to Honduras because it has fulfilled all demanded indicators. (p. 8)
 
9.  ALBA Summit
 
La Tribuna, Liberal paper based in Tegucigalpa (circ. 40,000):
President Zelaya sets forth new financial and monetary organizations: Zelaya says that the existing international financial institutions should be substituted because they have not been able to stop the current financial crisis. (p. 12)
 
ALBA funds - Millionaire disbursements announced: Milton Jimenez Puerto announced the disbursement of $100 million for the purchase of State bonds - funds offered by Hugo Chavez. (p. 12)
 
Diario Tiempo, Liberal paper based in San Pedro Sula (circ. 60,000):
Before the end of the year Honduras will receive $90 million from Alba. The Honduran government informed that the millionaire disbursement should take place before the year ends. (Page 14)