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)