Congress to debate the deregulation of the airline services into the country

As a result of two different and very distinct situations, the National Congress is now studying and debating a decree that could result in the deregulation of air transport in the country.

This would benefit the tourism industry, as it would allow unrestricted access of international routes into the country. Presently only Grupo Taca has access to this benefit. The result is that air travel into Honduras from the USA is costlier that it is to the rest of the Caribbean and Central America. Because of this situation, travelers considering Honduras as a destination frequently choose another option as a result of the unreasonably high cost of travel to our country. On one side, this deregulation is the result of an effort by the central government to privatize the administration of the four international airports in the form of a 20 to 25 year concession contract. However, because of the low traffic that presently arrives into these terminals, there are no bidders. It is generally agreed that this situation would change dramatically if a new law that offered unrestricted access to our airports replaced the current and obsolete air transport law. On the other side, the numerous complaints against the service that Grupo Taca has been providing, which include those of many Honduran VIP's from both the public and private sectors, has turned into general outcry for other alternatives. Honduras.com will follow this situation closely and keep you updated as to whether the decree is passed or not and when.

A new trend leading towards Prohibition?

Several different municipalities in Honduras have been adopting laws tending to prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages within their municipal territory.

The most recent of these has been the city of La Lima, just east of San Pedro Sula, who applied this new law earlier this week. The philosophy of this prohibition is that individuals under the influence of alcohol are accountable for many of the crimes that are committed in the country. Although we agree that alcoholic consumption should be controlled, we do not believe that this measure will solve the crime situation in Honduras. Other municipalities that have passed a law to keep them "dry" are Dulce Nombre de Culmi and Punuare in Olancho; Tambla in Lempira; It is interesting to note that his law prohibits the sale of beer and any other alcoholic beverages within the county limits. We can probably expect an increase in alcohol related vehicle accidents as a result of the fact that the inhabitants of La Lima that wish to consume alcohol will now be doing it in the neighboring city's of El Progreso and San Pedro Sula. Who knows, maybe bootlegging is going to become a booming business!

JFK Jr. Headlines

As happened in the rest of the world, the 5 daily newspapers in Honduras dedicated several headlines to the disappearance and then tragic death of “John John”. We recall the visit that John F. Kennedy did to Honduras in 1995, together with his fiancée Caroline Bessette.

Those who had the opportunity to meet them and provide them with the typical Honduran hospitality recall them as very good-natured and regret their passing away. Both touched many hearts in Copan as well as in the Bay Islands, who will cherish the memory of them forever.

Museum of Maya Sculpture Closed as a Result of Earthquake Damage

The quakes that shook the northwestern coast of Honduras last Sunday, July 11 where felt heavily in Copan. Unfortunately, the structure holding the Museum of Mayan Sculpture in Copan, which was already weak, sustained important structural damage.

Evaluations are being made, but in the meantime, the museum is closed to the public. We hope that the entities in charge of the museum can resolve the problems quickly and efficiently.

Changes made in the leadership of the armed forces of Honduras

In a display of power and to end the bickering that had become part of everyday life in the military institution of Honduras, President Flores, in his position as the chief of armed forces of the country made a series of changes in the leadership, sending a group of dissident military into retirement.

The changes where announced on national radio July 29 in the afternoon hours, which had previously been ordered into "Cadena Nacional" transmission, which means that all radio stations in the country stop transmitting their regular programs to transmit the program that the government requires to be transmitted.

Cadena Nacional lasted over 4 hours, during which military music was blasted between the different government information. This caused nervousness amongst the civil population, who was forced to remember the days of military coups in the country. Many even believed that there had been a military coup that ousted the president. As it turned out, it was the president who ousted the dissident military. The action, that put end to rumors of lack of discipline and unhappiness amongst a group of coronals is without doubt an important victory for democracy in a Honduras, where up until a few years ago, the president had little to no power over the powerful military elite in the country.

Amongst the most important changes, the vice-minister of national defense, Roberto Lazarus; the joint chief of staff, Eugenio Romero, and his right hand, Jorge Alberto Puerto were all replaced. Eugenio Romero took charge as the new vice minister of National Defense, Daniel Lopez Carballo is the new joint chief of staff and Manuel Luna is his new right hand.