Senator Marco Rubio: U.S. has a special responsibility to help Honduras
Senator Marco Rubio has a reasonable op-ed on his recent trip to Honduras in the Miami Herald (U.S. has a special responsibility to help Honduras).
I think he overemphasizes US pullback (neglect) in the region. Some of that is simply the fact that he needs to criticize the Obama administration. On the other hand, I do think that the Obama administration has been less demanding of its Central American partners than was the Bush administration. I'm a bigger fan of letting (?) Central Americans take the lead on resolving their own issues than he probably is so it doesn't bother me as much. I also don't think that everyone will agree my take on US policy towards the region.
I didn't expect him to criticize US ambivalence towards the 2009 coup and he didn't. He described it as "a constitutional crisis that led to its president’s ouster" which is probably the best way we could expect him to characterize the coup.
I see it as a positive that he recognizes that the US appetite for illegal narcotics is driving a great number of problems in the region. That is a pretty significant change from the Bush to Obama administrations.
The extradition of drug traffickers is potentially a positive signal from the Honduran government. However, it is noteworthy that he left out the Rosenthal money laundering case and recent murder of Berta Caceres.
I agree that "we cannot allow old prejudices against Honduras to impede training efforts or funding provided by law for security cooperation with this willing partner." However, it's their current configuration that worries me.
Not long ago, Honduras was a country in crisis and had the dubious distinction of having the highest murder rate per capita in the world. At over 86 homicides per 100,000 citizens, this lawless violence was unsustainable and tearing the country apart.
Adding to Honduras’ instability over the past decade have been a constitutional crisis that led to its president’s ouster, the drumbeat of illicit trafficking, gang extortion of innocent civilians and senseless violence continued.
However, after spending time last week in Honduras, I am encouraged by promising signs that the country's trajectory is on the right path, with violence still too high but down significantly, and the United States having a real partner in the Honduran government and people.In my opinion, he's a bit too optimistic about the progress and potential of our Honduran partners. The Honduran government has agreed to the establishment of MACCIH but has tried to make it as weak as possible. I hope that will change.
I think he overemphasizes US pullback (neglect) in the region. Some of that is simply the fact that he needs to criticize the Obama administration. On the other hand, I do think that the Obama administration has been less demanding of its Central American partners than was the Bush administration. I'm a bigger fan of letting (?) Central Americans take the lead on resolving their own issues than he probably is so it doesn't bother me as much. I also don't think that everyone will agree my take on US policy towards the region.
I didn't expect him to criticize US ambivalence towards the 2009 coup and he didn't. He described it as "a constitutional crisis that led to its president’s ouster" which is probably the best way we could expect him to characterize the coup.
I see it as a positive that he recognizes that the US appetite for illegal narcotics is driving a great number of problems in the region. That is a pretty significant change from the Bush to Obama administrations.
The extradition of drug traffickers is potentially a positive signal from the Honduran government. However, it is noteworthy that he left out the Rosenthal money laundering case and recent murder of Berta Caceres.
I agree that "we cannot allow old prejudices against Honduras to impede training efforts or funding provided by law for security cooperation with this willing partner." However, it's their current configuration that worries me.
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