Honduran corruption protests are a sign of progress
Whitney Eulich has a good article on Honduras: As protests over corruption swell, many see 'positive moment' for the Christian Science Monitor.
Finally, I thought that the establishment of international investigative bodies in El Salvador and Honduras were feasible and might show significant progress. Even though the FMLN has no interest in having anyone come into help uncovertheir corruption from previous administrations, I still think that it would be a wise decision. ARENA supports the establishment of an international commission, probably because they know the FMLN won't support one. That makes them look like the good guys. As a Salvadoran said in the paper this morning, if their roles were reversed, the FMLN would be in support of a commission and ARENA would be against.
Does El Salvador need a commission? It's tough to say. There are so many programs going on here - Safe El Salvador Plan, Partnership for Growth, numerous AID programs, and the proposed Alliance for Prosperity - but I would still back the establishment of a CICIG-like commission. It probably wouldn't have the same hidden powers focus of Guatemala. If it were anything like Guatemala, international support teams would spend months in El Salvador speaking with interested parties to determine jointly how best to utilize the power of the international community. The same goes for a commission in Honduras.
The marches have been largely peaceful, and political party symbols have been banned from them, though some political groups have piggybacked on the movement. It’s a pivotal moment for the country, observers say, as citizens from across economic classes and of all ages participate, demanding the creation of an independent anticorruption commission, similar to the nearly nine-year old International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG).
“This is a very positive moment for Honduras,” says Carlos Hernández Martinez, executive director for the Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ). It’s the first time citizens have mobilized against corruption, he says, and regardless of the end result, he sees that alone as “a victory.”I spoke with Whitney for the article about two weeks ago. I thought that Hondurans mobilizing against corruption was a positive development. I also thought that President Hernandez's announced establishment of an internal commission to investigate corruption was a step in the right direction but that details were scarce and the it was unclear that he had the ability, in many ways, to police his own administration.
Finally, I thought that the establishment of international investigative bodies in El Salvador and Honduras were feasible and might show significant progress. Even though the FMLN has no interest in having anyone come into help uncover
Does El Salvador need a commission? It's tough to say. There are so many programs going on here - Safe El Salvador Plan, Partnership for Growth, numerous AID programs, and the proposed Alliance for Prosperity - but I would still back the establishment of a CICIG-like commission. It probably wouldn't have the same hidden powers focus of Guatemala. If it were anything like Guatemala, international support teams would spend months in El Salvador speaking with interested parties to determine jointly how best to utilize the power of the international community. The same goes for a commission in Honduras.
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