So what happened? It’s a good question and one that could fill the leaves of an entire book or unjustly summed up in bullet points or paragraphs or PowerPoints. A blog post is some terrible in between but it will have to do. Maybe better to start with the present and work my way back. I, and every volunteer in Honduras are leaving mid-January. This decision was officially made and communicated to all of the volunteers via e-mail and personal phone calls from our in-country staff on December 20th. This news was the not-so-surprising and long overdue measure that we all saw coming, but didn’t want it to be real. I suppose I’ll expand upon that.
It’s time to pull the candy coating off the story. It’s hard to express what an understatement it is to say Honduras is a dangerous country. It is widely becoming considered the most violent nation in the world by more than one reputable source and in more than one way of measuring that violence. Googling the words “Honduras” and “Danger” will surely produce a number of eye-opening hits that will do little justice to an ugly face that remains otherwise hidden. A recent UN study found Honduras to have the highest homicide rate in the world with 82 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. Second place goes to its little neighbor El Salvador with 66 murders. Put in perspective the United States has a rate of 5.[1] Very little attention need to be paid in order to know that the massive stronghold that drug dealers have had in Mexico has been funneling its way through Central America to locations easier to operate, and if necessary, disappear in. Also, the two largest cities in this country are understandably of the most dangerous in the world as well. Just being an outspoken journalist or politician in these cities here is enough to put you on a hit list, and hits come very cheap here. Corruption is systemic, a way of life. It is widely being documented in newspapers just how involved the police and politicians have been in allowing the drug trade to operate. Little arrests are being made. So wait, what is Peace Corps doing in Honduras?
Truth is most of this violence, although it has been growing yearly, is concentrated between the drug cartels, the police, gang members, politicians, and the like. Put rather bluntly, Hondurans killing Hondurans; perhaps giving more explanation than any as to why America is not so keen to the security environment of a country far closer than Libya or Afghanistan. Most places that volunteers find themselves placed in are very safe in relative terms. The work is meaningful, the relationships inculcated both tangible and invaluable. It transforms the lives of volunteers and host country nationals alike, to varying but undeniable degrees. And needless to say there is plenty of work to be done in this, and many other countries that are not shining beacons of civic responsibility, and accountability. This is about as good an answer I can give to our current presence here.
So the tipping point was finally reached. This has been an intense year in terms of violations again volunteers. Our towns are safe, but traveling around the country and in and out of the major cities becomes a statistical eventuality in terms of security threats and we find ourselves in the proverbial cross hairs at times. Some crimes are much more serious than others. Petty theft is one thing, sexual violence more rare but unacceptable. There have been an unprecedented number of both this year. I found myself wondering “how much more does it take here? Where does the line get drawn?” I asked this question, the answer generally sided with my points from the previous paragraph. It was three weeks ago that the line was officially drawn when a volunteer on a mid day bus leaving the city San Pedro Sula was shot in the leg. Three armed individuals were robbing the bus and one of the passengers, also armed, decided to resist, starting a gunfight. This volunteer was caught in the crossfire. She is okay with a broken femur. Wrong place, wrong time, but the violence is becoming too random to manage effectively anymore, so Peace Corps has said no more.
Those not out of the country on vacation have been ordered to stay in their towns until private transportation is sent regionally to pick us all up and take us to a conference where we will organize ourselves and our all to quickly approaching lives in the United States. So here we are waiting it out. Saying goodbye to our beloved communities and wondering about the uncertain future in store for us all. I want all to know that I am safe in my town and will be here for the remainder of my days in Honduras. I did not get to see Nicaragua or Guatemala, I did however visit El Salvador. I had plans and aspirations for South America that have all but been reconsidered. Its one day at a time anymore and I find myself looking around with new found admiration and astound that I’m even here and have had such a wonderful experience.
More to come.
Well put Jesse. We're all feeling the same. See ya at the conference...
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