Honduras Now Podcast

U.S. banana companies have a long history in Honduras. Their historical involvement in providing education has shaped some of the ways in which the Honduran education system developed, particularly along the north coast.

Today, we speak with Kate Kedley, a professor and activist about her long relationship with Honduras, including her interesting insights into a range of issues including english education, employment, globalization, the banana campos, and adoption

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On January 27, President Xiomara Castro was inaugurated in the presence of thousands of Honduras and several international invitees in the national stadium in Tegucigalpa. It was an exciting celebration that marks the start of a new era for Honduras, despite the existence of a Congressional crisis that could have put President Xiomara's progressive agenda in jeopardy.

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On November 28, almost 70% of Hondurans eligible to vote went to the polls and elected Xiomara Castro as their next President. The victory represents a slam dunk win for the LIBRE party but also for the Honduran people, who voted in masses to end the 12-year U.S.-backed narco-dictatorship.

Host Karen Spring interviews Honduran women in the social movement and human rights organizations about their responses to Xiomara's victory. She gives an overview of election celebrations, the results of the Congressional level, and outlines some of the difficulties facing the new government that takes power on January 27, 2022.

Check out our show notes: hondurasnow.org

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On November 28, 2021, Hondurans will go to the polls to vote in the 2021 general elections. What route will the country take?

Host Karen Spring gives an overview of the basics about the election and then plays an interview with Honduran sociologist Eugenio Sosa.

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Shownote: hondurasnow.org

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As the COP26 is meeting in Glasgow, UK, Honduran communities maintain their resistance against "clean" energy projects proposed in their communities. These types of projects are often financed in the name of mitigating climate change but create social conflict and environmental destruction in the communities where they are proposed. The Jilamito dam project in Arizona, Atlántida is an example of one of these projects. We learn about this project and put it and others in the context of the global efforts to allegedly combat climate change.

Show notes: hondurasnow.org

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On September 17, political prisoners Edwin Espinal and Raúl Alvarez were acquitted! Host Karen Spring shares her experiences of working to free Edwin and Raúl while thanking each and every person who helped them along the way. This small victory shows the power of national and international solidarity.

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Show notes and past episodes at: hondurasnow.org

On Monday, September 13, 2021, political prisoners Edwin Espinal & Raúl Alvarez will stand trial on trumped up charges stemming from the 2017 electoral crisis. Both were released from pre-trial detention in August 2019 but are not fully in the clear. The trial next week will determine whether they will be sent back to prison for 15 to 30 years.

Listen to a summary of the case and hear an interview with Edwin Espinal, the day after he was released from a maximum-security prison in 2019. Edwin describes the conditions inside the prison including how the relatively new maximum-security prisons in Honduras are similar to the US prison model.

To take action in support of Edwin and Raul, go to:

1. bit.ly/edwinyraul - send a message to your Congressional rep
2. bit,ly/edwinyraul2 - send a letter to the Honduran authorities

For more information and updates on the case:

Twitter: @EdwinLibertad

Facebook: Free Edwin Espinal Libertad

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Show notes: https://www.hondurasnow.org

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On July 5, a Sentencing court in Tegucigalpa convicted Roberto David Castillo Mejía for the murder of indigenous activist and environmentalist, Berta Cáceres. Castillo is a US-trained military intelligence officer and the former President of the dam company, DESA, that tried to build the Agua Zarca dam on the Gualcarque river. Berta Cáceres, along with COPINH and the communities of Rio Blanco, opposed the project and led a national and international campaign to stop it.

This episode highlights the key points from the trial including the ways in which the criminal structure surrounding the Agua Zarca project was exposed in court. Testimony, Whatsapp chat messages, phone calls, and telephone antenna information were used to build the case against Castillo, and also revealed the involvement of DESA's executives and investors in plotting the murder as well.

#JusticiaParaBerta #FaltaLosAtalas

For a complete, day-to-day summary of the trial in English, see: aquiabajo.com/blog

For the episode's show notes: hondurasnow.org

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The recent news of the 215 children found in graves at Kamloops Residential School in British Columbia, Canada, has made headlines all over the world. The news raises more questions about Canada's colonial history and causes outrage about the treatment of indigenous peoples in Canada and globally.

Host Karen Spring speaks with Dr. Tyler Shipley, a professor, activist, and author of the book "Canada in the World: Settler Capitalism and Colonial Imagination" about Canada's colonial past and present. Shipley discusses and connects colonialism to Canada's foreign policy in Honduras and other parts of the world.

Check out our show notes and make a donation to the show: hondurasnow.org

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Buy Dr. Tyler Shipley's book: Fernwood Publishing

Follow 'Canada in the World' on Twitter: @canadainthewrld

Thanks for listening!

This year, new legislation about Honduras was presented in the US Congress. This episode provides a brief overview of the legislative initiatives related to human rights and corruption in Honduras and shares responses from Honduran social movement leaders and the government about such efforts.

To read the bills and to find out if your representatives have signed on (or not), go to: 'Get Involved' at solidaritycollective.org

To get in touch and read the show notes, go to: hondurasnow.org and follow us on Instagram @HondurasNow

Thanks for listening!