Honduras rebuilds ties with its neighbors

BY SHELLY RICHARDSON

After two and a half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in the Central American country of Honduras in 1982. Maintaining a stable democratic government has been full of challenges in the years since. During what has become known by some as the Honduras Constitutional Crisis of 2009, the Congress staged a coup that removed their standing president, Manuel Zelaya, and replaced him with interim President Roberto Micheletti.

The resulting confusion and instability included politically motivated killings and kidnappings. The political tug of war also damaged the impoverished country's economy, which relies heavily on tourism and foreign aid. Members of the Organization of American States (OAS) condemned the coup and turned on the pressure to restore the government to a democratic structure.

Recent elections have now put into place a new government led by Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo, a conservative president, which seems to be making genuine efforts to reconnect with the international community and to stabilize the nation. The OAS is talking about restoring Honduras to full membership, and the United States, Taiwan, and some Latin American countries have already formally recognized the new government. The World Bank has restored financial aid. But as Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, much work needs to be done to restore ties with other nations and to chart out a peaceful and prosperous course for the future.