Honduran Presidential Election

12/3/2017  11:08pm
I don’t know how much of this is being reported in the U.S. so I figured I’d give you an update and let you know we’re safe.

The presidential election took place on Sunday, November 26. The current president, Juan O. Hernandez is the first to run for re-election as it is prohibited by the constitution. Understandably, many people are opposed to his re-election bid.  The first report of votes showed a sizable lead to his opponent with the majority of the polls reporting.  After that, vote reporting started and stopped, sometimes for up to 36 hours at a time.  When votes were reported, they leaned towards the incumbent. Wednesday night he took the lead. Protests began in many parts of the country, including La Ceiba. JOH currently holds a slight lead.  However, now a week since the election they still haven’t counted all of the votes and have not officially announced a winner. People are frustrated and angry about the process, the lack of transparency, and re-election in general. Many suspect fraud. Protests have become violent in some places but are generally focused on highways (blocking bridges) and the TSE (electoral agency) office in Tegucigalpa. Some people are using the situation as an excuse to loot and destroy property however, less so in La Ceiba than other parts of the country. This has prompted many business and schools to shorten their hours or close temporarily. On Friday a curfew was instated for 10 days from 6pm to 6am.  Military have been called in to enforce the curfew and break up road blockades and protests. Some people have continued their protests by banging pots and pans and setting off fireworks. Things are noisy but peaceful around our neighborhood. We feel safe in our home and plan to stick close for the next several days. We have lots of water, food, and gas.

The last of the votes are finally being tallied. It appears that Monday incumbent, Juan O. Hernandez will be called the victor.  If so, protests can be expected to continue and possibly worsen. We are keeping a close eye on the news and the US Embassy's safety messages. We have met as a team to discuss safety. Our agency, MTW has been in touch with our team leader and will help us to evaluate the situation.

Today (Sunday) we ventured out of our house to attend church. It was a wonderful time of worship. Our pastor, Allan delivered a great message on non-violence. His words were humble and calming without taking sides in the election. He lightened the tense mood without making light of the situation. And he reminded his Honduran congregants that their citizenship was ultimately in heaven, not in this world.