Exclusive HTW Interview: President Zelaya addresses melon crisis

Alvaro Morales Molina
Honduras This Week

Honduran President Manuel Zelaya stresses that the “Melon Crisis” is not a commercial embargo, but an alert launched by the United States Foods and Drugs Administration (FDA). The alert suggested abstaining from consuming certain produce of Honduras, specifically, melons produced by one company of the southern region of Honduras. Full Article

President Zelaya addresses melon controversy

Honduras This Week

President Manuel Zelaya Rosales confirms that he has attended meetings with authorities of the United States government, in reference to the present strategy that the administration is carrying out in order to overturn the decision taken by North America of keeping borders closed to the Honduran melon, claiming that it is contaminated with salmonella.Full Article

TRUJILLO:
More than just beautiful beaches

Honduran Institute of Tourism
Special to Honduras This Week

The blue sky and the natural beauty of Trujillo were discovered by Christopher Columbus back in 1502 in his fourth and final trip to the newly discovered America. The city eventually became one of the first capitals of the new world, following Spanish conquest. Full Article

Honduras This Week

Melon production in Honduras reached its massive scale in the 1980’s, continued to increase in 90’s and eventually overtook cotton production. Cotton farmers were forced to scale back and to experiment with changing over to melons. At the time, they did not know the outcome that this delicious fruit would become a major Honduran export. Full Article

Cardinal Rodriguez:
Poverty reduction does
not reach the poor

Alvaro Morales Molina
Honduras This Week

On March 21, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted the U.S. public not to purchase melons shipped from Honduras, in particular cantaloupes produced by Agropecuaria Montelibano, and was seeking to halt future trading with the company. The decision was made following an outbreak of salmonella food poisoning across the U.S. and Canada in which 59 people became sick and 14 were hospitalized.Full Article

Melon ban investigation continues, Zelaya calls for scientific proof

Helen Lock
Honduras This Week

On March 21, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted the U.S. public not to purchase melons shipped from Honduras, in particular cantaloupes produced by Agropecuaria Montelibano, and was seeking to halt future trading with the company. The decision was made following an outbreak of salmonella food poisoning across the U.S. and Canada in which 59 people became sick and 14 were hospitalized.Full Article

President Zelaya eats Honduran melon before U.S. cameras

Honduras This Week

The President of Honduras, Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, challenged the findings of the Food and Drug Administration of the  United States government (FDA) which ordered supermarkets to withdraw from their shelves all Honduran produced melons under the suspicion of containing Salmonella (a dangerous bacteria), as “unjust.”.Full Article

Honduran government officials fly to Washington, D.C. to resolve melon issue

Honduras This Week

Honduran Secretary of Agriculture Hector Hernandez Amador departed late last week to Washington, D.C. accompanied by Secretary of Health Elsa Palau and Secretary of Industry and Commerce Fredis Cerrato for meetings with American authorities to address concerns about exported Honduran melons and salmonella and the alert placed on the melons.Full Article

Regency Tower and Realco: “changing the skyline in Tegucigalpa”

Honduras This Week

Architect Victor Cuadra, designer of the Regency, Sr. Arturo Giacomín General Manager of Banco Lafise, Sr. Michel Brukirer President and CEO of Realco Investment.

Realco Investment , a Honduran company with European capital, was specifically created to build both houses and commercial projects for different sectors within Honduras. By the initiative of Capitol Invest Belgium, Realco  performed an analysis indicating Honduras is rich in development potential and also happens to have a significant housing deficit of 749,000 units. Realco’s efforts are to try and satisfy part of this demand.Full Article

Tragic bus crash claims 27 lives, brake malfunction suspected

Alvaro Morales Molina
Honduras This Week

27 deaths, mostly women and children, and at least 18 others were badly injured as a result of a passenger bus crash last week in Honduras. The bus was on its regular route between the villages of San Isidro and Otoro in the department of Intibuca, in western Honduras. The initial thought is that the driver lost control of the bus; it then careened off the road and down a steep incline of about 500 meters. Most of the deaths occurred as passengers were thrown from the bus due to the impact and continued rolling down the steep ravine. The area of the road, ironically nick-named “Angel’s Flight,” is near Otoro and curves through the impressive mountains of the region.Full Article

Deadly bus crash: Serious questions need immediate answers

Todd Ellertson
Honduras This Week

27 people died last week in what is now considered the worst highway accident in Honduras in the past 2 decades. Those who lived were injured, many of them critically. While families and loved ones can only handle the pain and grief of such an  unfathomable tragedy, others are wondering how something like this could have happened and how it might have been prevented. The bus driver, who lived, is certain the brakes malfunctioned. He might have been speeding. On top of that, the bus lacked the appropriate certification to be operating in the first place.Full Article

As previously reported, the historic Fuerte Cabanas in Copán Ruinas, more commonly known as El Cuartel, has been remodeled, restored and reopened to the public last week. The structure, originally an army barracks during the Carias Administration, was built in 1946 and by 2007 the structure was badly deteriorated and in danger of being declared a total loss. With an injection of Lps 8 million provided by the World Bank Valle de Copán Project, the Cuartel has received an extensive, respectful makeover and is poised to become a major tourist draw for visitors to Copán Ruinas. The refurbished Cuartel affords visitors a spectacular panoramic view of the village and the surrounding valley. As well, the addition of the Casa K’inich Children’s Museum in the interior plaza of the Cuartel will provide a strong anchor to draw tourists of all ages. Little by little, the village of Copán Ruinas is being improved and made more “tourist ready “ and “tourist friendly.” Full Article

What is Mayor Dale Jackson Been Up To?
A lot!

Roatan Mayor Dale Jackson came to the studio Semana Santa week to discuss the many projects he has initiated in the last two years in office.Full Article

THE CONSTANT QUEST FOR INTERESTING SUBJECTS

Acceleration Therapy on the Power Plate©.

Dr. Ivonne van Leest
Sports Physical Therapist

In previous columns, I’ve mentioned the Power Plate© and some readers have asked me to explain a little bit more about this kind of exercise. About 6 years ago,  I bought the first Power Plate© for my clinic, not knowing yet how wonderful this machine would turn out to be for almost all of my  patients. I initially bought it for the recuperation of injuries by professional soccer players who were visiting my clinic with regularity. I developed a program on the Power Plate© to improve their performance. We discovered very quickly that the same training could be given on different levels and now we are using the Power Plate© for almost all of our patient population, from 12 to 80 years old, regardless of physical training level.Full Article

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WOMEN IN THE ARTS - Mujeres en las Artes. One of the strongest artistic movements in Tegucigalpa. Mujeres en la Artes Leticia de Oyuela constantly sponsors workshops, exhibitions, conferences, art shows and community events in the city. For the complete schedule, log on to www.muaartes.org.hn or contact Veronica Romero at 222- 3015. Full Calendar