Settling In

Hi Friends,

The situation here in Honduras is quite complex and heated right now. The coup leader Micheletti agreed to a power-sharing arrangement with Pres. Zelaya if the National Assembly voted for it...It would have been very difficult to imagine that happening, but it's a moot point, because Micheletti failed to call the Assembly into session by the deadline in the agreement, so, of course they couldn't vote one way or the other. Yet another subtrafuge by Micheletti. So many people here feel betrayed.

Meanwhile they rhetoric and violence increases. A priest in the indigenous Chorti town of Viejo Ocotepeque, Ocotepeque, very distant from the capitol in Tegicigalpa, who had publically supported the return of Mel Zelaya, was assasinated just this morning. Meanwhile, the situation here in La Esperanza is considerably safer, ironically because I'm here...apparently, the presence of foreigners, especially from the U.S., is a deterrent to intervention by the army.

Now there are many, many people around COPINH...almost all of the governing council and everybody from the radio station, and many others as well...what a stark contrast with my solitary last visit! It's great to get to see my friends again...Don Chico, Solitario, Cruz (She's now the Director General of COPINH), Juan, Efrain, Lorenzo, Justo, Jorjito, Albita, Rolando, Felix, and many, many more...no end to the smiles and warm embraces.

Hannah is doing well, plugging into the women's programming for an interview about VVAW's relation to the world anti-war movement. She's also done a bit of translation and digging (moving an orange tree that had been planted right above the buried antenna feedline) for the radio project.

Radio La Voz Lenca is programming 10 hours of national programming daily...reports on the "golpe del estado" fron Radio Globo and others...along with the long-running "Ecos de Opalaca", a daily program of local current events...all hard-hitting stuff. This programming has attracted a large and dedicated listenership, now from a large area of western Honduras, thanks to the AM station which penetrates into the remotest valleys in this mountainous region. The people here are doing a lot to facilitate my work. It feels really uplifting to be part of their lives.

Peace, Bill