The Breakout of the Banana Republic (V): Honduras is experiencing unity and awakening
2024-08-13
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Xinhua News Agency, Tegucigalpa, August 9th. At the end of 2021, Zelaya's wife Xiomara Castro was elected as the first female president in Honduras' history. Zelaya said that after experiencing two election frauds in 2013 and 2017, the Honduran people finally won in 2021. The people formed a sense of autonomy in the constant struggle, which was "a great conquest and an awakening."
After coming to power, Castro refused to bow to foreign interest groups and set about changing the oligarchic political situation supported by external forces, rebuilding a national system with financial sovereignty, vigorously combating corruption and organized crime, and promoting reforms in infrastructure, energy, environment, security, medical care, education and other fields.
This is a scene of the city in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, taken on March 20. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li MengxinExternally, the Honduran government withstood pressure from the United States and formally established diplomatic relations with China in March 2023. Castro said that establishing diplomatic relations with China was a historic decision made by the Honduran government. "I came with the expectations of the Honduran people. Recognizing the one-China principle, establishing diplomatic relations with China, and cooperating with China can bring development opportunities to Honduras."
In March this year, Honduras became the rotating chair of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States in 2024. Castro promised to strengthen regional integration, strengthen democracy, and advocate for a more just, equitable and prosperous region. Honduras has actively spoken out on issues such as opposing external interference in the Haitian crisis and mediating the diplomatic dispute between Ecuador and Mexico. In the face of the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Honduran government advocated a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the establishment of a humanitarian corridor, and the launch of peace talks.
In the center of El Progreso, Yoro Province, Honduras, there is a square commemorating the 1954 strike. Opposite it stands a statue of a banana worker carrying a bunch of bananas on his shoulders. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the strike, and the Honduran government held a seminar to commemorate this important historical event.
Sandra Delas, head of Nana Banana, one of the largest banana producers in Honduras, said that there are more than 50,000 hectares of banana fields in Honduras, most of which used to belong to American companies. Now most of the banana business is run by Hondurans. "We are the owners of this land and the banana planting resources. We always put the interests of the Honduran people first." At present, most of the bananas produced by this company meet the needs of the domestic market. She emphasized that every hectare of bananas planted can provide employment opportunities for two families. As a developing country, Honduras needs to create more jobs to avoid an influx of immigrants into the United States.
A local worker works in a banana plantation of the Nana Banana Company in Honduras on June 5. Photo by David De La PazIn Zelaya's view, Castro's election as the first female president of Honduras and her adherence to independent domestic and foreign policies "means the beginning of a new era". The Honduran government "has shown a courageous stance in condemning the (US) blockade against Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, and has a great vision when talking about independence and coexistence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our country is participating in the development of the global South".
Read the original article: The Awakening of the South | The Breakout of the “Banana Republic”
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Main reporter: Zhao Kai, Xi Yue, Jiang Biao
Produced by Xinhua News Agency International Department
