Army of the Isthmus. From Honduras to Belize

Guatemala- a typical Central American country with an extremely weak armed forces, completely dependent on the supply of equipment from the United States and focused primarily on counterinsurgency, and not on classical warfare. All weapons are very outdated, but in light of the tasks at hand this is not considered a big problem. In addition, there is no money to re-equip the army.

“In the summer of 1969, there was a “football war” with Honduras, which was won by El Salvador, but in the end everyone remained “with their own””

Ground troops have 11 brigades: 6 infantry (1st–6th), mechanized (strategic reserve), airborne forces, special forces, presidential guard, military police. The tank fleet includes 18–20 light vehicles: 10–12 American M-41s, 8 French AMX-13s. All are very outdated, their combat effectiveness is extremely doubtful. In service there are 22 armored personnel carriers (12 American M8, 10 Israeli RBY Mk1) and approximately 50 armored personnel carriers (10 M113, from 18 to 36 Armadillos, 7 V-100). The artillery has 88 towed guns - 12 American M-116, 12 M101, 8 M102, 56 Yugoslav M-56, more than 700 mortars - 625 American M224, 55 M1, 12 M30, 12 Spanish ECIA. Ground-based air defense includes 5 American M42 ZSU and 52 anti-aircraft guns (16 Swiss GAI-D01, 20 Israeli TSM-20, 16 Yugoslav M-55).

Air Force have no combat aircraft, only 2-3 light attack aircraft A-37 in storage. Almost all transport aircraft are American (2 VT-67, 3 Beach-200, 1 Beach-100, 3 Beach-90, 3 Beach-300, 2–4 Cessna-206, 1 " Cessna-208", 3 "Cessna-210", 1 RA-23, up to 4 RA-31, 1 RA-34), 1 Israeli IAI-201, 1 Dutch F-27.

Training aircraft: 2 Swiss RS-7. Helicopters: 2 Bell-412, 4 Bell-212, 6 Bell-206, 1 Bell-205, 11 UH-1H, all also American-made.

Navy are represented by American-built boats - 21 patrol boats and 2 landing boats (Machete type). The Navy also includes 2 Marine battalions.

Contra socket

Honduras is also a typical Central American country with a weak military, completely focused on the United States. In the 80s, the Nicaraguan contras operated from its territory, fighting against the left-wing pro-Soviet government of that country. During this period, Honduras received significant military assistance from the United States. In addition, weapons are purchased in the UK and Israel. But the amount of military equipment is small, all of it is very outdated.

Ground troops include 5 brigades (101, 105, 110, 115, 120th) and the MTR command (4 battalions). It is armed with 12 British Scorpion light tanks and 89 armored personnel carriers (16 Israeli RBY-1, 69 British Saladin, 1 Sultan, 3 Simitar). Artillery includes 48 American towed guns (20 M101, 24 M102, 4 M198) and 120 mortars (60 French FMK-2, 30 Israeli M-65, 30 M-66). Ground-based air defense has 88 anti-aircraft guns - 34 M-55A2, 24 Israeli TCM-20, 30 American M167.

Air Force Honduras is the only one in Central America that has fighter jets, which automatically makes them the strongest in the region. These are 6 old F-5s (4 E, 2 combat training F). Combat aircraft also include American light anti-guerrilla attack aircraft. These are 6 A-37B and 4 OA-37. Among the transport aircraft, mostly American, were 2 Czech L-410s, 1 Brazilian ERJ135 and 1 Israeli IAI-201. Training aircraft: 7 Brazilian EMB-312, 6 American MXT-7-180, up to 7 T-41. Helicopters - 12, all American: 6 Bell-412, 1 Bell-429, 2 Bell-206, 3 UH-1H.

Navy consist of patrol ships and patrol boats. The most modern of them are Dutch-built: 2 Lempiras (Damen 4207), 6 Damen 1102 types. The remaining boats are small in size and have very weak weapons. These are 3 “Guaymuras” (American “Swiftship-105”), 5 “Nakaome” (American “Swift 65”), 3 “Tegucigalpa” (American “Lantana”), 1 “Hamelekan” (Israeli “Dabur” type), 8 river "Piranha", 10 "Boston". In addition, the Navy operates 1 Colombian-built small landing ship (BAL-C) and 4 landing boats. Marine Corps: 1st battalion.

Forgotten in the jungle

In the summer of 1969, there was a short “football war” with Honduras. El Salvador formally won, but in the end everyone was left to their own devices. In the 70s and 80s, the country experienced a difficult civil war between the pro-American government and leftist rebels. The matter ended with the signing of a peace agreement, that is, essentially a draw. After the end of the Cold War, the United States lost its former interest in El Salvador, which led to the gradual degradation of its armed forces. The technology is hardly updated, although even before it could not be considered modern. El Salvador, unlike the rest of the Central American countries, has some semblance of its own military-industrial complex, but its capabilities are extremely limited.

Ground troops consist of 8 brigades - 6 infantry, artillery, special forces. In service are 6 French AML-90 armored personnel carriers, 30 own-produced M-37B1 armored vehicles, 10 German UR-416 armored personnel carriers. Artillery includes 74 towed guns (36 American M102, 18 Yugoslav M-56, 14 Italian M-56, 6 American M114), more than 450 mortars (306 American M19, 151 M-29, 12 Yugoslav UBM-52). Ground-based air defense includes more than 150 MANPADS - up to 10 American "Red Eye", up to 100 Soviet "Strela-2", up to 45 "Strela-3", up to 10 "Igla-1", 8 ZSU (4 Yugoslav M-55, 4 own BC7A1) and 35 anti-aircraft guns (31 Yugoslav M-55, 4 Israeli TCM-20).

Air Force They are armed with 8 A-37B light attack aircraft and 5 OA-37B reconnaissance aircraft at their base, as well as 7 O-2A/B reconnaissance aircraft. Transporters: 2 VT-67, 2 Cessna-210, 2 Cessna-310, 1 Cessna-337, 1 SA-226T, 1 Commander-114, 3 Israeli IAI202. Training aircraft: 1 American T-41D, 4 T-35B. There are more than 30 helicopters. All American: 12 UH-1H, 8 MD-500E, 2 MD-520N, 1 Bell-206, 1 Bell-407, 4 Bell-412ER, 2 R-44, 4 TN -300.

Navy consist of 7 patrol boats, approximately 40 small patrol boats (including river boats) and 2–3 American-built landing boats. There is a company of naval special forces.

The potential of the armies of the three Central American countries described is negligible. The strongest militarily in the region is Nicaragua (“Guys from the backyard”), especially after receiving a batch of armored vehicles from Russia in 2016 (50 T-72, 43 each BMP-1 and BTR-70). Interstate conflicts in Central America are unlikely, although not impossible. But each country has a lot of internal problems.

Honduras and El Salvador began to dislike each other long before the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Among the countries of Central America, these two states, bordering each other, have never been distinguished by the warmth of relations, even despite very strong economic and social ties, but with the coming to power of the military, the governments of Honduras and El Salvador only began to tighten the screws more firmly on the international stage.

Honduras is many times larger than its neighbor, while El Salvador, especially thanks to the help of the Central American Common Market (CACM), has always had a more developed economy. This infuriated the Honduran elite, since by the end of the sixties their national debt to their neighbors was half the debt to all Central American countries.

El Salvador, in turn, is the smallest country in the region. Since the thirties, overpopulation and high competition in the agricultural industry have forced Salvadorans to migrate to Honduras, occupying empty land there. Neighbors were hostile to this: they were in no hurry to give the migrants the appropriate documents, so most of the workers ended up working illegally. The Salvadoran authorities were outraged by this attitude towards their citizens, but for their part did nothing to stop the flow. This was beneficial for them, since it allowed them to “canalize” an indignant and illiterate workforce.

The Honduran authorities were against these mass migrations, and local nationalists, including among the military elite, instilled in the population the idea that the Salvadorans were coming as occupiers and invaders.

Densely populated San Salvador, early 20th century

It would seem that in Honduras there is a lot of land and relatively few people, and it would be possible to allow migrants to work, wisely “cutting off” profits from them in favor of the treasury, but everything is not so simple. The situation was complicated by the fact that an impressive part of arable land (about 18%) belonged to companies from the United States, so a problem such as “land hunger” arose in greater Honduras.

On the one hand, the Salvadorans had no choice but to move across the border to work, on the other hand, the Hondurans did not care about this, because El Salvador was already in a much more favorable economic situation. Since neither side had an easy-going disposition, bloodshed was not long in coming.

The intensity of the propaganda of both countries eventually led to increasingly frequent clashes between immigrants (they were called “guanacos”) and representatives of the Honduran authorities in the border areas. Thus, in June 1961, near the small town of Hacienda de Dolores, a patrol shot and killed Salvadoran Alberto Chavez, which had a serious resonance in both countries.

Honduran military

In the fall of 1962, the Honduran government decided to implement a new land reform, thereby wanting to finally stop the flow of people from El Salvador. Under the new law, all lands occupied by illegal migrants were returned to the ownership of the state. At the same time, hard workers who had lived and worked honestly in Honduras for decades were simply denied citizenship without even considering their applications.

After raids on border areas, caught migrants began to be deported to their homeland, which again strained relations not only between the elites, but also among the population. In many large cities of Honduras, Salvadoran enterprises (mainly shoe factories) flourished, which irritated local residents - not only are they helped by the largest banks and organizations in the region, but they are also sucking the juice out of us, ordinary people, right in our homeland !

These slogans were picked up not only by nationalists who wanted to drive their neighbors home once and for all, but also by the President of Honduras, Oswaldo López Arellano, who decided to blame all the reasons for the country’s economic problems on migrants. First, the bilateral agreement with El Salvador on immigration failed, then commissioned articles began to appear in the press, which explained who was really causing the Hondurans to live so poorly.

Osvaldo Lopez Arellano

As a result, tens of thousands of migrants began to return to their homeland, driven from their homes. There were rumors in the Salvadoran media that ordinary workers were beaten, robbed and humiliated in every possible way during the deportation. This not only gave rise to indignation among the population, but also caused severe distrust of the authorities of El Salvador, because they could not protect the rights of their own citizens. Strangely enough, this was to the advantage of the elites: the unemployed, angry people needed to be given the image of an enemy, since El Salvador could not solve the problem economically, even despite outside help.

Against the backdrop of the crisis, the most convenient way to untie this knot for both sides was war, for which the authorities were already prepared. All that remained was to light the match.

In 1970, Mexico hosted the World Cup matches, but the qualifying matches were, as always, held at the teams' home stadiums. Ironically, in one of the semi-finals of the qualifying round, our old friends met on the field, and the first game took place in the capital of Honduras.

In the stands that day, passions reigned much hotter than on the field, especially after the end of the match. Honduras managed to snatch victory from El Salvador in the 89th minute of the game, after which clashes between fans began here and there in Tegucigalpa. One Salvadoran woman even shot herself, saying that she could not survive such a humiliation for her country.

Then they managed to calm down the brawlers, but the real “fun” began after the return match in San Salvador. On June 15, the hosts were able to get even with the guests and scored three unanswered goals against them, after which the Salvadorans, fueled by alcohol and inspired by the victory, began to brutally beat the visiting Hondurans. Fans, football players and ordinary onlookers got it. Honduran flags were burning here and there - real madness was happening in San Salvador.

In turn, in Honduras the news about this was received with much greater enthusiasm. A wave of attacks against Salvadorans swept across the country: dozens were killed and thousands fled abroad. Two vice-consuls of El Salvador were kicked almost to death, and the angry crowd was able to drag them into the street.

On the same day (June 15), the governments of both countries exchanged indignant statements and demanded that each other take immediate action, threatening all earthly punishments.

The press was screaming and screaming, everyone was filled with anger, but the first step in starting a war was taken by the government of El Salvador, which began mobilizing troops on June 24, 1970, and two days later broke off diplomatic relations with Honduras. A day later, the neighbor reciprocated.

Honduran troops head to the border

The first serious incident between the states occurred on July 3, when two Honduran attack aircraft patrolling the border zone were fired upon by anti-aircraft guns from El Salvador. On the same day, one of the Salvadoran aircraft crossed Honduran airspace, but did not engage in combat and returned to the airfield. On July 11, several skirmishes occurred on the border, and on July 12, the President of Honduras gave the order to bring additional army units there.

On July 14, Salvadoran troops, consisting of five infantry battalions and nine companies of the National Guard, launched an offensive along two roads to the Honduran Gracias a Dios and Nueva Ocotepeque. Aviation supported the infantry and successfully bombed several airfields and border military bases in Honduras, whose authorities stated that civilian cities were damaged in the raid.

On July 15, Honduras launches a retaliatory air raid on its neighbor’s bases, destroying an oil storage facility, and the Salvadoran army begins to advance deeper into the enemy state. On July 18, Honduran aircraft used napalm on military targets in El Salvador.

Salvadoran aircraft FAS 405

In the following days, a full-scale war broke out, claiming the lives of several thousand people. The Salvadoran army captured several cities, after which the generals said that they would not give them back until the Salvadorans living in Honduras were given security guarantees. On July 20, the fighting stopped.

Only after threats from the Organization of American States that El Salvador would fall into total economic isolation if it did not withdraw troops from Honduras was it possible to somehow calm the warring parties. The Salvadorans withdrew their troops only on August 2, 1970.

According to the most conservative estimates, during the fighting, which lasted only six days, about three thousand citizens of Honduras and about a thousand citizens of El Salvador died, with the bulk of those killed among civilians. According to other sources, the death toll was at least five times higher.

The initial calculation of the governments of both states that the war would write off everything did not come true. The borders were closed, trade stopped, and the destruction and military expenses were so great that both sides tried to recover from what happened for a long time, but, nevertheless, no one admitted their guilt in what happened.

Ten years later, a civil war began in El Salvador - unresolved contradictions had an impact, since after the war with Honduras about one hundred thousand unemployed people returned to their homeland. Honduras also could not boast of rapid development, since, like El Salvador, it came under sanctions.

A typical picture of the civil war in El Salvador

Thus, history has once again demonstrated that problems in one’s country cannot be solved at the expense of an imaginary enemy, unless, of course, one wants to get stuck in a bloody swamp for a good ten years.

And, by the way, El Salvador still reached the final part of the tournament at that championship, beating Honduras in the decisive match with a score of 3:2. However, in the group, El Salvador not only failed to win a single match, but also did not score a single goal.

A country

Honduras Honduras

Participation in

War of Independence of the Spanish Colonies in America (1810-1826)
war with Guatemala (1906)
suppression of peasant uprisings (1923)
war with El Salvador (1969)
civil war in El Salvador
Iraq War (2003-2004)

Armed Forces of Honduras(Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras) were created in the middle of the 19th century, after the country left the Central American Federation and consist of three branches of the military:

• ground forces (since 1825);
• air force (since 1931);
• naval forces (since August 1976).

The armed forces are recruited by conscription, the service period is two years. period after World War II, American-made weapons.

• 1. History
• 2 Current state
• 3 Notes
• 4 Literature
• 5 Links

Story

In 1917, an officer training school (Escuela Militar Nacional) was founded, which since 1959 has been transformed into a military academy (Academia Militar de Honduras General Francisco Morazán).

In 1923, at the Washington Conference, the governments of Central American countries signed the “Treaty of Peace and Friendship” with the United States and the “Arms Reduction Convention”; in accordance with the convention, the maximum size of the Honduran army was set at 2.5 thousand people, and for during the training of its personnel, it was allowed to use foreign military advisers. To fight the rebels, from February to August 1925, the Honduran government received 3 thousand rifles, 20 machine guns and 2 million cartridges from the United States.

Military cooperation with the United States began in the 1920s and increased significantly after the end of World War II and the signing of the Inter-American Treaty of Mutual Assistance in September 1947 in Rio de Janeiro.

As of 1949, the strength of the armed forces of Honduras was 3 thousand people, 46 aircraft and 5 patrol vessels were in service.

On May 20, 1952, a bilateral military assistance agreement was signed between the United States and Honduras (based on the principles established by the United States Mutual Military Assistance Act of 1949 and the United States Mutual Security Act of 1951).

In the 1950s, US military and economic assistance to Latin American countries was relatively small, but this policy changed after the victory of the Cuban revolution in 1959. It was recognized that the main threat to governments was not external military intervention, but guerrilla warfare. The military assistance program was revised, with emphasis placed on the supply of weapons and equipment that meets the challenges of combating the guerrilla movement, as well as training government troops and police in methods of combating guerrillas. 1950-1963 weapons, equipment and equipment worth $2.6 million were received from the United States; in 1964-1969 - in the amount of 4.3 million dollars; in 1970-1976 - in the amount of 3.4 million dollars.

In 1962, Honduras, together with other Central American states, became part of the Central American Defense Council (CONDECA, Consejo de Defensa Centroamericana). In January 1971, Honduras withdrew from the Central American Defense Council.

Since the early 1970s, as part of an agreement on military assistance, the training of officers and technical specialists of the armies of Latin American countries began in US military educational institutions. Only in 1972-1975, 225 military personnel of the Honduran army were trained in the United States; the cost of the training program in 1972-1974 was 1607 million dollars (in 1972 - 538 million; in 1973 - 534 million and in 1974 - 535 million dollars).

The number of American military advisers in 1972 was 13 people (6 officers, 4 soldiers and 3 civilians), but in 1975 it was increased to 16 people, and the cost of maintaining the military mission in 1972-1975 also increased from 273 thousand. up to 291 thousand dollars per year.

As of 1975, the strength of the Honduran army was about 11.4 thousand troops (another 2.5 thousand people were in the National Guard). The ground forces numbered 10 thousand people, the Air Force - three squadrons (1200 people and 26 combat, training and transport aircraft); The navy consisted of 200 men and several patrol boats.

As of 1978, the total strength of the armed forces of Honduras was 14 thousand people, including 13 thousand in the ground forces (10 infantry battalions, a separate presidential guard battalion + three artillery batteries), 1200 in the air force (18 combat, training and transport aircraft) and a naval force consisting of three patrol boats.

On July 14-22, 1976, during the demarcation of the border line between El Salvador and Honduras, armed clashes took place.

During the 1980s, the Honduran military took part in the El Salvadoran civil war, supporting the El Salvadoran government against the FMLN rebels. The losses of the Honduran armed forces amounted to at least 14 military personnel killed.

In the period from 1981 to 1986, Honduras received significant financial, economic and military assistance from the United States, during which time the number of the country's armed forces was increased from 14.2 thousand to 24.2 thousand, an air base was created in Palmerola and seven others were repaired runways (from which support was provided for the Nicaraguan contras).

At the same time, the number of American military advisers increased: if at the beginning of 1981 there were 14, then at the end of 1982 there were more than 100. Among the advisers, in 1981 several instructors in “anti-guerrilla warfare” from among the “Green Berets” arrived in the country. Since July 1982, regular military maneuvers and exercises of American and Honduran troops began.

In December 1982, an agreement was signed with Israel on the supply of large quantities of weapons and military equipment; in 1983, small arms, 106-mm guns, armored vehicles were delivered to the country, and 50 Israeli military instructors and technical specialists arrived.

During the period from August 3, 2003 to May 4, 2004, a contingent of 368 military personnel operating as part of the Plus-Ultra brigade was in Iraq.

Current state

As of 2004, the total strength of the armed forces of Honduras was about 8.3 thousand people. (reserve - 60 thousand people):

The number of ground forces is 5.5 thousand people: 4 infantry brigades, an armored cavalry regiment, a presidential security company, two commando battalions (parachute and special purpose), a separate engineering battalion. Reserve: infantry brigade.

Air Force: 1.8 thousand people, 49 combat aircraft, 12 combat helicopters;

Navy: about 1 thousand people, 11 patrol and landing boats;

Other paramilitary formations (“national security forces”): about 6 thousand people.

In 2010, there were 12 Scorpion light tanks, more than 57 infantry fighting vehicles, more than 118 towed artillery pieces, more than 90 mortars, 120 pcs. 84-mm recoilless rifles “Carl Gustaf M2”, 50 pcs. 106-mm M-40A1 recoilless rifles and 48 anti-aircraft artillery installations.

The military budget for 2009 is 102 million dollars, for 2010 - 138 million US dollars.

Notes

1. S. A. Gonionsky. Essays on the modern history of Latin American countries. M., “Enlightenment”, 1964. p.161
2. I. I. Yanchuk. US Policy in Latin America, 1918-1928. M., “Science”, 1982. pp. 170-171
3. I. I. Yanchuk. US Policy in Latin America, 1918-1928. M., “Science”, 1982. p.176
4. Honduras // Great Soviet Encyclopedia. / ed. coll., ch. ed. B.A. Vvedensky. 2nd ed. T.12. M., State scientific publishing house "Big Soviet Encyclopedia", 1952. p.40-44
5. Marek Hagmaier. For the union - weapons. US bilateral alliance agreements 1950-1978. M., Voenizdat, 1982. p.43
6. Marek Hagmaier. For the union - weapons. US bilateral alliance agreements 1950-1978. M., Voenizdat, 1982. pp.80-81
7. Honduras // Yearbook of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 1972 (issue 16). M., "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1972. p.247-248
8. Marek Hagmaier. For the union - weapons. US bilateral alliance agreements 1950-1978. M., Voenizdat, 1982. p.107
9. Marek Hagmaier. For the union - weapons. US bilateral alliance agreements 1950-1978. M., Voenizdat, 1982. p.101
10. Babylon - "Civil War in North America" ​​/ . - M.: Military publishing house of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1979. - P. 603-604. - (Soviet military encyclopedia: ; 1976-1980, vol. 2).
11. Honduras // Latin America. Encyclopedic reference book (in 2 vols.) / editor's note, chief editor. V.V. Volsky. Volume I. M., “Soviet Encyclopedia”, 1979. pp.463-469
12. R. Ernest Dupuis, Trevor N. Dupuis. World history of wars (in 4 vols.). book 4 (1925 - 1997). SPb., M., “Polygon - AST”, 1998. p.852
13. James LeMoyne. Central America’s arms buildup: the risk of guns without butter // “The New York Times” April 19, 1987
14. 1 2 M.A. Turnover. USA: the fight against the liberation movement in Central America. 1977-1988. M., "Science", 1989. p.99
15. V. Silantiev. “Green Berets” again // “Izvestia”, No. 190 (19886) dated 08/14/1981. p.4
16. I. M. Bulychev. Conspiracy against the peoples of Central America. M., “International Relations”, 1984. p.88
17. Honduras // Great Russian Encyclopedia / editorial coll., ch. ed. Yu. S. Osipov. Volume 7. M., “Scientific publication “Big Russian Encyclopedia””, 2007. pp. 397-404
18. 1 2 Armed forces of foreign countries // "Foreign Military Review", No. 7 (772), 2011. p. 74

Literature

• Honduras // Babylon - “Civil War in North America” / . - M.: Military Publishing House of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1979. - (Soviet Military Encyclopedia: 1976-1980, vol. 2).
• Military expenditures of the countries of the world (in constant 1999 prices) // “Foreign Military Review”, No. 6 (663), 2002, pp. 15-20

Links

• official website of the Ministry of Defense of Honduras
• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (information on supplies of weapons and military equipment)

North American Countries: Military
Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Haiti Guatemala Honduras Grenada Dominica Dominican Republic Canada Costa Rica Cuba Mexico Nicaragua Panama El Salvador Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Kitts and Nevis USA Trinidad and Tobago Jamaica
Dependent territories
Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba British Virgin Islands Virgin Islands (US) Guadeloupe Greenland Cayman Islands Clipperton Curacao Martinique Montserrat Navassa Puerto Rico St. Barthelemy St. Martin St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Maarten Turks and Caicos

Armed Forces of Honduras Information About

In previous articles, we talked about the armed forces of Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, which have always been considered the most combat-ready in the Central American isthmus. Of the Central American countries, whose armed forces we will discuss below, Honduras occupies a special place. Throughout almost the entire twentieth century, this Central American state remained the main US satellite in the region and a reliable conductor of American influence. Unlike Guatemala or Nicaragua, no left-wing governments came to power in Honduras, and the guerrilla movements could not match the numbers and scale of activity of the Nicaraguan Sandinista National Liberation Front or the Salvadoran National Liberation Front. Farabundo Marty.

“Banana Army”: how the Honduran armed forces were created

Honduras borders Nicaragua in the southeast, El Salvador in the southwest and Guatemala in the west, and is washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Over 90% of the country's population are mestizo, another 7% are Indians, about 1.5% are blacks and mulattoes, and only 1% of the population are white. In 1821, Honduras, like other Central American countries, freed itself from the rule of the Spanish crown, but was immediately annexed by Mexico, which at that time was ruled by General Augustin Iturbide. However, already in 1823, the Central American countries managed to regain independence and create a federation - the United States of Central America. Honduras also joined it. However, after 15 years, the federation began to fall apart due to serious political disagreements between local political elites. On October 26, 1838, the legislative assembly, which met in the city of Comayagua, proclaimed the political sovereignty of the Republic of Honduras. What followed in Honduras, like many other Central American countries, was a series of uprisings and military coups. But even compared to its neighbors, Honduras was the most economically backward state.

By the beginning of the twentieth century. the country was considered the poorest and least developed in the Central American isthmus, inferior to El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and other countries in the region. It was the economic backwardness of Honduras that caused it to fall into complete economic and political dependence on the United States. Honduras has become a real banana republic, and this characteristic need not be put in quotation marks, since bananas were the main export item, and their cultivation has become the main industry of the Honduran economy. Over 80% of Honduras' banana plantations were managed by American companies. At the same time, unlike Guatemala or Nicaragua, the Honduran leadership was not burdened by a dependent position. One pro-American dictator succeeded another, and the United States acted as an arbiter, regulating relations between the warring clans of the Honduran elite. At times, the United States had to intervene in the political life of the country in order to prevent an armed conflict or another military coup.

As in other Central American countries, in Honduras the army has always played a major role in the political life of the country. The history of the Honduran armed forces began in the mid-19th century, when the country gained political independence from the United States of Central America. In fact, the roots of the country's armed forces go back to the era of the struggle against the Spanish colonialists, when rebel groups were formed in Central America and fought against the territorial battalions of the Spanish Captaincy General of Guatemala. On December 11, 1825, the first head of state, Dionisio de Herrer, created the country's armed forces. Initially they included 7 battalions, each of which was stationed in one of the seven departments of Honduras - Comayagua, Tegucigalpa, Choluteca, Olancho, Gracias, Santa Barbara and Yoro. The battalions were also named after the names of the departments. In 1865, the first attempt was made to create its own naval forces, but it soon had to be abandoned, because Honduras did not have the financial resources to acquire its own fleet. In 1881, the first Military Code of Honduras was adopted, which laid down the basics of army organization and management. In 1876, the country's leadership adopted the Prussian military doctrine as the basis for building its armed forces. The reorganization of the country's military schools began. In 1904, a new military school was founded, which was then headed by a Chilean officer, Colonel Luis Segundo. In 1913, an artillery school was founded, and Colonel Alfredo Labro of French origin was appointed head of it. The armed forces continued to play an important role in the life of the country. When a government conference of Central American countries was held in Washington in 1923, at which the Treaty of Peace and Friendship with the United States and the Arms Reduction Convention were signed, the maximum strength of the Honduran armed forces was determined to be 2.5 thousand troops. At the same time, it was allowed to invite foreign military advisers to train the Honduran army. Around the same time, the United States began to provide significant military assistance to the government of Honduras, which was suppressing peasant uprisings. Thus, in 1925, 3 thousand rifles, 20 machine guns and 2 million cartridges were transferred from the USA. Aid to Honduras increased significantly after the signing of the Inter-American Treaty of Mutual Assistance in September 1947. By 1949, the armed forces of Honduras consisted of ground forces, air and coastal units, and their number reached 3 thousand. Human. The country's air force, created in 1931, had 46 aircraft, and the navy had 5 patrol vessels. The next military assistance agreement was signed between the United States and Honduras on May 20, 1952, but a massive increase in the amount of U.S. military assistance to Central American states followed the Cuban Revolution. Events in Cuba seriously frightened the American leadership, after which it was decided to support the armed forces and police of Central American states in the fight against rebel groups.

In 1962, Honduras became part of the Central American Defense Council (CONDECA, Consejo de Defensa Centroamericana), where it remained until 1971. The training of Honduran military personnel in American military schools began. So, only in the period from 1972 to 1975. 225 Honduran officers were trained in the United States. The size of the country's armed forces was also significantly increased. In 1975, the strength of the Honduran armed forces was already about 11.4 thousand military personnel. 10 thousand soldiers and officers served in the ground forces, another 1,200 people served in the air force, and 200 people served in the navy. In addition, the National Guard consisted of 2.5 thousand military personnel. The Air Force, which had three squadrons, was armed with 26 training, combat and transport aircraft. Three years later, in 1978, the strength of the Honduran armed forces increased to 14 thousand people. The ground forces numbered 13 thousand people and consisted of 10 infantry battalions, a presidential guard battalion and 3 artillery batteries. The air force, which had 18 aircraft, continued to serve 1,200 military personnel. The only example of a war waged by Honduras in the second half of the twentieth century is the so-called. The “Football War” is a conflict with neighboring El Salvador in 1969, the formal reason for which was mass riots organized by football fans. In fact, the cause of the conflict between the two neighboring states was territorial disputes and the resettlement of Salvadoran migrants to Honduras as a less populated but larger country. The Salvadoran army managed to defeat the Honduran armed forces, but overall the war brought great damage to both countries. As a result of the fighting, at least 2 thousand people died, and the Honduran army showed itself to be much less maneuverable and modern than the armed forces of El Salvador.

Modern Honduran Army

Since Honduras managed to avoid the fate of its neighbors Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador, where large-scale guerrilla wars of communist organizations against government troops took place, the country's armed forces could undergo a “baptism of fire” outside the country. So, in the 1980s. The Honduran army repeatedly sent armed units to help Salvadoran government forces fighting the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front rebels. The Sandinista victory in Nicaragua forced the United States to pay even closer attention to its main satellite in Central America. The volume of financial and military assistance to Honduras increased sharply, as the number of armed forces also grew. In the 1980s the number of personnel in the armed forces of Honduras increased from 14.2 thousand to 24.2 thousand people. To train Honduran army personnel, additional groups of American military advisers arrived in the country, including instructors from Green Beret units, who were to train Honduran commandos in counterinsurgency methods. Another important military partner of the country was Israel, which also sent about 50 military advisers and specialists to Honduras and began supplying armored vehicles and small arms for the needs of the Honduran army. An air base was established in Palmerola, and 7 runways were repaired, from which helicopters with cargo and volunteers took off for the contra units, who were waging a guerrilla war against the Sandinista government of Nicaragua. In 1982, joint US-Honduran military exercises began and became regular. First of all, before the armed forces of Honduras in the 1980s. The tasks were set to combat the partisan movement, since the American patrons of Tegucigalpa rightly feared the spread of the revolutionary movement to countries neighboring Nicaragua and the emergence of a Sandinista underground in Honduras itself. But this did not happen - backward in socio-economic terms, Honduras was also behind in politics - the Honduran left never had influence in the country comparable to the influence of Salvadoran or Nicaraguan left-wing organizations.

Currently, the strength of the armed forces of Honduras is about 8.5 thousand people. In addition, 60 thousand people are in the reserve of the armed forces. The armed forces include the ground forces, air force and navy. The ground forces number 5.5 thousand military personnel and include 5 infantry brigades (101st, 105th, 110th, 115th, 120th) and the command of the Special Operations Forces, as well as individual army units - 10th Infantry Battalion, 1st Military Engineer Battalion and a separate Army Logistics Support Command. The 101st Infantry Brigade includes the 11th Infantry Battalion, the 4th Artillery Battalion and the 1st Armored Cavalry Regiment. The 105th Infantry Brigade includes the 3rd, 4th and 14th Infantry Battalions and the 2nd Artillery Battalion. The 110th Infantry Brigade includes the 6th and 9th Infantry Battalions and the 1st Signal Battalion. The 115th Infantry Brigade includes the 5th, 15th and 16th Infantry Battalions and the Army Military Training Center. The 120th Infantry Brigade includes the 7th Infantry and 12th Infantry battalions. Special Operations Forces include the 1st and 2nd Infantry Battalions, the 1st Artillery Battalion, and the 1st Special Forces Battalion.

The country's ground forces are armed with: 12 British-made Scorpion light tanks, 89 infantry fighting vehicles ((16 Israeli RBY-1, 69 British Saladin, 1 Sultan, 3 Simitar), 48 artillery weapons and 120 mortars, 88 anti-aircraft guns. The Honduran Air Force numbers 1,800 personnel. The air force operates 49 combat aircraft and 12 helicopters. However, in reality, much of the aircraft is in storage, and those aircraft and helicopters that are in service are also obsolete Among the combat aircraft of the Honduran Air Force, it should be noted 6 old American F-5 (4 E, 2 combat trainer F), 6 American anti-guerrilla light attack aircraft A-37B. In addition, 11 French Super Mister fighters, 2 old AC-47 and a number of other aircraft. Transport aviation is represented by 1 C-130A, 2 Cessna-182, 1 Cessna-185, 5 Cessna-210, 1 IAI-201, 2 PA-31, 2 Czech L-410, 1 Brazilian ERJ135. In addition, a significant number of old transport aircraft are in storage. Honduran pilots are learning to fly on 7 Brazilian EMB-312 and 7 American MXT-7-180 aircraft. In addition, the country's Air Force has 10 helicopters - 6 American Bell-412, 1 Bell-429, 2 UH-1H, 1 French AS350.

The Honduran naval forces number about 1 thousand officers and sailors and are armed with 12 modern patrol and landing boats. Among them, it is worth noting 2 Dutch-built Lempira-type boats (Damen 4207), 6 Damen 1102 boats. In addition, the Navy has 30 small boats with weak weapons. These are: 3 Guaymuras boats, 5 Nacaome boats, 3 Tegucigalpa boats, 1 Hamelekan boat, 8 Pirana river boats and 10 Boston river boats. In addition to the naval personnel, the Honduran Navy also includes 1 battalion of marines. Sometimes units of the Honduran armed forces take part in operations conducted by the American army on the territory of other states. Thus, from August 3, 2003 to May 4, 2004, a Honduran contingent of 368 military personnel was in Iraq as part of the Plus-Ultra brigade. This brigade consisted of 2,500 troops from Spain, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua and was part of the Center-West division, which was under the command of Poland (more than half of the troops in the brigade were Spanish, the rest were officers and soldiers from Central Asia). America).

The Honduran armed forces are recruited through conscription for a period of 2 years. Officers of the Honduran Armed Forces are trained at the following military educational institutions: the University of Defense of Honduras in Tegucigalpa, the Military Academy of Honduras. General Francisco Morazan in Las Tapias, the Military Aviation Academy at the air base in Comayagua, the Honduran Naval Academy in the port of La Ceiba on the Caribbean Sea, the Northern Higher Military School in San Pedro Sula. The country's armed forces have established military ranks that are similar to the hierarchy of military ranks in other Central American countries, but have their own specifics. In the ground forces and the air force, generally identical, but with some differences, ranks are established: 1) division general, 2) brigadier general, 3) colonel (aviation colonel), 4) lieutenant colonel (aviation lieutenant colonel), 5) major (major aviation), 6) captain (aviation captain), 7) lieutenant (aviation lieutenant), 8) sub-lieutenant (aviation sub-lieutenant), 9) sub-officer commander 3rd class (sub-officer 3rd class chief aviation officer), 10) sub - officer commander 2nd class (sub-officer 2nd class senior aviation master), 11) sub-officer commander 1st class (sub-officer 1st class aviation master), 12) sergeant major 13) first sergeant 14) second sergeant 15) third sergeant, 16) corporal (air security corporal), 17) soldier (air security soldier). The Honduran Navy has the following ranks: 1) vice admiral, 2) rear admiral, 3) ship captain, 4) frigate captain, 5) corvette captain, 6) ship lieutenant, 7) frigate lieutenant, 8) frigate alferez , 9) countermaster 1st class, 10) countermaster 2nd class, 11) countermaster 3rd class, 12) naval sergeant major, 13) naval first sergeant, 14) naval second sergeant, 15) naval third sergeant, 16) naval corporal, 17 ) sailor.

The command of the country's armed forces is exercised by the president through the Secretary of State for National Defense and the Chief of the General Staff. Currently, the post of Chief of the General Staff is occupied by Brigadier General Francisco Isaias Alvarez Urbino. The commander of the ground forces is Brigadier General René Orlando Fonseca, the air force is Brigadier General Jorge Alberto Fernandez Lopez, and the naval force is captain Jesus Benitez. Currently, Honduras continues to be one of the key US satellites in Central America. The American leadership views Honduras as one of the most obedient allies in Latin America. At the same time, Honduras is also one of the most problematic countries of the “isthmus”. There is a very low standard of living here and a high crime rate, which prompts the country's government to use the army primarily to perform police functions.

Costa Rica: the most peaceful country and its Civil Guard

Costa Rica is the most unusual country in Central America. Firstly, here, compared to other countries in the region, there is a very high standard of living (2nd place in the region after Panama), and secondly, it is considered a “white” country. “White” descendants of European settlers from Spain (Galicia and Aragon) make up 65.8% of the population of Costa Rica, 13.6% are mestizos, 6.7% are mulattoes, 2.4% are Indians and 1% are blacks . Another highlight of Costa Rica is the absence of an army. Adopted on November 7, 1949, the Constitution of Costa Rica prohibited the creation and maintenance of a permanent professional army in peacetime. Until 1949, Costa Rica had its own armed forces. By the way, unlike other countries in Central and South America, Costa Rica avoided the war of independence. In 1821, after the proclamation of the independence of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, Costa Rica also became an independent country, and its inhabitants learned of the country's sovereignty two months late. At the same time, in 1821, the construction of a national army began. However, Costa Rica, which is relatively calm by Central American standards, was not particularly concerned with military issues. By 1890, the country's armed forces consisted of a regular army of 600 soldiers and officers and a reserve militia, which included more than 31 thousand reservists. In 1921, Costa Rica tried to make territorial claims to neighboring Panama and sent parts of its troops into Panamanian territory, but the United States soon intervened in the conflict, after which Costa Rican troops left Panama. In accordance with the Treaty of Peace and Friendship with the United States and the Arms Reduction Convention, signed in 1923 in Washington, Costa Rica pledged to have an army of no more than 2 thousand troops.

By December 1948, the total strength of Costa Rica's armed forces was 1,200. However, in 1948-1949. There was a civil war in the country, after the end of which a decision was made to liquidate the armed forces. Instead of the armed forces, the Costa Rican Civil Guard was created. In 1952, the Civil Guard numbered 500 people, another 2 thousand people served in the National Police of Costa Rica. Officers of the Civil Guard were trained at the School of the Americas in the Panama Canal Zone; police officers were trained in the USA. Despite the fact that the Civil Guard did not formally have the status of an armed force, the guard units had armored personnel carriers at their disposal, and in 1964 an aviation squadron was created as part of the Civil Guard. By 1976, the strength of the Civil Guard, including the coast guard and aviation, was about 5 thousand people. The United States continued to provide the most significant military-technical, financial and organizational assistance in strengthening the Costa Rican Civil Guard. Thus, the United States supplied weapons and trained officers of the Civil Guard.

The United States began to help Costa Rica most actively in strengthening the Civil Guard in the early 1980s, after the Sandinista victory in Nicaragua. Although there was no guerrilla movement in Costa Rica, the United States, nevertheless, did not want to spread revolutionary ideas to this country, for which much attention was paid to strengthening police services. In 1982, with the help of the United States, the intelligence service DIS - the Directorate of Security and Intelligence - was created, two anti-terrorist companies of the Civil Guard were formed - the first company was located in the San Juan River area and consisted of 260 military personnel, and the second was stationed on the Atlantic coast and consisted of 100 military personnel. Also in 1982, the OPEN volunteer society was created, in which 7-14-week courses taught everyone how to handle small arms, the basics of combat tactics and medical care. This is how the 5,000-strong reserve of the Civil Guard was prepared. In 1985, under the leadership of instructors from the American Green Berets, the Relampagos border guard battalion of 800 people was created. and a special forces battalion of 750 people. The need to create special forces was explained by the growing conflicts with the militants of the Nicaraguan Contras, several of whose camps operated in Costa Rica. By 1993, the total number of Costa Rican armed forces (civil guard, maritime guard and border police) was 12 thousand people. In 1996, a reform of the country's security forces was carried out, according to which the Civil Guard, the Maritime Guard and the Border Police were united into the “Public Forces of Costa Rica”. The stabilization of the political situation in Central America contributed to a reduction in the number of armed groups in Costa Rica from 12 thousand people in 1993 to 7 thousand people in 1998.

Currently, the leadership of the security forces of Costa Rica is exercised by the head of state through the Ministry of Public Security. Subordinate to the Ministry of Public Security are: the Civil Guard of Costa Rica (4.5 thousand people), which includes the Air Surveillance Service; National Police (2 thousand people), Border Police (2.5 thousand people), Coast Guard (400 people). Operating as part of the Civil Guard of Costa Rica, the Air Surveillance Service is armed with 1 DHC-7 light aircraft, 2 Cessna 210 aircraft, 2 PA-31 Navajo aircraft and 1 PA-34-200T aircraft, as well as 1 MD 600N helicopter . Ground forces of the Civil Guard include 7 territorial companies - in Alayuel, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limón, Puntarenas and San José, and 3 battalions - 1 battalion of the Presidential Guard, 1 battalion of border security (on the border with Nicaragua) and 1 anti-terrorist counter-guerrilla battalion . In addition, there is an anti-terrorist Special Action Group of 60-80 soldiers, divided into assault groups of 11 people and teams of 3-4 people. All of these forces are called upon to ensure the national security of Costa Rica, fight crime, drug trafficking and illegal migration, and, if necessary, protect the state’s borders.

Panama: when the police replaced the army

Costa Rica's southeastern neighbor, Panama, has also not had its own armed forces since 1990. The liquidation of the country's armed forces was the result of the American military operation of 1989-1990, as a result of which the President of Panama, General Manuel Noriega, was overthrown, arrested and taken to the United States. Until 1989, the country had quite large armed forces by Central American standards, the history of which was inextricably linked with the history of Panama itself. The first paramilitary units in Panama appeared in 1821, when Central America fought against the Spanish colonialists. Then the lands of modern Panama became part of Gran Colombia, and after its collapse in 1830 - part of the Republic of New Granada, which existed until 1858 and included the territories of Panama, Colombia, as well as part of the lands that are now part of Ecuador and Venezuela.

From about the 1840s. The United States of America began to show great interest in the Isthmus of Panama. It was under American influence that Panama separated from Colombia. On November 2, 1903, US Navy ships arrived in Panama, and on November 3, 1903, Panama's independence was declared. Already on November 18, 1903, an agreement was signed between Panama and the United States, according to which the United States received the right to station its armed forces on Panamanian territory and to control the Panama Canal zone. Since that time, Panama has become a complete satellite of the United States, actually under external control. In 1946, in the Panama Canal Zone, on the territory of the American military base Fort Amador, the “Latin American Training Center” was created, later moved to the Fort Gulick base and renamed the “School of the Americas”. Here, under the guidance of US Army instructors, military personnel from many countries in Central and South America were trained. The defense and security of Panama at this time was provided by national police units, on the basis of which the Panama National Guard was created in December 1953. In 1953, the National Guard consisted of 2,000 troops armed with small arms, mostly American-made. The Panama National Guard regularly participated in the suppression of student and peasant protests throughout the country, including in battles with small guerrilla groups that became active in the 1950s and 1960s.

On October 11, 1968, a military coup took place in Panama, organized by a group of National Guard officers who sympathized with left-wing nationalist and anti-imperialist ideas. Lieutenant Colonel Omar Efrain Torrijos Herrera (1929-1981), a professional military man who had served as executive secretary of the Panama National Guard since 1966, and before that commanded the 5th military zone, covering the northwestern province of Chiriqui, came to power in the country. Graduate of the military school named after. Gerardo Barrios in El Salvador, Omar Torrijos, almost from the first days of his service, began to create an illegal revolutionary officer organization in the ranks of the National Guard. With the arrival of Torrijos, relations between Panama and the United States began to crack. Thus, Torrijos refused to renew the US lease of a military base in Rio Hato. In addition, in 1977, the Panama Canal Treaty and the Treaty on Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Canal were signed, which provided for the return of the canal to the jurisdiction of Panama. Social reforms and achievements of Panama under Omar Torrijos require a separate article. After the death of Torrijos in a plane crash, clearly staged by his enemies, actual power in the country was in the hands of General Manuel Noriega (born 1934), head of the Military Intelligence and Counterintelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the National Guard, who became commander of the National Guard and, without formally holding the post of head state, however, exercised real leadership of the country. In 1983, the National Guard was transformed into the Panama National Defense Forces. By this time, Panama no longer benefited from US military assistance. Understanding full well that the deterioration of relations with the United States is fraught with intervention, Noriega increased the number of the National Defense Forces to 12 thousand people, and also created the Dignidad volunteer battalions with a total number of 5 thousand people, armed with small arms from National Guard warehouses. The Panama National Defense Forces by 1989 included ground forces, air forces and naval forces. The ground forces numbered 11.5 thousand military personnel and included 7 infantry companies, 1 parachute company and militia battalions, and were armed with 28 armored vehicles. The air force, numbering 200 personnel, had 23 aircraft and 20 helicopters. The naval force, numbering 300 people, was armed with 8 patrol boats. But in December 1989, as a result of the American invasion of Panama, the regime of General Noriega was overthrown.

On February 10, 1990, the new pro-American President of Panama, Guillermo Endara, announced the disbandment of the armed forces. Currently, the Ministry of Public Security is responsible for ensuring national security in Panama. Subordinate to him are the Civilian Security Forces: 1) National Police of Panama, 2) National Air and Maritime Service of Panama, 3) National Border Guard of Panama. The National Police of Panama has 11 thousand employees and includes 1 presidential guard battalion, 1 military police battalion, 8 separate military police companies, 18 police companies and a special forces detachment. The air service employs 400 people and operates 15 light and transport aircraft and 22 helicopters. The maritime service employs 600 people and is armed with 5 large and 13 small patrol boats, 9 auxiliary ships and boats. The National Border Guard Service of Panama has over 4 thousand military personnel. It is this paramilitary structure that is entrusted with the main tasks of defending the borders of Panama, but in addition, border guards participate in ensuring national security, constitutional order and in the fight against crime. Currently, the National Border Guard Service of Panama includes 7 combat battalions and 1 logistics battalion. On the border with Colombia there are 6 battalions deployed in the Eastern Brigade - the Caribbean Battalion, the Central Battalion, the Pacific Battalion, the River Battalion, the Battalion named after. General José de Fabregas and the logistics battalion. The western special forces battalion is stationed on the border with the Republic of Costa Rica, which also includes 3 special forces companies - anti-drug, jungle operations, attack and Cobra infiltration.

Thus, at present, Panama has much in common with Costa Rica in the field of national defense - it has also abandoned regular armed forces, and is content with paramilitary police forces, which, however, are comparable in size to the armed forces of other Central American states.

Defense forces of the smallest country "Isthmus"

Concluding the review of the armed forces of Central America, we will tell you about the army of Belize, the seventh country of the “Isthmus”, which is not often mentioned in the media. Belize is the only English-speaking country on the Isthmus. This is a former British colony, until 1973 called “British Honduras”. Belize gained political independence in 1981. The country's population is more than 322 thousand people, with 49.7% of the population being Spanish-Indian mestizo (English-speaking), 22.2% - Anglo-African mulatto, 9.9% - Mayan Indians, 4.6% - “Garifuna” (Afro-Indian mestizo), another 4.6% - “white” (mainly German Mennonites) and 3.3% - immigrants from China, India and Arab countries. The history of the Belize Armed Forces began during the colonial era and dates back to 1817, when the Royal Honduras Militia was created. Later this structure underwent many renamings and by the 1970s. was called the "Volunteer Guards of British Honduras" (since 1973 - Belize Volunteer Guards). In 1978, the Belize Defense Force was created on the basis of the Belize Volunteer Guard. The main assistance in organizing, providing military equipment and weapons, and financing the Belize Defense Forces has traditionally been provided by Great Britain. Until 2011, British units were stationed in Belize, one of whose tasks was, among other things, to ensure the country’s security from territorial claims from neighboring Guatemala.

Currently, the Belize Defense Force, Police Department and National Coast Guard are subordinate to the Belize Ministry of National Security. The Belize Defense Force has a strength of 1,050 personnel. Recruitment is carried out on a contract basis, and the number of people wishing to enlist in military service is three times greater than the number of available vacancies. The Belize Defense Forces include: 3 infantry battalions, each of which in turn consists of three infantry companies; 3 reserve companies; 1 support group; 1 air wing. In addition, the country has a Belize Police Department, which has 1,200 police officers and 700 civilian employees. Assistance in training personnel and maintaining military equipment for the Belize Defense Forces is provided by British military advisers located in the country. Of course, the military potential of Belize is negligible and in the event of an attack on this country, even by Guatemala, the country’s Defense Forces have no chance of winning. But, since Belize is a former British colony and is under the protection of Great Britain, in the event of conflict situations, the country's Defense Forces can always count on the prompt assistance of the British army, air force and navy.

Ctrl Enter

Noticed osh Y bku Select text and click Ctrl+Enter

“I like that word”: Trump declared himself a nationalist

Trump called himself a nationalist

US President Donald Trump spoke at a campaign rally in Houston (Texas) in support of Senator Ted Cruz, who is again running for re-election to the US Congress. To mobilize voters, Trump actively used the theme of a “caravan of migrants” that is moving towards the American border from Latin American countries, and even contrasted himself with supporters of globalization, saying that he could be called a nationalist.

Speaking to a packed house of supporters on the evening of Monday, October 22, US President Donald Trump said that among those moving towards the United States there are many “unknown representatives of the Middle East.” The US President blamed what was happening on the Democrats, who “launched an attack on the sovereignty of our country.” “The crisis at our border is happening now, and the reason for this is the laws passed by Democrats,” said the head of the White House.

With rhetoric directed against Democrats, Trump is trying to rally voters around Ted Cruz, who intends to be re-elected to the Senate in the midterm elections. A representative of the conservative wing of the Republican Party, Cruz was an opponent of candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, and is now his supporter. At the same time, his attitude towards illegal migration is less harsh than that of the American president.

Moreover, Trump even called himself a nationalist during his speech.

“Radical Democrats want to return power to corrupt, power-hungry globalists. Do you know who the globalists are? A globalist is a person who wants things to go well around the world and, frankly, doesn't care about his own country.<...>

We can't afford this. You know, there's this word "nationalist" that has become kind of old-fashioned. And I'll tell you, it's considered a word that shouldn't be used, but I'm a nationalist. I'm a nationalist.

Nationalist, I like this word, use this word,” TASS quotes the statement of the American leader.

Trump says the caravan is coming

To mobilize anti-migrant voters, Trump has been actively using the theme of a “migrant caravan” that is moving towards the American border in recent days.

There is indeed a large group of migrants heading towards the American border, which has already crossed the border with Mexico. The number of migrants in the caravan is more than 7,000, according to AP. Most of them are from Honduras, but there are also citizens of countries such as Guatemala and El Salvador.

Such caravans are not uncommon, but this year, as the agency notes, the number of illegal immigrants really attracted everyone's attention due to the pre-election situation.

As Trump said, the “migrant caravan” is “an attack on our country’s southern border.”

Ahead of his speech in Houston, Trump tweeted that he was refusing to help Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador because the countries had failed to stop the huge flow of migrants heading to the US border.

He clarified that because of this, Washington will stop or significantly reduce assistance provided to Central American countries. The President also added that he instructed the military to regard the situation with the “caravan” as an emergency.

Some of the illegal immigrants were met on the border between Mexico and Guatemala by the police, who used tear gas against them. This has stopped some people wanting to get to the United States, but there are still a lot of people - American television channels showed a large crowd of young men, women and children moving through Mexico.

Trump called on Central American migrants to seek asylum in Mexico in a tweet.

“Every effort is now being made to stop the onslaught of illegal migrants crossing our border in the south. People must seek asylum from Mexico first or the US will deny them,” he wrote.

It is worth noting that, while still a presidential candidate, Trump did not hesitate to insult Mexicans, calling them “criminals and rapists.” True, he later made a reservation that he did not mean everyone, but, nevertheless, he refused to apologize, despite the protests of the diaspora.

In recent months, despite the US president's tough rhetoric, the number of illegal immigrants trying to enter the US has increased sharply.

As The Washington Post reports, citing federal statistics, in September 2018, more than 16 thousand people were detained on the US border with Mexico, which is 80% more than in July of the same year. The Rio Grande Valley in South Texas has become a major hub for illegal border crossings.

As noted by the American media, the topic of emigration is becoming one of the main ones for Trump in the run-up to the elections in November 2018. After a recent campaign rally in Arizona, Trump said immigration was a "great issue for Republicans."

Harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric is popular among Trump voters, in contrast to Democratic supporters who oppose unnecessary cruelty against immigrants. According to a recent Pew Research poll, 67% of Democratic voters believe that being too harsh on undocumented immigrants is a big problem for the country. Among Republican voters, a minority of 15% think so. At the same time, three-quarters of Republican supporters consider emigration a big problem for the country.

USA. Mexico. Honduras. LatAmerica > Foreign Economic Relations, politics. Migration, visa, tourism. Army, police > gazeta.ru, October 23, 2018 >

Honduras. LatAmerica > > prensalatina.ru, December 21, 2017 >

The general coordinator of the Opposition Alliance against Dictatorship, former President Manuel Zelaya, called on the Honduran armed forces to justify themselves to the country and stop killings and repression.

In an open letter to members of the armed forces, Zelaya said the country is going through a dramatic moment for the people as dictatorship, electoral fraud and the illegal re-election of current President Juan Orlando Hernandez are imposed on them.

“Historically, the Armed Forces behaved like an occupying army in the service of transnational campaigns and oligarchy, but today they have the opportunity to justify themselves to the Motherland. History only gives one chance for greatness,” he said.

Zelaya also called on the armed forces to ensure the rights of the Honduran people and democracy.

“Stop repression, shedding the blood of innocents, stop human hunts during the night. Stop the killings,” he emphasizes.

The General Coordinator of the Alliance indicated that the people, based on their constitutional right, rose up in protest against the most shameful and brazen electoral fraud in the history of Latin America against the election of Salvador Nasral, the presidential candidate of this political force.

“You are not obliged to carry out illegal and immoral orders. In an unjustified and irrational way, they killed 34 compatriots and will take responsibility for the implementation of these crimes,” he said.

In the text, Zelaya reminds the army that the enemy is not the people, but the crooks who have violated the Constitution and called for murder.

“We demand an immediate end to repression and political killings,” he notes.

Honduras is experiencing a severe institutional, economic and social political crisis with incalculable consequences after the Alliance accused the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of organizing an electoral coup against Nasral.

Since then, protests and demonstrations have taken place throughout the country, heavily suppressed by government orders.

Honduras. LatAmerica > Army, police. Foreign Economic Relations, politics > prensalatina.ru, December 21, 2017 >

Israel. Honduras > Army, police. Media, IT > newsru.co.il, March 29, 2017 >

The Consortium of Israeli Cyber ​​Companies (IC3) announced that it has received a major contract to create a national cybersecurity center in a Latin American country.

Although the consortium's message does not indicate a specific state, the Israel Defense portal claims that we are talking about Honduras.

The consortium includes the defense concern Israeli Aviation Industry (TAA, IAI), Check Point, Verint, ECI, Bynet, Clearsky, CyberX, BGProtect, CyberArk and Safebreach.

As part of the contract, the consortium will undertake the creation of a national strategic cybersecurity center, including risk assessment, the creation of a modern center for monitoring and repelling cyber attacks, an information exchange infrastructure and a training program for specialists.

Israel. Honduras > Army, police. Media, IT > newsru.co.il, March 29, 2017 >

Honduras > Army, police > gazeta-pravda.ru, December 8, 2016 >

Honduras disarms

LAW ENFORCEMENT agencies in this country are continuing their campaign to confiscate guns from owners who do not have permission to keep them. Almost five thousand weapons have been confiscated in Honduras since the beginning of 2015, said Santos Nolasco, spokesman for the Republican Interministerial Security Forces (Fusina). Among the items seized were large-caliber weapons, as well as grenades and explosives.

According to experts, the population today has about 300 thousand registered firearms alone, and in fact about a million more, reports Latin American Radio del Sur.

It should be noted that Honduras is an underdeveloped country whose economy is directly dependent on the United States, its largest trading partner, as well as on fluctuations in world prices for its main export goods, primarily bananas and coffee. This, alas, is also one of the most criminalized countries in the world. Mexican drug cartels are active here, fighting for control of the transit of cocaine from Colombia to the United States. According to official data alone, about 100 thousand (!) teenagers are involved in the activities of youth gangs.

Honduras > Army, police > gazeta-pravda.ru, December 8, 2016 >

USA. Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, July 11, 2016 >

Five former police officers suspected of involvement in drug trafficking surrendered to Honduran authorities on Monday and were extradited to the United States.

We are talking about charges brought against six former members of the Honduran National Police in a New York court. According to the American side, they received $1.8 million from drug traffickers for organizing the logistics chain for the supply of cocaine to the United States. Another suspected ex-policeman has disappeared and his whereabouts have not yet been established.

According to El Heraldo, in the morning the suspects flew to the United States from the Palmerola military base. They declared their innocence and non-involvement in the illegal drug trade.

The US government previously formally asked the Honduran authorities to extradite former local police officers. The extradition request was sent to the Honduran Foreign Ministry and the Supreme Court.

USA. Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, July 11, 2016 >

USA. Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, May 18, 2016 >

The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial summary or arbitrary executions, Christoph Heyns, today announced his visit to Honduras from 23 to 27 May to assess the level of protection of the right to life in that country.

In his statement, the expert, a representative of South Africa, recalled that the murder rate in the Central American country is one of the highest in the world, 10 times higher than the average on the planet.

"An important aspect of my visit will be attention to the current situation of violence in Honduras, including reports of killings, attacks and intimidation of human rights defenders, lawyers, and journalists," he said.

One of the latest crimes to shock the international community was the murder of indigenous leader and environmentalist Berta Cáceres on March 3 in the southwestern department of Intibucá.

Haynes said he would review the effectiveness of the legal framework and measures put in place to prevent crimes against life, to promote the safety and security of individuals, to ensure justice and accountability for such crimes.

Review existing norms and work regarding the use of force, assessing their level of compliance with international law.

According to statements by the Special Rapporteur, he is planning a dialogue with the authorities, representatives of UN agencies, NGOs and civil society in the capital Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.

Haines will conclude his visit with a press conference and present his findings to the UN Human Rights Council.

USA. Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, May 18, 2016 >

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, May 9, 2016 >

Honduran police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators, including women and children, who were demanding a definitive explanation of the circumstances surrounding the murder of environmentalist Berta Caceres.

The demonstration, organized by the Civil Council of Popular Organizations and Indigenous Peoples of Honduras (Copinh) together with human rights activists, arrived at the presidential residence building at 6:00 local time, but was soon dispersed by security forces.

“We were repressed even though we were only holding a peaceful demonstration,” said a gas victim who demanded the arrest and punishment of the masterminds of the crime.

Berta Cáceres died at the hands of killers on March 3 in the southwestern department of Intibucá, where two unidentified men broke into her home and shot dead an environmentalist believed to be defending indigenous communities and the environment.

On Sunday, a judge ordered four murder suspects jailed pending trial.

The defendants are Yedilson Duarte, Army Major Mariano Diaz, Douglas Bustiyo, and Sergio Rodriguez, executives of the company Desarrollos Energéticos S. A. (Energy Developments) and the authors of the hydroelectric project that Cáceres opposed.

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, May 9, 2016 >

Honduras. Spain > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, May 6, 2016 >

Burta Zúñiga, the daughter of environmentalist Berta Caceres, who died at the hands of murderers, today, while in Spain, called on the Honduran government to investigate who planned the crime against her mother, La Prensa newspaper reports.

Zúñiga made the remarks at a press conference after authorities on Monday arrested four suspects in the crime against Cáceres, according to the general coordinator of the Civil Committee of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (Copinh).

Among those arrested is Rodríguez Orellana, one of the employees of the company Desarrollos Energy, which was working in the west of the country on the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project, which Cáceres opposed on the grounds that his project would damage the environment.

For protesting against initiatives of this kind, not only the environmentalist, a representative of the indigenous Lenca people, but also four other activists from the Indian community have been killed in recent years, Zúñiga condemned.

She expressed her deepest regret that she received information about the arrest of the suspects from the media, and not from the authorities who detained her mother's alleged killers, admitting. That the action was the result of international pressure.

Recently, social movements and activists around the world have tirelessly demanded that the Honduran government clear up the murder of Cáceres, who was awarded the 2015 Goldman Prize for her tireless work in defense of nature and the environment.

Honduras. Spain > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, May 6, 2016 >

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, April 26, 2016 >

A special commission has been reviewing the personal files of senior officers and police agents for the past two weeks to purge the ranks of the police corps after receiving complaints of human rights violations committed by members of the body, including generals.

Other members are accused of corruption, including drug trafficking and extortion, according to the latest intelligence reports published in the media.

The proposed legislation would see the Office for the Investigation and Evaluation of Police Integrity and Professionalism become a unit of the Ministry of Security, under the senior police department, the digital newspaper La Prensa reported.

The legislation also would make the Police Investigations and Certification Unit the unit responsible for administering official integrity tests, including toxicological, psychometric, socio-economic and property data.

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, April 26, 2016 >

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, April 14, 2016 >

Representatives of social movements in the capital of Honduras continue to meet at an international forum, during which they demanded an explanation for the murder of Berta Caceres, an indigenous leader and environmentalist.

Participants in the event, which ends on Friday with the participation of about 1,500 activists, demanded that authorities bring to justice those responsible for the death of Caceres, who died at the hands of killers on March 3.

We want to expand and strengthen the movement of common struggle because in Honduras, as in other Latin American countries, multinational companies want to dispossess communities of their territories, said Miriam Miranda, a representative of the Garifuna ethnic group.

Given the mining and energy projects of multinational companies, many communities are ready for the fight, but it must be fought together.

The Civil Council of Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (Copinh) announced that the purpose of the forum is to promote internationalism in defense of common natural goods and the fight against resource extraction on our territory.

With the spirituality and strength of our ancestors, we convene social movements ourselves to honor the struggle of Cáceres, the document says.

According to the organizers (Copinh, Platform of the Social and Popular Movement of Honduras, and the Honduran Popular Union of Berta Cáceres), during this conference, participants discuss issues such as the activities and ideas of Berta Cáceres, militarization and extractive industries, and women's rights.

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, April 14, 2016 >

USA. Honduras. LatAmerica > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, April 8, 2016 >

The 11th Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC) ends today at the Real Continental Hotel after two days of discussions focused on regional efforts to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.

At the opening session, delegates from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, the United States of America, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, as well as observers from Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, noted that the rise of organized crime and drug trafficking are the main problems of regional security.

El Salvador's Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Felix Nunez, said his country's gangs are merging with organized crime, which is not unique to Central America and El Salvador.

His Honduran counterpart, General Francisco Alvarez, added that links between gangs and the drug trade are increasingly dangerous and are responsible for high homicide rates in Central America's so-called Northern Triangle countries: Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Therefore, Alvarez believes that it is very important that all Central American countries share experiences, exchange information, and define joint strategies.

At the opening of the event, the Minister of Public Security, Gustavo Mata, said that in order to successfully combat organized crime and drug trafficking, countries in the region must work together.

According to Costa Rica's Ministry of Public Security, CENTSEC is an annual forum to assess issues that threaten public safety and to explore ways for more effective regional cooperation.

USA. Honduras. LatAmerica > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, April 8, 2016 >

Honduras. Mexico > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, April 1, 2016 >

Mexican Gustavo Castro, a key witness in the murder of indigenous leader Berta Caceres, left Honduras today after being detained by authorities for several weeks.

The activist and environmentalist left the capital at 6:20 a.m. heading to San Salvador on board an Avianca plane before heading to his country.

According to radio and media reports, Castro arrived at Toncontin International Airport accompanied by the Mexican Ambassador to Honduras, Dolores Jimenez, and other officials from the diplomatic mission in Tegucigalpa, under heavy police guard.

The Mexican sociologist and environmentalist was finally able to leave the country on Thursday after receiving permission from a judge in the Intibuca department, who lifted the restrictions imposed by authorities as part of the investigation process.

However, the prosecutor's office noted in its statement that it is possible that in the future "the presence of a witness may be required when new elements emerge in the investigation."

The founder and director of the civil organizations Other Worlds in Chiapas and Friends of the Earth Mexico, was near Cáceres when two armed men burst into her home to kill the activist on the morning of March 3.

In fact, the Mexican man became the key to solving the crime, surviving an attack on the coordinator of the Civil Council of Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (Copinh), despite the trauma of the witness.

For weeks, human rights activists and social organizations have demanded that the Honduran state allow the witness to leave the country out of fear that those responsible would come after him.

Honduras. Mexico > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, April 1, 2016 >

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, March 16, 2016 >

Public forums and human rights activists have denounced the murder of the regional leader of the Civil Council of Indigenous Peoples of Honduras (Copinh), Nelson Garcia.

According to the National Network of Human Rights Defenders, Garcia was shot dead yesterday in front of his home in the commune of Rio Chiquito, after participating in a demonstration against the forced eviction of 150 peasant families by government agents.

“We ask for national and international solidarity against the forced eviction by the military police. How long will we tolerate the killing of those who fight for a more just world,” condemned the organization Copinh.

Garcia's murder came just 12 days after the assassination of Copinh coordinator and environmental movement leader Berta Cáceres, who fought to protect the Gualcargue River from a government-backed hydropower project.

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, March 16, 2016 >

Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, March 11, 2016 >

A riot broke out Friday at a juvenile prison in Honduras, leaving at least two people dead, authorities said.

According to the El Heraldo portal, the cause of the riot in the Renaciendo prison in the north of the Francisco Morazan department was a quarrel between juvenile prisoners. As a result, two members of the Pandilla-18 gang who were serving their sentences in this penitentiary were killed.

Two more people were injured and taken to the hospital. According to some reports, one of the special police officers was also wounded while restoring order inside the prison building.

In total, there are 24 penitentiary institutions in Honduras, designed for 8 thousand people, but they house more than 13 thousand prisoners. Riots often break out in local prisons. In 2012, a prisoner riot in the city of Comayagua caused a fire that killed 361 people.

Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, March 11, 2016 >

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, March 3, 2016 >

Unidentified assailants today assassinated the leader of the Lenca indigenous people, Berta Cáceres, defender of the rights of the Lenca community and peasant movements, in an attack in the department of Intibucá.

The attack on Caceres, coordinator of the Civil Council of the Indigenous People of Honduras (Copinh), occurred in the early morning when several armed men broke down the doors of her home, killing Berta and wounding her brother, according to sources interviewed by TeleSur.

Awarded the 2015 Goldman Prize, the highest recognition of the work of environmental activists around the world, Caceres was also a renowned human rights activist.

On a number of occasions, she opposed the expropriation of the ancestral lands of the Lenca people, as well as the creation of US military bases on the territory of these indigenous communities in western Honduras.

Her latest battle was protests against a hydroelectric project in Rio Blanco, approved by the government without consultation.

At a press conference last week, Caceres denounced the killing of four of her community's leaders and threats against others.

“I'm being followed. They threaten me with murder and kidnapping. They are threatening my family. This is what we face,” she said at the time.

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, March 3, 2016 >

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, February 24, 2016 >

The police purge in Honduras has failed, National Congress Security Adviser Arabesque Sanchez said today.

In her opinion, the fiasco in the purge process is related to the verification of the trust of the tested agents of this body, which was carried out without guarantees of honesty and justice.

In addition, Sanchez told local media that the error lies in the hands of the police themselves, undermining transparency.

The process should be carried out using an external audit, which did not happen, she said.

According to police assessments and studies, approximately 1,000 agents have been recommended for release to date, of which only 300 have been fired.

On Wednesday, national police spokesman Leonel Sauceda said they were awaiting a decree that would allow expedited review and certification of police officers to "immediately and definitively relieve" those who were not approved.

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, February 24, 2016 >

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, December 3, 2015 >

The Honduran Congress is considering designating gang members as terrorists to combat violence, although some experts do not see the move as a solution.

We must address the causes, not the results, said lawyer Marcos Zelaya in an interview with the newspaper El Heraldo.

Increasing prison sentences for members of the gang known locally as Mareros will not reduce the country's crime rate.

The Central American country had a homicide rate of 66 victims for every 100,000 inhabitants in 2014, the equivalent of about 16 murders per day, making the country the world's most violent country in 2014, excluding countries in conflict.

This November alone, the National Commissioner for Human Rights noted at least nine massacres with more than 50 victims.

The amendments that parliament is studying for inclusion in the Criminal Code provide for increasing sentences to 30 years for persons who have committed serious crimes. In addition, criminals will be declared terrorists if the crimes include destruction of transport, mass murder of people, as well as the cold-blooded destruction of a person by a gang of criminals.

Honduras > Army, police > prensalatina.ru, December 3, 2015 >

Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, November 25, 2015 >

At least seven people were killed on Wednesday in a suburb of the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa, the local security ministry said.

According to a department representative, the criminals broke into the houses of several residents early in the morning, dragged them out into the street and shot them. Those killed were between 18 and 36 years old. The El Heraldo portal notes that the cause of the massacre was most likely a showdown between local gangs for control of the territory.

The massacre was the second in the Central American country in two days. On Tuesday, a group of bandits shot up a bus station in the city of Choloma, killing eight people on the spot.

Crime and violence rates in Honduras are among the highest in the world. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime put the figure at 90.4 murders per 100 thousand people in Honduras. Moreover, 70% of all murders are related to drug trafficking.

Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, November 25, 2015 >

Honduras. Mexico > Army, police > ria.ru, July 18, 2015 >

Honduran authorities sounded an alert on Saturday after a suspicious plane landed from Mexico that could have brought notorious drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera (Shorty), who recently escaped from prison, into the country.

According to Honduran police, the plane landed at the airport on the resort island of Roatan on Friday night. Officially, its crew consisted of three pilots, who are now detained.

The pilots themselves claim that they arrived to sell or lease the aircraft, but so far this version has not been confirmed by independent sources, reports the Honduran portal La Prensa. Authorities call the very fact of the arrival of a small plane from Mexico in this case suspicious - at the moment of landing, the lights in the airport terminal went out.

The short man escaped from the Altiplano prison in the state of Mexico at the end of last week through a 1.5 kilometer long tunnel. His escape has already cost the head of the intelligence service of the Mexican federal police and the former director of the prison, Valentin Cardenas, their positions; the authorities launched an operation to search for the fugitive and detained seven prison employees.

Guzman Loera was for a long time the head of one of the most powerful Mexican drug cartels, Sinaloa, which supplied drugs to the United States. The cartel has a strong position in Central American countries. In February 2014, Guzman was captured by Mexican Marines in the city of Mazatlan. In 1993, Guzman had already been detained once and sentenced to 20 years in prison, but in January 2001 he escaped from prison after it became known that the authorities intended to extradite him to the United States.

Honduras. Mexico > Army, police > ria.ru, July 18, 2015 >

Honduras. Czech > > militaryparitet.com February 18, 2015 >

The Honduran Air Force has purchased two L410 UVP-E20 transport aircraft, DefenseBlog reports today.

The L410 is a twin-engine, short-range, high-wing commercial and tactical transport aircraft. Manufactured by the Czech company Let Aircraft Industries and can carry 19 passengers and 1,710 kg of cargo.

Honduras. Czech > Aviation industry, auto industry. Army, police > militaryparitet.com February 18, 2015 >

Nicaragua. Honduras > Army, police > inosmi.ru, August 9, 2013 >

DRUG WAR OF NICARAGUA AND HONDURAS ("EL PAIS", SPAIN)

Carlos Salinas

A remote and forgotten little part of the Caribbean coast, La Mosquitia, which straddles the border between Nicaragua and Honduras, has recently become the site of fierce fighting between rival drug cartels. Last Monday's massacre by drug traffickers, which left at least 17 people dead, shocked even seasoned police officers.

The fact is that the route for transporting drugs from South America to the United States passes through the so-called La Mosquitia zone. Local residents have nicknamed the area a “gangster anthill,” where shootings and murders occur almost daily due to “showdowns” between various organized crime groups.

This is what senior Honduran army officials told reporters about last Monday's carnage. The conflict occurred between Nicaraguan and Honduran drug traffickers at approximately 8 a.m., when they were unable to divide who would control the movement of 700 kilograms of cocaine across the border area.

A Nicaraguan gang of drug traffickers consisting of 40 people under the command of Juan Carlos Villalobos, nicknamed Shorty, sailed to the scene of the showdown with their Honduran “colleagues” on two speedboats. Most of the residents of the small village of Bethlehem were burying their elder at the local cemetery when they suddenly found themselves in the crossfire of two warring drug cartels.

“It was terrible. A real war. The bandits spared no one, neither children nor women. The fire from various weapons was so intense that we had to take cover between the graves. We are already accustomed to constant skirmishes, but for two warring factions to sort things out in a cemetery - such is happening for the first time,” a local resident of Bethlehem told reporters, as quoted by the La Tribuna newspaper.

There are several drug smuggling groups operating in the Caribbean region. They are entrusted with the task of guarding and escorting drug cargo from Colombia to Mexico. They are controlled by the Mexican drug cartels Sinaloa and Caballeros Templarios, as well as the Colombian drug cartel Valle del Cauca.

"The organized crime gangs operating in the Caribbean region usually include Nicaraguans and Hondurans living in the border area. Over time, they have managed to organize into stable gang formations and work for those drug cartels that are willing to pay them more than their competitors. They do not have a certain “master,” so they often become victims of “showdowns” by drug cartel leaders,” said Roberto Orozco, an expert on security issues and the fight against organized crime.

The growth of violence in the region is facilitated by the extremely low standard of living of the local population. According to the UN, the Caribbean region contains 12 of Nicaragua's 25 poorest municipalities. Historically, this region is home to an indigenous Indian population. The Nicaraguan and Honduran authorities have withdrawn from solving their problems and are providing them with virtually no financial assistance. To survive, they are forced to serve drug dealers.

“An explosive situation has developed in the region. It is becoming more and more dangerous for citizens due to the intensification and expansion of the activities of drug cartels in South America. Against this background, Central America ceases to be only a territory through which drugs are illegally transported, and is gradually turning into a place of confrontation drug cartels,” says former Secretary General of the Nicaraguan Ministry of Defense Felix Maradiaga.

The drug lord who gains control of this valuable enclave, according to experts, will be able to make fantastic profits from drug trafficking, since 80% of the cocaine that enters the United States comes illegally through Honduras and Nicaragua.

In a region where local residents live in poverty, they have no choice but to pin their hopes on improving their financial situation by expanding drug trafficking. For this, they are ready to defend drug dealers and even oppose the authorities. In exchange, local residents receive cash dollars from drug traffickers. Due to this, the indigenous population was able to quickly improve their financial situation, renovate their houses and even install satellite television in the so-called “drug villages.”

Nicaragua. Honduras > Army, police > inosmi.ru, August 9, 2013 >

Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, August 4, 2013 >

Clashes between inmates at a prison near the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa left at least three people dead and nine others injured on Saturday, Latin American media reported.

According to the Minister of Communications of Honduras, Miguel Bonilla, the conflict in the prison occurred between members of one of the country's strongest gangs, M-18, and other prisoners. Now the government of Honduras has introduced additional military units into the territory of the penitentiary institution.

At the initiative of President Porfirio Lobo, the situation in Honduran prisons will be discussed at a meeting of the National Defense and Security Council next Monday.

From 2006 to 2012, nearly 650 inmates were killed in correctional facilities in the Central American country. In total, there are more than 12 thousand people in Honduran prisons, with a maximum allowable norm of 8.1 thousand prisoners. Overcrowding in prisons often causes conflicts among prisoners and leads to tragedies. In February 2012, a massive fire in a prison in the Comayagua Department claimed the lives of 361 prisoners. Dmitry Znamensky.

Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, August 4, 2013 >

Honduras > Army, police > bfm.ru, May 29, 2013 >

CRIMINALS OF HONDURAS ANNOUNCED A TRUCE

The country's two most powerful criminal gangs have announced an end to violence.

The two most violent gangs in Honduras have announced an end to violence and a historic truce, AFP writes, citing local media.

Representatives of the warring groups M18 and Mara Salvatrucha asked their fellow citizens for forgiveness for the damage they caused over the years of their confrontation. They also called on the authorities to help former gang members socialize and find work.

“We want to ask for forgiveness from society, we want peace with God and with the authorities. We promise to stop the violence,” said the gang leaders.

President Porfirio Lobo announced his support for the agreement. The historical document was signed in the city of San Pedro Sula, which is considered the most dangerous populated place on Earth with a murder rate of 169 per 100 thousand population.

Honduras is among the countries with the highest levels of crime and violence. In 2011, a figure of 90 murders per 100 thousand people was recorded here. According to this indicator, the country exceeds the world average by about ten times. It is worth noting that in 2012 this figure dropped to 85 murders.

Honduras > Army, police > bfm.ru, May 29, 2013 >

Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, April 7, 2013 >

The Honduran police leadership has decided to begin the process of purging the ranks of corrupt elements from itself: starting Monday, senior officials, including Director General Juan Carlos Bonilla, are undergoing drug tests and lie detector tests, Latin American media reported.

In total, approximately 50 employees holding senior positions in the Honduran police will undergo this procedure. Even Security Minister Arturo Corrales will be tested along with them.

It is based on the results of these tests, as well as conversations with psychologists, that decisions will be made on the further professional suitability of certain ranks for positions as part of the process of cleansing the police of corrupt elements, which began in 2011.

During 2012, about 3.2 thousand of the 14 thousand police officers in Honduras have already passed inspections, and now the turn has reached the management staff. Dmitry Znamensky.

Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, April 7, 2013 >

Honduras > Army, police > inosmi.ru, August 10, 2012 >

DRUG TRAFFICKING (ANALITICA, VENEZUELA)

It is well known that the removal of Manuel Zelaya from the post of drug president of Honduras was caused, among other reasons, by the fact that Honduras had become a huge transshipment point for drugs heading from South America to the USA, Canada and Europe

In the 80s, we were surprised when we read reports about drug trafficking in Colombia, the United States and in countries in Europe and Asia, always thinking that this would not happen to us. However, unfortunately, starting from that ill-fated moment when this totalitarian unfortunate regime was established in our country, all criminal forces began to move, massive drug use began, and drug trafficking appeared, one of the most serious crimes against humanity. Drugs primarily affect our youth from all walks of life, creating a breeding ground for committing various crimes.

UN agencies involved in the problem report that 80% of drug seizures reaching Europe by sea originated from Venezuelan ports. This situation became even worse after our ports were handed over to the Cubans. Moreover, they are always given the name Bolivar, as if they can cover up all this disgrace. The latest scandal erupted when 22 tons of cocaine were discovered in several containers in the port of Maracaibo, ready to be shipped abroad. In connection with this fact, two detainees were reported, but nothing more. Usually this is where it all ends, the case is closed, and the traders are most likely already free and have even received their goods back.

It is well known that the removal of the drug president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, was caused, among other reasons, by the fact that Honduras had become a huge transshipment point for drugs heading from South America to the United States, Canada and Europe. They were transported to Honduras by plane and then distributed to recipients. That is why his regime fought so hard and continues to fight to return the drug trafficker Zelaya to the presidency. We all know very well how he in every possible way hindered the activities of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) employees, and then completely expelled them from the country, sharply opposed Plan Colombia, with the help of which this country organized a whole range of measures to combat terrorists and drug traffickers from the rebel groups Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN). He helped ensure that Ecuador did not renew its agreement with the United States on the use of the Manta air force base, which played a very important role for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, since it was from there that planes took off to track drug plantations and drug trafficking routes. The Drug Enforcement Administration even donated six Mirage 2000 aircraft, newly modernized based on the latest technical advances, with a full set of equipment, to the Ecuadorian Armed Forces.

Now both the State Department and the US Drug Enforcement Administration are warning that in the Venezuelan state of Apure and in the border region with Colombia, about 120 drug trafficking routes have been discovered that originate there and flow to Panama and other Central American countries , and from there to the USA and Canada. Half of the cocaine that enters the United States comes through these routes, which originate in Venezuela. All this is completely unsurprising given the influence that the Castro brothers have on everything that happens in Venezuela, and Fidel Castro himself is one of the most influential figures in the world of drug trafficking, along with the former President of Panama, General Noriega. It was he who allowed the transit through Cuba of all drugs that came from Colombia.

If we seriously investigate all the crimes committed in Venezuela, especially murders, we will find that 85% are necessarily related to the use and sale of drugs. If we pay attention to the age of the majority of those convicted, we will see that they are from 20 to 25 years old, that is, they are young people who grew up under a totalitarian regime, under this notorious revolution, which after 14 years can offer nothing but deception and lies, and repeated promises that are never kept. For 14 years, the ruling regime has failed to keep its promises to the thousands of young men who are today behind bars, as well as to the thousands of those who were killed in prison. This is the harsh reality of a corrupt, lackey and deceitful regime.

In this regard, first of all, questions arise that remain unanswered. For example, in a country where many of the top military leaders, according to the recently detained major drug trafficker Valid Makled García, nicknamed "The Arab", are the main figures in the drug trade, including several generals and admirals, including the current Minister of Defense, the director of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DIM), the head of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (Oficina Nacional Antidrogas, ONA), US bank accounts have not yet been blocked and visas to this country have not been cancelled. And this despite the fact that these accusations are persistently repeated by two former members of the Supreme Court of Venezuela, Aponte and Velásquez Alvaray. The Prosecutor General of the Republic and the Chairman of the Supreme Court are also involved in this case. But it seems that this is how everything should be. Nothing is being done in this regard, no investigation is being conducted. Quite the contrary: these individuals enjoy the full support of the head of the regime during his public and television speeches and a pro-government majority in the National Assembly. And this support imposes certain obligations on them, since the nature of the charges brought against them is too serious, especially since we are talking about one of the most serious crimes. It is condemned in the harshest terms by the UN and all international organizations, and the International Criminal Court considers it a crime against humanity.

According to his information, the arrests were made on Thursday night. All detainees were taken to one police station in the northeast of the country.

All those arrested belong to the same police unit. Eight people suspected of committing a brutal double murder on October 22 of this year also worked there. One of the victims of the police was the son of the rector of the National Autonomous University of Honduras.

Currently, of the eight suspects in this crime that shocked the entire country, four are under arrest, and the remaining four are on the run.

Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, November 4, 2011 >

Honduras > Army, police > ria.ru, June 30, 2009 >

The first victim of the coup d'état in Honduras, which occurred on the night of June 28, was an employee of one of the communications companies in the capital of Tegucigalpa, who died from a gunshot wound in clashes between supporters of the country's ousted President Manuel Zelaya and the police. 60 people were injured. On the night of June 28, the rebels took Manuel Zelaya into custody and forcibly took him to Costa Rica. The Honduran Parliament, at an emergency meeting, decided to resign the country's president and appointed Parliament Chairman Roberto Micheletti as acting head of state. Until now, not a single country in the world has supported the actions of the opposition. Following the country's president, Honduran Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas was captured by the rebels. A day later, thanks to the support of the Mexican government, the minister left Honduras.

On Monday, supporters of the ousted president built barricades and lit bonfires in the streets of Tegucigalpa. According to information coming from Honduras, no more than 3 thousand supporters of the ousted president took part in the protests. The demonstrators tried to approach the presidential palace and used force against the military; tear gas and water cannons were used, and the demonstrators were scattered.

The ousted president arrived from Costa Rica to Nicaragua on the personal plane of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to participate in the emergency summits of Central American countries, as well as the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA). Manuel Zelaya said he intends to return to the country on July 2 after speaking at an emergency session of the UN General Assembly. “I'm going to Tegucigalpa on Thursday (July 2). I am the elected president and I will complete my four-year term,” Zelaya said during a speech at an emergency summit of regional leaders in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua.

Meanwhile, acting President of Honduras Roberto Micheletti promised that elections in the country would be held on November 29, as planned before the coup, and called on the population to unite against the threat of global isolation. “There was no coup in our country. Hondurans defended the constitution, which the previous government tried to change without having any legal right to do so,” Micheletti told Honduran radio station HRN.

We respect the international community and ask that it respect us, he added. “The country at the present time. We need calm and peace to prepare for and conduct free and transparent elections, which will take place in November. this year,” said the acting President of Honduras.

The leaders of Central American countries and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA), with the participation of Zelaya, at an emergency summit held on Monday in Nicaragua sharply condemned the coup d'état and decided to recall their ambassadors from Tegucigalpa.

“Given the fact that a dictatorial government (in Honduras) is seeking recognition, the ALBA countries have decided to recall their ambassadors and leave a minimal diplomatic representation in Tegucigalpa,” said a statement issued following negotiations in Managua.

The Bolivarian Alliance was founded in 2004. on the initiative of Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro. This organization includes Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and Honduras.

Most countries of the world, including Russia, as well as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also condemned the actions of the putschists. “Russia strongly condemns these actions and calls for the speedy restoration of law and order in Honduras. All actions of participants in the political process in this country must be within the constitutional and legal framework. Any other path is fraught with further destabilization of the situation,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko.

Hugo Chavez made a sharp reaction to the coup, saying that the United States was involved in the events in Honduras. “The Yankee empire has something to do with the developments in Honduras,” Chavez said in an interview with Venezuelan television and called on US President Barack Obama to “make the same condemnatory statement as we (Venezuela) did (on the events in Honduras).”

According to the Venezuelan President, the current events in Honduras are “a coup d’état similar to the series of coups that have occurred in Latin America over the past hundred years, carried out against the will of the people.” Chavez also threatened to use force against the “military junta” that removed Zelaya. “We will act even if it requires the use of military force,” the Venezuelan president said.

The White House on Sunday rejected any speculation about US intervention in events in Honduras. Moreover, a representative of the administration of President Barack Obama said at a press conference organized by the State Department: “We recognize Zelaya as the only legally elected and constitutional president of Honduras. We don't see anyone else."

The US government must prove in practice that it does not support the putschists who carried out a coup in Honduras, Chairman of the State Council and Council of Ministers of Cuba Raul Castro said on Monday, speaking in Managua at a meeting of member countries of the Rio Group (a regional mechanism for political consultations).

“The US government must act in accordance with its statements,” the Cuban leader said, as quoted by Cuban media. Castro “believes in the sincerity that US President Barack Obama and the US Secretary of State (Hillary Clinton) can show, but “they must prove it in action, not in words.” “Now is the moment to act consistently, without wasting time, tearing off the masks from those who condemn but then secretly applaud, as has happened more than once in our common history,” said Raúl Castro.

The leader of the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro, called the actions of the putschists in Honduras, who carried out a coup, a “suicidal mistake.” “Negotiations cannot be negotiated with the putschist leadership; it must be demanded that it relinquish power so that other members of the armed forces, younger and not compromised by ties to the oligarchy, take command,” Fidel writes in the article “A Suicidal Mistake,” published in Havana on night of June 29.

Otherwise, Fidel continues, “Honduras will never have a government of the people, in the name of the people and for the people.” As Castro notes, the actions of those who carried out the coup, in particular the kidnapping of Honduran Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas, were sometimes distinguished by a “purely fascist” character.

Chairman of the UN General Assembly Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann invited the ousted President of Honduras Manuel Zelaya, who was forcibly taken by the putschists to Costa Rica, to come to New York and speak at an emergency session of the General Assembly. D'Escoto said this at an emergency meeting of the assembly on Monday.

The President of Honduras is expected to speak at an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday at 11.00 New York time (19.00 Moscow time). The Chairman of the General Assembly, on whose initiative the urgent meeting was convened, called the actions of the putschists “an outrageous attack on the democracy of Honduras” and called on all members of the General Assembly to strongly condemn the coup. It is planned that following the results of the emergency session, a resolution will be adopted condemning the putschists and demanding the immediate restoration of constitutional order in Honduras.

The political crisis in Honduras arose after President Zelaya decided to hold a referendum on Sunday to change the constitution. He proposed amending the Basic Law to provide for the possibility of re-election of the head of state. The Honduran Constitution, adopted in 1982, limits the presidential term to four years. The presidential opposition in parliament and the legislature opposed changing the constitution and accused President Zelaya of trying to usurp power.

The confrontation between the parties reached its climax last Thursday, when the country's president dismissed senior military leaders who refused to ensure the referendum was held. The Honduran Supreme Court later reinstated the dismissed military personnel. Officially, the powers of the current head of state expire on January 27. 2010

Honduras Honduras > Army, police > russian.china.org.cn, June 10, 2009 >