political context

Honduras was a centre of Mayan civilisation until 800AC when it was inhabited by a variety of indigenous groups. In 1522, Spanish conquistadors took possession of Honduras, enslaving the indigenous people and putting them to work in mines or shipping them overseas.

Honduras, along with all the other Central American provinces, declared its independence from Spain in 1821. But a legacy of colonial intervention doomed the country to economic and social stagnation throughout the 1800s.

In the late 19th century, the Honduran government introduced a raft of concessions to US fruit companies in a bid to boost the trade in bananas. The US companies were more than happy to take full advantage of the concessions, which included exemption from custom duties and ownership of mineral rights, and by 1900 bananas had become the country's most important export. By 1930, Honduras was the world's leading banana exporter. In the 20th century the military, foreign banana companies and large landowning interests dominated the nation's political scene.

The 1979 Sandinista revolution in neighbouring Nicaragua and the election of Ronald Reagan to the US Presidency saw Honduras become the focal point for the US-backed Contra war in Nicaragua. The US sent more than $1.5 billion in direct economic and military aid during the 1980s. Human rights violations were common and the army was implicated in the 'disappearance' of hundreds of civil society activists.

In 1998, Hurricane Mitch struck Central America, devastating Honduras's productive infrastructure. Around 16,000 people died and 70 per cent of the country's crops were destroyed, amounting to damage worth in excess of US$3 billion. Hurricane Mitch was followed by a recession and a sharp increase in poverty, as people struggled to recoup lost livelihoods. The work of some civil society organisations has led to Honduras achieving status as a Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) and civil society is active in working on Poverty Reduction Strategies.

In the 1990s, civil society organisations emerged as a stronger presence in society through an organised coalition and labour movement called 'Platform for Struggle for the Democratization of Honduras'. The movement's policies were integrated by labour parties, indigenous groups, women's groups, environmental bodies, farmers, teachers and student organisations.

In addition to the poverty, Honduras has the largest number of reported cases of HIV and AIDS in Central America, with around 57,000 people living with the disease. Although there are a variety of initiatives to fight the spread of the epidemic, HIV and AIDS remains the single biggest challenge facing civil society and the Honduran government.

At the same time, environmental problems are on the increase: forests are being heavily deforested, particularly in the eastern parts of the country, and this is leading to soil degradation, water contamination and a drop in the water table. Coastal and mining resources are also being exploited and communities living in national parks, reserves and biospheres are under threat.

Social and environmental vulnerability is an important issue that gathers and mobilises a big sector of Honduran society. The annual March for Life, supported by progressive factions within the Catholic Church raised public awareness of issues around human rights, illegal logging and environmental degradation.

Debt relief of 58 per cent was agreed with the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) in April 2005, leaving what accounts for 30 per cent of the GNP left to pay. There has been a contradiction in policy since then, with the benefits of debt relief being neutralised by an accelerated process to secure further public and private credit. The majority of Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) funds have been used to pay public sector wages and military costs, so during 2006 there was little evidence of reduction in poverty. Civil society organisations have lobbied G16 to oblige the government to use the funds as they were intended, to combat poverty.

In 2006, a framework for the European Union Association Agreement was agreed with greater emphasis on free trade than science, social issues, tourism and sustainable development. It also paved the way for privatisation of water, transport and energy. Progressio's partner MAO has been calling for a new forest law to prevent illegal logging while the corrupt Ministry (COHDEFOR) which allowed it to continue has been replaced by a new department. A new HIV and AIDS strategy (PENSIDA III) is inclusive of all groups vulnerable to HIV infection and is tackling myths and discrimination about the disease.