I remember that when I was a kid, I loved when my dad took me to the stadium (my brother wasn't born back then) Who doesn't remember the national soccer team of Amado, Rambo, Emilio, Noel? Yes! That team. Going to the Olympic Stadium to see them play was epic. Do you remember when we qualified for a World Cup after twenty-eight long years? Soccer used to bring us together, as Hondurans...now not even that does the trick.
Honestly, I don't understand how we got to this point: to have an illegitimate, pettish, and machiavellian president, who did everything in his power to stay after his term, a teacher as a health minister, a psychologist as a finance minister, a penal code that protects criminals, and relying on international news to keep us informed. Why have we allowed all of this? What's wrong with us? Definitely, we have the country that we deserve. Someone said to me: "The problem is not the government, it's the Honduran..."
The Honduran is passive, coming from a Banana Republic, a puppet country of other's interests rather that it's own, governed by oligarchies. Perhaps that's why we're not used to question, we let things slide, and wait for others to solve our problems. How embarassing! Also, I think we tend to take refuge in family and religion, and this only strengthens these attitudes. Watch out, I'm not against these institutions. In fact, they're one of the few things that really make me proud of this country, but it's wrong that we use them as a hiding place; by focusing on our well being, we overlook what surrounds us, and as long as we're "fine", we carry on and hold our tongues...
What's happening right now is unforgivable. Every day more and more millions are approved, more loans, more donations...the sum is disturbing. We received two out of seven mobile hospitals, and to top it all off, both incomplete. But more unforgivable is that we remain silent, that we allow them to do this to us. It can't be possible that we don't do anything about it. And yeah, it's true, how much can we do? Unfortunately this Banana Republic is governed by specific interest groups who have the power to impose themselves for a change but they don't as it doesn't suit their interests.
I would like to think that there's a solution to all of this, my heart wants to believe it; I know that there's good in our people. I've known remarkable Hondurans but unfortunately they don't have the famous power. And yet, we've seen how many "powerful" Hondurans have raised the prices of the high demand products during this pandemic, how many have used the so called "connections" to open their companies and ensure that their competition remains closed, and how many have irresponsibly opened their businesses, compromising the health of its collaborators. In a time like this, where solidarity should flourish, greed, selfishness and pride prevails. And we can it see it clearly on our government, being I think the only country that hasn't consulted with health specialists during a health crisis. What a shame!
Honduras, we have failed you. My heart wants to cling to a hope, that we're going to unite once and for all and rebel, but my mind doesn't see it coming. Certainly we do no justice to the seventh stanza of your national anthem...and in light of this situation the only thing the good people can do is either continue to go along with all of this or look for a way to migrate and change you for another country.
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