"Teatro in Time of Plague – 67

Monday, December 28, 2020 - No updates

A little warmer in the morning and it cleared up a bit, but from about noon on the clouds closed in and started a drizzle. According to the weathermen we are ready for another cold front to move in, probably with rain. Another defender of the environment has been murdered. Félix Vásquez, of the Lenca tribe. I haven’t gotten straight all the details. We spent the morning moving various books, cd’s and archives from my room to the teatro.

Tuesday, December 29, 2020 - 120, 103 cases, 3, 088 deaths.

The president of the association of Funeral Homes calculates there have been 7, 000 deaths from Covid, not the 3, 000 of the official statistics. Clear and cool in the morning; clouds came in around noon and a slight drizzle that continues. They are selling plane tickets for 15 January and forward. There is still a lot to be done to have the airport in shape, although they are using the runways. Edy went to the bank this morning – I didn’t have to. Today was payday (actually tomorrow, but always easier to get in the bank if we do it the day before). Downtown was a madhouse. Everybody is determined to have a blast to say goodbye to 2020.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 - The official page has not been updated.

Clear and sunny in the morning, with cloud cover taking over in the afternoon. I worked with Luis in the morning getting up a GoFundMe page. Luis did all the work, I just said “Yes” or “no” every once in a while. Everybody has been saying we should do this. I have my doubts. We shall see. Downtown was a madhouse. Our Christmas newsletter hasn’t gotten to anyone yet. Frustrating. There are still thousands of people in plastic tents on the highway medians and the levees. The government remains glaringly absent in the clean-up process.

Mike Dulick gives us this about still another murder of an environmental activist: PANDEMIA DE MUERTE! Another environment activist, Adán Mejía, of the Tolupán tribe, has been murdered, less than a week after Felix Vásquez. Also, within the past month, a journalist, Pedro Canelas, reporting on the violence and corruption, was also murdered. Here is the story in English, again thanks to dear friend Larry Mooney: TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - An indigenous leader and activist was killed in northern Honduras, officials said on Wednesday, the second such murder in the Central American country in less than a week. Adan Medina, 46, of the Tolupan indigenous community, was shot and killed by a group of men on Sunday after returning from work in the town of Candelaria, according to Noe Rodriguez, the president of a local indigenous federation. Medina was a vocal activist in disputes with loggers and landowners in the mountainous regions of Francisco Morazan and Yoro. He had reported threats made against him to a prosecutor at the attorney general’s office, according to Rodriguez. “(Medina) was murdered for fighting in the defense of the land of the Candelaria tribe where landowners and loggers have occupied our lands. He was shot dead by at least four men when he came back from working his land, growing corn and beans,” Rodriguez said by telephone. Medina was shot five times, according to a local police officer who asked for anonymity. Medina’s murder happened a day after another indigenous activist, Felix Vasquez, was attacked and killed by masked men in front of his family in central Honduras.

Thursday, December 31, 2020 - 121, 827 cases, 3, 130 deaths.

A beautiful day, sunny and clear and cool. The government is announcing they have acquired (via the World Health Organization) a lot of the Oxford vaccine that is still in tests (I think). They will be available for April – still a ways to go, and they will cover only a small portion of the population. The San Pedro Sula airport is officially up and running after 47 days closed from the hurricane damage. The airlines now have to get organized – and I suspect that includes getting their own desks and computers set up. They are saying international flights will probably resume mid-January. The AirEuropa weekly flight to Madrid will probably be the first one up – they have been flying to La Ceiba in the interval.

Friday, January 1, 2021 - No updates.

A beautiful day, sunny and not too hot. It was, of course, a day of universal hangover. The Mexican consulate in San Pedro Sula has published a decree that Mexico will not accept people in caravans unless they have proper documentación. Which of course they never have. They have announced a caravan for 15 January. Jacky, our cook, gave us a special New Year present: a turkey. And really well prepared. The beginning of the new year brings back the stories of the year that haven’t been resolved. The disappeared Garifuna leaders. Donde está el dinero? The whole mess of the portable hospitals. Tony Hernández, the president’s brother, who will be sentenced for trafficking later this month. The defenders of the Río Guapinol who continue in jail. The list goes on and on.

Saturday, January 2, 2021 - 122, 974 cases, 3, 160 deaths.

Another beautiful day, partly cloudy so it didn’t get too hot.

Sunday, January 3, 2021 - 123, 369 cases, 3, 180 deaths.

Overcast all day with a light drizzle in the evening. Customs at the airport is up and running; it is said that next week’s AirEuropa flight from Madrid will be coming in here in San Pedro (they had been using La Ceiba in the interim). American has announced it will resume flights as of 15 January; Delta and United will undoubtedly do the same. I haven’t heard anything about Spirit or AeroMexico. But it seems that they actually did accomplish the feat of having it up andn running for the New Year.

Keep safe and wash your hands,

Jack

 

 

 

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