Honduras is Broke

[Downwinder]

Eighteen days after Porfirio Lobo Sosa takes office, the country of Honduras will run out of cash and be unable to pay its debts without the help of international aid, says Gabriela Nuñez. The only way the country has survived the last six months is by living off its cash income and paying its debts off that in a prioritized fashion, or rather, not paying some of them. "The most important thing is to comply with the priorities," she said, "even if there are pending payments that remain....its a work from week to week."

http://hondurascoup2009.blogspot.com/2010/01/honduras-is-broke.html

[Downwinder]

1. De Facto Government Can't Make Payroll for January

The Finance Minister for the de facto government, Gabriela Nuñez announced today that she does not currently have access to sufficient funds to pay government employees for January. It all boils down to cash flow. She said she has access to about 400 million lempiras, and needs a total of about 1,500 million lempiras. In addition, she noted that the government has run up large debts with suppliers, including 450 million lempiras for medical supplies, and a further 700 million lempiras owed to road construction and paving contractors. She noted that the priority of the de facto government is to pay employees, and creditors will just have to wait. Nuñez expects that when the sales tax payments are received in mid-January, there might be enough for the government to pay its employees. Micheletti previously had assured us that they had sufficient funds to last through March.

http://hondurascoup2009.blogspot.com/2010/01/de-facto-government-cant-make-payroll.html

[Judi Lynn]

2. Honduras' interim leader claims murder attempt against him

Honduras' interim leader claims murder attempt against him
2010-01-09 10:17:33

TEGUCIGALPA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Honduran interim leader Roberto Micheletti claimed, yet again, on Friday that he might face assassination after he leaves office.

A Venezuelan citizen has offered one million U.S. dollars to get him killed and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez might be behind this plot, Micheletti told a Honduran radio station.

It is not the first time that Micheletti has predicted his assassination once he leaves power. Fear of assassination has become one of the reasons for his refusal to leave office.

"Many of our officers, and of course my family, are worried about what could happen to me once I leave office," said Micheletti.

More:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/09/content_12780576.htm

http://www.avizora.com.nyud.net:8090/atajo/informes/honduras_textos/images/0030_roberto_micheletti_01.jpg

[Peace Patriot]

3. So, the Junta has been an utter disaster, in every way possible. But, hey, that's probably why

the U.S. legitimized it (or has tried to), why the Pentagon aided and abetted, why the U.S. embassy supported and connived, why the State Department delayed, delayed, delayed and backstabbed the legitimate president, why the U.S. "trained" the Honduran generals at the "School of the Americas," why John McCain larded $43 million U.S. taxpayer dollars on coup-supporting rightwing groups, and why our entire political establishment is SILENT as teachers, students, union leaders and other courageous anti-coup activists are, one by one, killed off by Micheleti's death squads.

Disaster meets Disaster.

The U.S. is out of money, except for war and bankster bonuses. Honduras is out of money, except for, oh, setting up some nice pads in Miami for a few people and paying off the death squads so they don't get irritated.

The U.S. and Honduran elites are kith and kin. Both suck.

And good luck to Pepe Lobo! Keep your day clothes on, Pepe!

[Downwinder]

4. Honduras Suspends Payments To BCIE

Business News Americas reported this afternoon that it had confirmed that the de facto government has suspended payments on $405 million in debt with the Central American Bank of Economic Integration (BCIE in Spanish).

http://hondurascoup2009.blogspot.com/2010/01/honduras-suspends-payments-to-bcie.html