LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS10
Honduras | Interview
involved in the murders of top antidrug officials. How have you reacted
to these developments?
JOH: These reports refer to incidents
that occurred in 2009 [before I took office].
However, we have been taking steps to
remove police officers, from the top ranks
on down, who are not upholding the
highest standards in their work. There is
currently a restructuring of the national
police under way. And an independent
investigation is being carried out in
these specific cases you mentioned. Our
goal is to have a police force that meets
international standards. They are going
to be evaluated regularly in terms of their
performance. And in the end, frankly, it's
going to be Hondurans, and whether they
have confidence in the police, who will
determine if high-ranking police officials
are doing their jobs the way they should be
done.
LF: You agreed last year with the
Organization of American States (OAS)
to create an anti-corruption body in
Honduras. Did the body, the Mission to
Support the Fight Against Impunity in
Honduras (MACCIH), play a role in the
recent arrests in the case involving the
murder of Honduran environmental
and indigenous rights activist Berta
Cáceres?
JOH: The arrests were carried out
entirely by Hondurans. We asked the OAS
to accompany us but no decision has been
made by MACCIH. The arrests of the four
individuals is good news. I hope justice
will be served. We have requested that the
UN be involved and we've been working
very closely with the US. But we want
people to see that we are developing our
own capacity to deal with these kinds of
investigations.
LF: What is your view of the Cáceres
case?
JOH: I'd prefer not to comment since the
case is still under investigation. But I will say
that since the beginning, when we learned
what happened, we viewed this as an
attack against the state. And the state has
the obligation to ensure justice is done.
LF: Moving back to the economy,
what are your economic priorities
going forward?
JOH: For us, developing the Honduras
20/20 plan is an important achievement.
We're starting to implement it now. All of
the political parties have backed it. Our hope
is the plan will help fuel economic growth.
In terms of other priorities, we are preparing
to send a new tax code to Congress. We
also want to strengthen our social programs,
which are very important. They are a source
of dignity for the underprivileged. I also
want to continue working to position the
country as one of the most attractive in the
region for investment.
LF: What do you see as the biggest
obstacles for the Honduran economy?
JOH: I would say we have to remember
that Honduras is located in a region that
has been affected by insecurity for decades.
We're deepening our relationships with
Colombia, Mexico and our other neighbors,
and that's helping us to address the security
issues. Security has been one of our biggest
challenges. But I would also say that our
geographic location also has the potential
to be a huge advantage for us. We want
to continue to consolidate our political
alliances, like we're doing with the US, and
create economic opportunities for ordinary
Hondurans and reinvigorate our productive
capacity.
LF: One of Honduras' biggest
economic challenges has been the
state electric company, which has
consistently accounted for a significant
part of the budget deficit. What have
you done to improve operations at the
company?
JOH: We decided it was time to cut
our losses and we made some tough
decisions. We sharply reduced the number
of employees, a decision that led to
some political backlash, including street
protests. However, Hondurans understood
the decision. The electrical energy
market is also now more open to market
forces. We've also worked to reduce our
dependency on fossil fuels and shift to
more renewable energies.
LF: Shifting to politics, last year the
Supreme Court voided a single-term
limit for presidents, which would
allow you to seek a second term. Are
you planning to run for re-election?
JOH: Right now my focus is being
the best president possible. If we look at
municipal leaders in Honduras, we have
mayors who don't face re-election limits
who have been very successful. If people
are unhappy with the job you're doing,
they're going to vote you out of office.
But if they feel comfortable with the plans
you're putting forward, then they're going
to vote for you to stay. In the end, it's up
to Hondurans to choose, and they have a
very simple and powerful tool: their vote.
Honduras was one of the few countries that
had (the single term limit prohibition), now
we're more line line with other countries.
LF: You were a businessman before
you got involved in politics? Which do
you prefer - being a businessman or
being a politician?
JOH: It's very difficult being a
businessman when the government
doesn't create the right environment for
businesses to thrive. And without a thriving
economy it's difficult to have opportunities
for social mobility, particularly for the
less fortunate. At the same time, it's a
challenge if you're part of the government
and you have to contend with a private
sector that doesn't understand the
benefits of natural economic growth. So
if you're in the private or public sector,
it's important to understand the role of
each to improve the economic conditions
in a country. Today, I'm very optimistic
[about the economy] even though the
business community and I don't agree on
everything. I think the business community
understands we have a huge opportunity
right now. This generation's business
leaders have a very different vision of the
country compared to previous generations,
and I'm excited about it. LF
10 A Supplement to LatinFinance - May/June 2016
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5/24/16 3:38 PM
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras
Contents
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HSCover1
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HSCover2
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS1
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS2
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS3
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS4
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS5
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS6
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS7
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS8
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS9
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS10
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS11
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS12
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS13
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS14
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS15
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HS16
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HSCover3
LatinFinance - May/June 2016 - Honduras - HSCover4
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