The Day of the General Elections has Arrived!

President of Honduras, Roberto Micheletti casting his vote. Photos: El Heraldo, Honduras

Nonetheless an atmosphere of political tension following the removal from office of then President Manuel Zelaya Rosales, a total of 4.6 million of Hondurans out of its total population of 7.326.496 were called on this day of the general elections in the capital of the nation, Tegucigalpa.

"The threats, bombs and gunfire were insufficient to prevent citizens leave their homes to vote," said the President, Roberto Micheletti, after exercising his political duty. The president has done that civic duty minutes after 9:00 am at a school in El Progreso, Yoro, in the company of family, friends and presidential security. "Let's go and vote, demonstrate the world that we are different, our duty is to build a better country," he said during his trip to the polls.

Regardless the fact that the international community has threatened in not recognizing the results of these elections and an unprecedented media campaign by the repudiation to the constituted authorities from 28 June, the mission appears to go uphill.

The OAS suspended Honduras after the so called ‘coup’ last June, but since then had failed to reach common positions to the crisis in the country. Asked about the support and the recognition of the election expressed by Costa Rica, Panama and Peru, Insulza, general secretary of the OAS said, "I understand that nobody is considering recognizing the de facto government, that governments are talking about after 27 January", when making possession of the elected government on Sunday.

Immersed in the worst political crisis in its modern history, the new authorities in Honduras relieve the executive and legislature, in a race where the organizers are in the moral and ethical obligation to ensure that they are transparent and clean. No matter who wins, what matters is that Hondurans will be manifested in the elections.

What is the Catholic Church’s position about the political turmoil in Honduras?

Card. Oscar Andres Rodriguez. Photos: El Heraldo, Honduras

In an interview published by the Wall Street Journal, on November 16, the Cardinal of Honduras, Oscar Andres Rodriguez shared some of the difficulties the Catholic Church is going through since earlier this year when the whole political commotion of the constitutional removal of the president, rose up in that part of the world.

Due to the misleading Mass Media coverage, which has played an essential role in accusing the church leadership as golpistas, Card. Rodriguez explains the Church’s position in the whole turmoil. As explained by him, the church has not become involved in the political process surrounding Mr. Zelaya's fate, and for good reason.

"There are many people who are zelayistas in good faith because he was promising a lot of things to the poor."

Now, understanding the whole picture from this point of view then, yes, the Catholic Church has found itself necessarily involved. For the Church has a mission; to bring about unity through reconciliation.

Even though Card. Rodriguez is a respected national figure and his words carry weight, his moral duty with regards to the faithful hasn't been so easy to carry on. The reason, very simply as he himself states it:

"In Latin America, when you have money, you can buy justice." Such corruption is what led to "the implosion" of political parties in Venezuela," he says.

To the surprise of the rest of the world, however, Honduras did not believe in the message of the messiah, Chávez. Card. Rodriguez confirms that supporters of Mr. Zelaya, (the corrupt ex-president), have put pressure on the church, but despite "constant death threats" he says, he has not changed his position.