For the benefit of our readers, I have included a link to today's issue of The Honduras Weekly, which reports that US diplomat Oliver P. Garza arrived in Tegucigalpa yesterday (February 7) to assist the government of President Porfirio Lobo in the development and implementation of a national security strategy aimed at helping contain and reduce the high levels of violence and impunity in the country.
Mr. Garza, who served as US Ambassador to Nicaragua during 1999-2002, will serve as a high level technical adviser to the Lobo Administration on matters related to ensuring better security for citizens, proper application of the law, and combating drug traffic. Garza will be under the direction of US Ambassador to Honduras Lisa Kubiske and will coordinate with the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa. His appointment to the new post by the US State Department was made in response to a request for additional security assistance from resident Lobo.
Mr. Garza, who served as US Ambassador to Nicaragua during 1999-2002, will serve as a high level technical adviser to the Lobo Administration on matters related to ensuring better security for citizens, proper application of the law, and combating drug traffic. Garza will be under the direction of US Ambassador to Honduras Lisa Kubiske and will coordinate with the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa. His appointment to the new post by the US State Department was made in response to a request for additional security assistance from resident Lobo.
http://hondurasweekly.com/oliver-garza-will-advise-honduras-on-security-strategy-201202084839
COMMENT: Ambassador Garza's new assignment may indeed become a huge challenge for not only him for the US Department of State as a whole as well. With the highest homicide rate in the world for a small country of 8.5 million people, and with roughly 70% of all drugs destined for the US now transiting Honduras, Garza's challenge could be characterized as tantamount to mission impossible.
To make matters worse, not only has President Lobo failed to deliver on most of the promises he made to Honduran voters three years ago, his popularity has also steadily declined. Unfortunately, the retooling the Honduran National Police from decades of corruption and ineptitude, could well take a decade or more to show real promise, unless most of the police are purged, as it was many years ago in El Salvador. In any event, we wish Ambassador Garza well.
To make matters worse, not only has President Lobo failed to deliver on most of the promises he made to Honduran voters three years ago, his popularity has also steadily declined. Unfortunately, the retooling the Honduran National Police from decades of corruption and ineptitude, could well take a decade or more to show real promise, unless most of the police are purged, as it was many years ago in El Salvador. In any event, we wish Ambassador Garza well.
