In early November we learned that my mother needed heart surgery, so I travelled home to be with her and my family. When she left the hospital, I decided to return to Honduras to be in the parish for the general elections that were to occur on November 29. I arrived on the Friday prior to the general elections and saw the airport in Tegucigalpa filled with many dignitaries from other countries who had come as “observers” to the elections. Their role was to assure that the general elections took place according to the Honduran Constitution. In addition, there were many police and military surrounding the airport and concentrated in certain areas around the city. During the two-hour trip from the capital to our town of Guaimaca, we were stopped a couple of times by military roadblocks. The Honduran soldiers reviewed our personal documentation and then searched the car for guns. (Here the police can stop a car at any time to review the documentation of the car and the driver, as well as search the car.)
On Saturday, the day before the elections, there was talk that a general curfew was going to be put in place, but it didn’t come to pass. Instead, there was a ban on any type of large gathering. We had to seek special permission to gather for the celebration of Mass on Saturday and Sunday. Also, the government issued a ban on the selling and consuming of alcohol from Saturday until Sunday night after the elections.
With everything prepared for the elections we offered a “Mass for Peace” on Saturday night and included a special procession with the Honduran flag at Sunday morning’s Mass. Everyone came to church to offer prayers — prayers for peace, prayers for a solution, and prayers for their beloved Honduras. People had the hope that the elections would bring a resolution to a problem that had begun long before the coup d’état on June 28. The president they had elected to defend the Constitution had betrayed their trust and had sought to make himself a dictator. The elections now gave them, as a nation, the chance to decide who would be their next president.
In order to create more discord, the deposed president Zelaya had given a “no vote” order from the Brazilian Embassy, where he has been detained for a few months for fear of being arrested. His intention was to direct that the people should not vote as a sign of resistance to the “de facto” government. Naturally, there was fear among the people that the “resistance supporters” were going to threaten voters as they neared the voting stations.
On Sunday morning as voting began, we watched from the church across to the high school at the corner of the park which was the central voting station. A few men gathered were standing in the park watching as a few people began entering the voting station. Though there was tension, there were no threats or violence. People slowly began to go to the polls to cast their vote for a new future. It was reported that more than 60 percent of the population cast their vote, which was far more than the mere 50 percent that voted in the election of former President Zelaya. Although some are disenchanted and feel that the election won’t change the political situation, many feel that their vote will make a difference.
The presence of the diocesan mission makes a difference in a different way. We continue to serve the poor in Guaimaca regardless of their political affiliation or social status. Our hope is that the groups that have visited the mission will return to Guaimaca in the new year and help us in our common mission to the most poor and needy.
During this season of Advent the readings offer hope to those who live in darkness and despair. Those words are made tangible by the generosity of our brothers and sisters from the diocese who support the work of the mission. As we make ready our preparations for Christmas, may we remember the blessings we have received and in turn bless the lives of others.
Father Pregana is pastor of the diocesan mission in Guaimaca, Honduras.