Step by step, the nefarious legacy of the 12 years of the JOH regime are being dismantled in Honduras. Two key steps took place this month, the first being the extradition of JOH himself to the US. What seems unthinkable after his illegal reelection backed by the US in 2017 and still very unlikely just some months ago, has now passed in record speed. He already faced court once, virtually, in New York this month where his pre-trial detention was confirmed.
A second cornerstone of JOH’s reign were the ZEDEs, the private cities. Their legal basis were outright repealed, unanimously, by Congress this month. A huge victory for Honduras’ social movements, while still leaving many questions unresolved regarding the existing ZEDEs in Honduras. Just days before next month’s May Day, the new administration celebrated another victory with Congress repealing the Employment by the Hour Law. The Xiomara administration and its allies in Congress further reformulated the 2022 budget which includes more spending on education and public health, but also rose some question, especially regarding the spending on state security forces. Last but definitely not least, after two years of more or rather less functioning online classes, schools started to reopen. Welcome to another month in Honduras.
