Honduran Daily Warns of Militarization http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/april/16/centralamerica10041603.htm

Since the coup of June 28, 2009, there has been a return to the militarization of state policies in Honduras, especially with regard to internal security, a Tiempo daily editorial warned on Thursday."The country is going back to the practice of military involvement in police activities, and there is a trend in the horizon to return to the national security doctrine applied in the terrible 80s," the daily said.

A Tiempo editorial criticizes the government decision to deploy over 1,000 troops to patrol the streets along with police officers for the alleged purpose of fighting crime and violence.In addition, 2,200 Army troops and policemen have been sent to Aguan Valley, in northern Honduras, the scene of a land dispute.Leaders of the United Farmers Movement in Aguan condemned the unprecedented mobilization and claimed that it is aimed at frightening the families settled there, although authorities say that the objective is to combat the trafficking of drugs and arms.

Under the pretext of fighting crime and drug trafficking, President of Honduras Porfirio Lobo and US Ambassador Hugo Llorens signed yesterday an agreement called "Merida Carcy."Under the agreement, Washington will provide close to $4 million for military training programs, border inspection and support for special Army units, among other purposes."In short, this is a new initiative under the Merida Plan to support Central America specifically, as Merida is an initiative involving Mexico, the United States and Central America," said Llorens.

Just a week ago, Washington and Tegucigalpa inaugurated a naval base in Gracias a Dios department, bordering Nicaragua, with a US investment of $2 million. The facility will be operated by the Honduras Navy with support from US Southern Command officers.The US also controls the Palmerola air base, in central Comayagua department, where President Manuel Zelaya was first taken on the day of the coup.

comment-also see...Key leaders of Honduras military coup trained in U.S. http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/06/key-leaders-of-honduras-military-coup-trained-in-us.html    Honduran Coup: The U.S. Connection http://www.fpif.org/articles/honduran_coup_the_us_connection   Washington behind the Honduras coup: Here is the evidence  http://links.org.au/node/1147