The One Where Peace Corps Evacuates Honduras

On December 20th, 2011 the Peace Corps Honduras family was informed that due to severe security concerns, Peace Corps will evacuate all volunteers in mid-January. All volunteers who did not leave Honduras for the holidays were put on “standfast” meaning they cannot leave their sites. All volunteers already in the states for the holidays have been given the option of not coming back. On January 11th, we are all to travel to Tegucigalpa to attend a conference starting on January 12th. From there, we will all be sent home.

Awesome Christmas present, right?

I am equally devastated and relieved by this news. I have been uncomfortable with the security situation in Honduras since day one. I nearly peed my pants during our first safety and security training session with Juan Carlos (and during all sessions thereafter). But we were provided with excellent training to help us minimize our risks, and we have been consistently provided with staff support in regards to our personal safety. Nonetheless, we found out shortly after our plane landed on June 23rd, 2010 that we were sent to probably one of the most dangerous Peace Corps posts.

The situation in Honduras seemed much more manageable when we arrived, and I think volunteers would agree that especially this last year, more specifically the last 6 months, things have just skyrocketed out of control. I have always felt safe “enough” in my site, but not traveling. My trip from site to the capital, where the Peace Corps office is located can take about 8 hours, 8 hours of fear. In the beginning of my service I thought I was just paranoid, that yes, Honduras is dangerous, but no I was not constantly at risk. However, I have noticed a lot more concerns from fellow volunteers in the past months, especially when one of our own had a very serious incident about a month ago. I realized I was not the only one who was having a hard time with security. The part of me who has slept with one eye open for the past 18 months is relieved.

The part of me that has taught kids how to brush their teeth, how to use their imaginations, how to read, that has taught young girls how NOT to get pregnant and how to believe in themselves, and that has trained a motivated group of teachers how to teach English and how to incorporate more dynamic methodology practices in their own classrooms is devastated. Work-wise, I have had so much success in my site. My placement was perfect for me, and I have found my place in my little corner of Western Honduras. Ending this experience 8 months early is heartbreaking for me. I had projects planned for the remainder of my service and was so excited to see more progress from my teachers, my young girls, and my little kiddos. It is not fair to them to leave so many things unfinished, but I just have to hope that what I’ve done thus far has been as worthwhile for them as it has been for me.

Just to give you an idea of how Honduras compares to other dangerous countries, this graphic shows homicide rates per capita. (Source, The United Nations- Washington Post article).

Here are a few quotes from an article by the Washington Post to sum up the current situation in Honduras:

“The largest number of homicides occurred here around San Pedro Sula, a once-booming manufacturing center that is fast becoming the Ciudad Juarez of Central America.”

“It starts on the isolated beaches and jungle airstrips of Honduras’s Mosquitia region, where 95 percent of the suspected drug flights from South America to Central America land”

“At nearly every business here, from Burger King to the smallest mini-market, armed men with 12-gauge shotguns stand guard. Those who can afford it barricade their families behind razor wire, 10-foot walls and electrified fencing.”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a good or a bad person here, or if you’re someone with a future,” said Irwin Santos, whose brother Deybis — a university student — was killed in 2008 in San Pedro Sula. “In the end, you become just another statistic.”

It is a real shame that things seem to be getting worse. The Honduran people have become my family over the last year and a half, and I am dreading having to tell them that I need to leave sooner than expected and won’t be coming back. This is their reality, no one is going to evacuate them.

I received this news the day after I got home for my Christmas vacation, and after much thought, I have decided to return to Honduras, go back to my site for about 5 days, pack up and say my goodbyes. I will then go to the conference where I will say goodbye to staff and volunteers who have supported me so much during the last year and a half.