Misplaced Pages

#95904

48-598: The departmental capital is Juticalpa , which is also the see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Juticalpa , which covers the department. Rugged mountains rise in the western and northern portions of the department, notably the Sierra de Agalta, the Montaña de Tembladeros, and the Montaña de Botaderos. Vast pine and hardwood forests cover these mountains. Central Olancho has rolling plains, watered by

96-563: A Drug Enforcement Administration agent killed a suspect in Honduras, it was confirmed that the US government has been running covert operations in the Olancho area to combat drug trafficking. Many multinational corporations as well as charitable and religious organizations with personnel in Honduras actively discourage their members from visiting Olancho or suggest caution, as do the governments of

144-416: A Peace Corps volunteer named Timothy Berg, along with two Catacamas locals named Desiderio Reyes and Jorge Yáñez, and research is still being conducted in the area. In the 18th and 19th century, Olancho resisted government authority from Tegucigalpa, resulting in armed conflicts. On December 7, 1864, the arrest of a deputy named Rosales caused a rebellion against the highest authorities of the department and

192-463: A gradual slope on the southwestern side of the Juticalpa river. There are many smaller communities in the surrounding area. Juticalpa's sister city, Catacamas , is located at the easternmost terminus of the paved Olancho highway. The Boulevard Los Poetas connects Barrio El Centro to the Olancho highway and receives Honduran intercity bus traffic. The main bus station is located at the beginning of

240-541: A group of men to challenge Nazario Garay. Romero and Serapio dueled with machetes, with Serapio Romero victorious. Then, defying the central government, Romero unearthed the heads of Colonels Barahona, Antúnez and Zavala, and he paid them a posthumous tribute. To this new rebellion, the government responded by sending a military contingent, who ended up defeating, capturing and beheading Romero. After these bloody events, Olancho became an almost depopulated department. Old independent sentiments persist among Olanchanos , although

288-591: A high-ranking public figure has been placed in prison for corruption. Half a dozen properties of the presidential couple could be seized by judicial authorities. On 2 October 2019, the trial in the United States of Juan Antonio Tony Hernández, former deputy and brother of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández , arrested at Miami airport in November 2018, begins. Juan Antonio is accused of drug trafficking — specifically of exporting several tons of cocaine to

336-530: A hospital donated by the Japanese government, medical clinics, and a number of public and private schools. ATMs are easily found throughout the town and inside local bank branches. A new mall opened at the beginning of Boulevard Los Poetas, and four fully supplied supermarkets are well distributed across town. Recent road paving projects were finished in Barrio El Centro and Barrio de Jesús, but most of

384-629: A more liberal economic policy: derogation of Decree 18-2008, which gave land to peasants, suspension of the minimum wage, adoption of the Temporary Employment Law (which allows workers to be hired "by the hour", thus preventing their possible unionisation and access to social rights), reform of the status of teachers and partial privatisation of education, and a law on the concession of natural resources, which allows resources such as water to be auctioned off. Human Rights Watch argued that "at least eight journalists and ten members of

432-663: A political leader in Olancho . For 31 years, he presided over the national party's youth in Olancho, local committee of Juticalpa and the departmental committee of Olancho. He was in charge of the Honduran corporation for forestry development, from 1990 to 1994. He was elected to the national congress in 1990, where he later served as president, from 2002 to 2006. Lobo was the National Party of Honduras ' candidate for 27 November 2005 presidential election ; Mario Canahuati

480-514: A population of 75,790 (2023 calculation), and the municipal seat of Juticalpa Municipality. Situated in a broad river valley alongside the Rio Juticalpa, the town is a commercial centre for much of Olancho's ranching and agricultural economy. Its Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción, devoted to the immaculate Conception , is the cathedral episcopal see of the suffragan Roman Catholic Diocese of Juticalpa . The Juticalpa area encompasses

528-400: A truth commission to investigate events surrounding the removal from office as well as appointing a human rights adviser and political opponents to his government. His presidency was also marked by violent conflicts between landless peasants and large landowners. In Bajo Aguán, 35 peasants were murdered between January 2010 and July 2011 by militias financed by the landowners. Honduras became

SECTION 10

#1732766233096

576-548: Is Day Star School School, started by two Americans from Minnesota that serves pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. Juticalpa's fair is celebrated on 8–14 December and is dedicated to "The Virgin of Concepción". During this period several activities take place across the city's main streets, at the Parque Central and at the AGAO "Asociación de Ganaderos y Agricultores de Olancho". Being the commercial centre of Olancho, Juticalpa

624-564: Is a former Honduran politician businessman and agricultural landowner who served as 37th President of Honduras from January 27, 2010 to January 27, 2014. A member of the conservative National Party and a former deputy in the National Congress of Honduras from January 25, 1990, he was president of the National Congress of Honduras from January 25, 2002 to January 25, 2006. He came second to Manuel Zelaya with 46% of

672-421: Is able to offer a variety of local cuisine based on fresh produce, dairy and meat. Typical dishes include Carne Asada (one of the best offered in the country), the renowned Tapado Olanchano, Yuca con Chicharrón , Baleadas , Tacos , Tajaditas, Enchiladas , Pastelitos de Carne, and other local delicacies. Rosquillas, quesadillas and hojaldras are corn and cheese based; due to the extensive cheese resources, and

720-469: Is primarily agricultural and commercial. Olancho 's wide, fertile river valleys support maize, cattle and dairy farms. Queso Olanchano a hard and salty cheese, and "Mantequilla Crema" white cream, are produced in great quantities at several dairies and exported throughout the country, the Central American region, and United States. Because of its proximity to successful farms and its position on

768-671: Is the country on the continent where poverty and inequality are growing the most. Lobo Sosa's son, Fabio Lobo (born in 1971), was arrested in Haiti in a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation in 2015 and was sentenced in September 2017 in the federal court for the Southern District of New York to 24 years in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. He pleaded guilty in May 2016. In July 2016,

816-515: The Guayape River and its affluents. These plains, sometimes called pampas due to their similarity to the vast Argentinian plains, are famous for their large cattle herds and extensive farming. The main cities, capital Juticalpa and Catacamas , are located there. The eastern part of the department is covered with rainforests , though the influx of impoverished, farmers and intense timber extraction have increased deforestation rates in

864-654: The Guayape River valley, bordered by the Sierra de Agalta range . Among the most notable of the small villages in the area is La Concepción and La Empalizada. The nearest town is Catacamas , 30 miles to the northeast. The climate is significantly warmer than Tegucigalpa or nearby Campamento because of the Valle de Juticalpa's elevation. Several thunderstorms occur during the period of May through September (wet season). October, November and December are cooler and often cloudy with drizzle. From January through April,

912-568: The National Popular Resistance Front (FNRP)—a political group that opposed the 2009 removal from office of the then president and advocated the reinstatement of the ousted president, Manuel Zelaya — have been killed since Lobo assumed power on January 27, 2010". Human Rights Watch has also reported attacks on the independence of the judiciary and public prosecutors. The Obama administration , however, praised Lobo for his attempts at reconciliation, which include forming

960-649: The University of Miami School of Business , Lobo returned to Honduras to work in the family's agricultural business and to teach political economy and English at the La Fraternidad Institute in Juticalpa for 11 years. He was granted a doctorate from Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow . He also obtained a black belt in taekwondo . Lobo's political career started at the age of 19 as

1008-463: The "Boulevard Los Poetas" and several bus companies serve all of Olancho's 23 counties or "municipios". Two bus companies, Discovery and Aurora , send regular and executive service buses to Tegucigalpa and Catacamas . Juticalpa also has two public parks, Parque Central located in Barrio El Centro with the cathedral dedicated to the Virgin of Concepción on one side, and the city hall (alcaldía) on

SECTION 20

#1732766233096

1056-446: The 2017 New Orleans Film Festival , Best Cinematography at the 2017 Tulsa American Film Festival, and Best Feature Documentary Film at the 2017 Nevada City Film Festival. Olancho is distributed by First Run Features and is now available streaming on Kanopy and for purchase on Amazon. Juticalpa, Olancho Juticalpa ( Spanish pronunciation: [xutiˈkalpa] ) is the capital of Olancho Department in Honduras, with

1104-536: The Glowing Skulls," is located near Catacamas . It was used as a burial site by the native peoples, and over time, the bones left there were covered by the calcite dripping from the ceiling, giving them an eerie, sparkling appearance. Radiocarbon testing indicated that the burials were made around 900 B.C., well before the rise of the Mayans and other civilizations. The ossuary chamber was discovered in 1994 by

1152-571: The National Anti-Corruption Council called for an investigation into the alleged misuse of public funds for the purchase of school materials by Rosa Elena de Lobo, wife of Porforio Lobo, and her private secretary. The former first lady is also facing charges of falsifying documents. She was incarcerated in February 2018 for diverting $ 4 million from the state to her personal account. This is the first time in Honduras that

1200-604: The National Congress in 1957 and was a political leader in the department of Olancho . His brother Ramón Rosa Lobo Sosa is a deputy in the National Congress for the department of Colón . After attending a Catholic school in Juticalpa , Lobo continued his studies at the San Francisco Institute of Tegucigalpa and then at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida in the United States. After obtaining his Bachelor of Business Administration from

1248-581: The Spaniards during the colonial period, these gold deposits are still productive. Local men and women may be seen panning for gold in riverbanks during the dry season . Extensive gold dredging is also underway during the dry season in much of the river , including deep into the mountainous regions of the Rio Patuca (into which the Guayape feeds). The Cave of Talgua , also known as "The Cave of

1296-561: The US — possession of weapons, and of being linked to the murders of two rival drug traffickers in 2011 and 2013; the scandal becomes political as President Juan Orlando Hernández and his predecessor ex-President Porfirio Lobo are suspected of having used drug money to finance their 2009 and 2013 election campaigns. His name appeared in 2021 in the Pandora Papers . He, his wife, and their son are mentioned as owners of companies registered in tax havens. Some of them were created while he

1344-472: The US, Canada, France, New Zealand and the UK, among others. At the time of the 2013 Honduras census, Olancho Department had a population of 520,761. Of these, 94.54% were Mestizo , 3.39% White , 1.23% Indigenous (0.71% Pech , 0.21% Lenca , 0.16% Nahua ), 0.60% Black or Afro-Honduran and 0.24% others. Olancho was the subject of a 2017 feature-length documentary film of the same name. The documentary, which

1392-512: The area. A portion of the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve , a tropical rainforest with diverse wildlife and declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO , straddles the border of Olancho and the neighboring departments of Gracias a Dios and Colón . The Guayape River is famous for its placer gold with concessions where today the mining company Eurocantera ( Goldlake Group) exploits ethical gold . First exploited by

1440-439: The central government. Led by Colonels Barahona, Zavala, and Antúnez, more than a thousand rebels marched towards Tegucigalpa in 1865. Faced with this situation, the president of the republic, General José María Medina , organized and led a military expedition to counter the rebels. At the end of the confrontation, Medina and his men imposed themselves on the rebels, capturing the leaders whom he shot, beheaded and buried. Several of

1488-457: The department's role as an agricultural producer has made it an integral part of the Honduran economy. The former president of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo , hails from the department, specifically from the city of Juticalpa . Also former president now congressman Manuel Zelaya Rosales is from the city of Catacamas , also from the department. The Olancho Department remained as one of the most violent areas in Honduras until 2012. In June 2012, after

Olancho Department - Misplaced Pages Continue

1536-453: The event that a subsequent government wishes to revisit this project, a decree states: "The systems instituted in the REDs [special development regions] must be (...) approved by the National Congress with a qualified two-thirds majority", with the understanding that "this constitutional status may only be modified, interpreted or overturned by the same majority, after consultation by referendum of

1584-521: The high production of corn in the area, the best are found in Juticalpa, specifically in the village of La Concepción. In late years tilapia farms have been a success in the area, giving way to popularity and availability of fresh tilapia fish in many of Juticalpa's restaurants. The City's football team is Juticalpa F.C. , nicknamed "Los Canecheros", the stadium is called Juan Ramón Brevé Vargas . Porfirio Lobo Porfirio Lobo Sosa (born January 22, 1947) also known by his nickname, Pepe Lobo ,

1632-476: The incidence of dengue fever is quite high due to the many mud puddles that become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The town is divided into twelve major neighbourhoods, called Barrios or "Colonias": Barrio El Centro, Barrio de Jesús, Barrio Calona, Barrio La Hoya, Barrio Belén, Colonia San Miguel, Barrio El Portillo, Barrio El Campo, Colonia El Campo Uno, Colonia El Campo Dos, Barrio El Cementerio, Barrio El Chicle and Barrio de la Cruz. The majority of town lies on

1680-404: The middle of the dry season (March and April) and enjoy the wine at the sites, or transport the beverage to the marketplace in plastic bottles. The easiest place to find the drink is in the village of La Concepción, a few kilometers west of Juticalpa on the highway to Tegucigalpa . The city is served by various public and private schools, high schools and universities. One private bilingual school

1728-473: The only country in the world to ban the morning-after pill in 2012. The project of the American economist Paul Romer , which consists of building "private cities" on parts of the national territory where almost all the regulations would be given to investors and not to the Honduran state, is accepted by the government of Porfirio Lobo. The national constitution is amended to this effect in February 2011. In

1776-455: The only paved highway in Olancho, Juticalpa's economy has led to relative prosperity. Despite its strong agricultural base, unemployment in Juticalpa is high. To support themselves, many citizens of Juticalpa run small stores called pulperías where they sell household items and food stores to neighbors. Juticalpa contains a number of small businesses, many restaurants (ranging from taco stands to dine-in establishments with air conditioning),

1824-560: The opposite side. The second smaller park Parque Infantil is located in Barrio Belén across the Santa Clara school. Remnants of pre-Columbian civilisations can be found occasionally in Barrio Belén. At the time of the 2013 Honduras census, Juticalpa municipality had a population of 124,828. Of these, 91.20% were Mestizo , 6.71% White , 1.05% Black or Afro-Honduran , 0.43% Indigenous and 0.60% others. Juticalpa's economy

1872-724: The population living in the RED". The management of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) was enthusiastic and promised to support it. Following a complaint of "treason to the homeland" to the Supreme Court of Justice by opponents of the project, the project was finally declared unconstitutional and rejected by the Court. According to the Mexican agency Consulta Mitofsky, Porfirio Lobo's popularity in 2012

1920-615: The presidential candidate of the PNH and on 29 November 2009 he was elected President of Honduras with 56% of the vote against 38% for his rival Elvin Santos . Following his victory, Lobo said his administration will "begin the great national dialogue". He also promised to encourage private investment to generate employment and to increase social benefits in a country where 70% of its 7 million citizens live in poverty. President Lobo dismantled Manuel Zelaya 's social reforms in favour of

1968-793: The quest for fame, or flee. Olancho premiered at the 2017 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana. Over the course of the following two years, the film went on to screen at dozens of international film festivals, including at the Rotterdam Film Festival in the Netherlands and the Berlin Film Festival in Germany. The film earned the Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature at

Olancho Department - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-471: The region receives very little rain (Dry Season). During this season field fires are often observed, some are intentionally created due to an old unlawful practice for renewing crops, and others are the result of severe heat or arson; these fires create a thick blanket of smoke that settles over the Juticalpa Valley for almost a month. The air improves after the first rain. During the rainy season,

2064-449: The town peripheral streets remain unpaved. The area serves as a transit hub for the tourists headed to The Sierra de Agalta National Park, and for tourists visiting The Cuevas de Talgua , limestone caves containing the calcified phosphorescent remains of ancient inhabitants of the area. In Honduras , Juticalpa is most famous for the production of an alcoholic palm Coyol tree wine known as coyol wine . Residents knock down palm trees in

2112-534: The towns and villages of the Departments of Olancho Honduras were burned along with their inhabitants, and many of the rebels were killed in combat. Following this were many deportations and a mass exodus of Olanchanos to other parts of the country, reducing the population of Olancho. Manto lost his title of departmental head, which was transferred to Juticalpa. Three years later, in 1868, a young man Serapio Romero, known as Cinchonero , arrived in Juticalpa with

2160-493: The vote in the 2005 general election . After the military ousted Zelaya in a coup d'état , Lobo was elected president in the 2009 presidential election and took office on January 27, 2010. Lobo was born on 22 January 1947 in Trujillo and grew up on the ranch of La Empalizada near Juticalpa , Olancho . His parents are Porfirio José Lobo López and Rosa Sosa Hernández de Lobo; both are deceased. His father served as deputy in

2208-438: Was directed and produced by American filmmakers Chris Valdes and Ted Griswold, focused on the lives of band members from Los Plebes de Olancho , a regional narco-corrido music band. The logline of the film is as follows: Manuel, a farmer from Olancho, Honduras, seeks fame by making music for the region’s drug cartels. When some of his song lyrics get him in trouble, Manuel must make the most difficult decision of his life: continue

2256-470: Was his running mate. His campaign was based on job security, a tough stance on crime, and being in favour of reintroducing the death penalty. He came in second in the presidential election with 46.17% of the vote against 49.90% from his rival Manuel Zelaya of the Liberal Party of Honduras . He held the position of president of the National Party of Honduras . In December 2008, he once again became

2304-650: Was only 14%, which made him the second most unpopular leader in Latin America at the time, after Costa Rican then-President Laura Chinchilla . Porfirio Lobo's presidency has not brought an end to the country's problems of violence, where the homicide rate in 2013 remains the highest in the world. According to the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Honduras

#95904