Tegucigalpa.
The President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, Monday ‘made it clear’ that 2021 is’last year from the government‘and he advised the politicians who affirm that he wants to remain in power to continue their conversion projects.
“I want to make it clear, especially to those who are always against everything and for nothing: this is my last year of office, I want to make it clear, I ask you to take care of your political projects and proposals, do not follow him in inventing of the country I intend to stay, ”he stressed in his report on his third year in office.
The report was presented by Hernández during the installation of the fourth and final session of the Parliament 2018-2022, in which the heads of the three powers of the state released the enforceability for 2020
“I will hand over the government to whoever will be elected president in the next elections in November of this year 2021, it was an honor to serve my country,” emphasized Hernández, who has reiterated for the past two months that he will not. to do. seek re-election.
The ceremony, where Hernández arrived, accompanied by his wife Ana García, was held at Parliament headquarters, under strict biosecurity measures due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has hit the Central American country since March.
Among the few were present Mauricio Oliva, President of the Legislative, and Rolando Argueta, Head of the Supreme Court, as well as the heads of the bank of the parties that make up Parliament, which make up 128 deputies.
2020 was his most difficult year, says Hernández
In his report, the president highlighted the achievements he believes the country has achieved in the seven years he has been in power, the last three as part of a controversial reelection that the constitution does not allow under any modality. , in some of the 2017 elections in which the opposition assured fraud.
“2020 was the most difficult year in our entire history for our country as we faced not one, not two, but sooner three national emergencies followed the same year and had tremendous devastating power, ”he said.
He added that Covid-19 continues to claim the lives of hundreds of fellow countrymen (about 3,500 and about 141,000 infections as of March 2020) and is affecting the health of much of the population, while Eta and Iota left thousands of victims and then destroyed some. what the Hondurans ‘had built together in recent years’.
Hernández explained about the health and economic damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected those of And it is Iota, with much destruction of the country’s productive infrastructure, with greater intensity in the north and west.
Tropical storms “amplified the severe economic downturn already suffered from Covid-19. virus that continues to affect humanity has taken a heavy toll, both in human lives and in the destruction of global economies, ” said the president, who will end his term in office on January 27, 2022.
“Our country is no exception and today we are facing the worst economic crisis in history after steady annual growth, always above the average for Latin America and predicted for 2020 at more than 3.7% of the Gross national product(GDP), he stressed.
According to Hernández, the challenge in 2021 will be to face the 9.5% decline in the Honduran economy by 2020, which was also reflected in the fact that thousands of Hondurans lost their jobs, others closed their businesses, were left without their homes and lost “the legacy of your life”.
“Is a catastrophe of apocalyptic dimensions that directly affects the wallets of the vast majority of people, we must understand once and for all that the Covid-19 is here to stay, ” said the president, in addition to reiterating to Hondurans the importance of to comply with all measures. to keep you from dying of the disease.
Reduction of violence as one of the main results
Although Honduras currently records about 15 violent deaths per day, Hernández stressed that cutting the crime wave that Honduras has experienced over the past decade was one of the achievements in his two periods, according to human rights organizations.
“We have reduced the homicide rate from nearly 90 to 37 per 100,000 residents. Previously, more than 7,000 people per year died of violence, twice the deaths Covid-19 left us,” said the president.
In addition, he confirmed that drug trafficking throughout his country has declined by 83 percent, ” official reports from the Ministry of State of the United States“.
He also indicated that during his tenure the “crime universities” in which Honduran prisons were being converted were dismantled and maximum security prisons built “to give criminals exemplary punishment”.
In the fight against crime, Hernández emphasized the support of the three branches of the state, other sectors and the cooperation of friendly countries, mainly with regard to drug trafficking.
Hernández recalled that his two reigns resulted in the extradition of more than 24 drug traffickers and the delivery of many others, in addition to dismantling “all the drug cartels operating in the country,” processing their runways and drug lab.
He claims to have been maligned by drug traffickers
The Honduran president has been plagued by multiple complaints from drug traffickers being tried in the United States, accusing him of having ties to drug traffickers.
In addition, a younger brother of his, former deputy Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández, is about to be convicted of drug trafficking in the United States.
Hernández emphasized in his speech that they are now blaspheming him for handing out hard blows to drug traffickers, and that “that price” is “paid” by his family.
“I am receiving defamation based on the testimony of drug traffickers we have imprisoned and others who have surrendered because they knew what to expect in my government,” said the president, who believes the defamation is one. “revenge“From people who had disarmed a $ 24,000 million company,” according to calculations by the United States.
Hernández announced that significant investment will be made in many areas by 2021 to recover Honduras from the blows caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and storms Eta and Iota.