MEDIA REACTION ON MCC, BOLIVIA AND ECUADOR, JUNE

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 001291 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR WHA/PD; IIP/G/WHA DIPASQUALE; AND IIP/T/ES DEPT. FOR PM AND EB/TRA DEPT. FOR WHA/EPSC, WHA/PPC AND WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KPAO PGOV MASS EAID HO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON MCC, BOLIVIA AND ECUADOR, JUNE 14, 2005 ¶1. On 06/14 the Tegucigalpa-based liberal daily "La Tribuna" published an editorial entitled "The fringe of risk." "We've been insisting that if we do not take care of the roots of these ungovernability crises in these countries. The hemisphere's democracy will experience serious backslidings such as those in Ecuador and Bolivia." "We mentioned earlier data of recent diagnosis that puts Honduras on the `fringe of risk' because the rates of economical inequality and human development are more critical than the those in other countries which have already fallen into this unstable social-political crisis." "A recent study by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean [ECLAC] states that our country is still one of the poorest countries in our region and has fallen behind in achieving the United Nations' millennium goals in reducing poverty by half in 2015. The same situation is happening in Bolivia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Haiti and Paraguay." "Obviously MCC's $215 million contribution will come in very handy because it will be invested in the next five years towards rural development to increase agriculture activity and business abilities and to reduce transportation costs between markets." "Poverty reduction isn't going to be miraculously achieved because there are a great number of accumulated problems. Social debt is enormous and people's patience in waiting for democracy to fulfill its promises has its limits. False expectations shouldn't be given when most of the population is near desperation." Pierce