Honduran president visits CI for trade talks

| 02/09/2016 | 52 Comments
Cayman News Service

Honduras President Juan Hernandez

(CNS): Following up on the government’s recent announcements that it wants to see Cayman trading more with Honduras, Juan Hernandez, the country’s president, is visiting with Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin today. The premier, Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell and other ministers are expected to continue the talks initiated by their recent visit to Honduras. “This visit reinforces the friendship between our two countries and affirms the importance accorded by the Cayman Islands and Honduras to strengthening bilateral opportunities for cooperation,” McLaughlin said in a release ahead of the visit.

Discussions are expected to focus on furthering opportunities for trade and commerce as well as what officials said were “other mutually beneficial initiatives”.

Kirkconnell said the government appreciates the visit coming so soon after the Cayman Islands initial visit to Honduras. “Though this visit will be brief we look forward to extending our unique brand of Caymankindness to the president and his delegation.”

Hernandez will also visit with Cayman Islands Governor Helen Kilpatrick, as all international relations between Cayman and other nation states are still part of the UK’s responsibility.

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Category: Politics

Comments (52)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    It’s election time. Nothing will come from this visit except an exchange of Flor de Cana and Tortuga rum

  2. Anonymous says:

    Hear, hear Peter! Making things harder for the local farmer and thus forcing him to market at higher prices, at which he can’t compete. Not only that but I seem to recall that when PPM was the Opposition, Alden McLaughlin himself objected to a similar “increasing-trade-with-Honduras” proposal by McKeeva Bush! Talk about hypocrisy!

    • Anonymous says:

      Honduras grows crops like grapes, strawberries, pears, also spices, vanilla, Cummin, black pepper, cinnamon and a whole lot of other stuff. Cayman framers only producing peppers, green bananas and a few other items. Listen, you want to talk undermining the local farmers, it’s already happening when fosters, lurks and Hurley buy 99% of thier produce from USA and Jamaica. Why people don’t talk about that.

  3. Truth. G.T says:

    I love the idea of eating healthier. But sorry to burst your bubble. It seems Alden has this fond for Genetic Modification. This time not GM mosquitoes I talking here, but GM crops produced foods. Honduras has accepted GM production of crops and foods. The question every Caymanian should be asking, are we going to get truly organic non-modified crops and foods from Honduras???

    Sorry to those who are so optimistic about this. 🙂 but reality is reality… I believe in our well-being more than our politicians.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes, in Honduras people grow naturally becuase they can’t afford all the chemicals and fertilizers. They do farming the old hard way.

  4. Anonymous says:

    I’m all for exploring new territories to ship in products, especially produce as often what you can find on the shelves is half rotten. BUT realistically speaking, we all know that the imports from Honduras will bring much greater risks than the import from Canada lets say. Let’s be honest and realistic. What will be done to step up security etc when those ships/containers from Honduras land? I am talking invasive species, pests, fruit tree diseases as well as drugs, guns etc.

    • Anonymous says:

      For decades we have been receiving fruits from Honduras and Costa Rica. There are no known infestation of pest or harmful bugs from either place. On the other hand I can say that the bugs, pests and black lice that are now on island did not come from Honduras. Products from Honduras were good enough when our choice of importers were few now that we have plenty let us trade with them as much as we can.

  5. Veritas says:

    I understand that Honduranians are quite fond of eating iguanas (seroiusly!), so we could ship them over and receive fruit in return which would be a lot cheaper than what the supermarkets bring in from Miami.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Trade talks, markets being cornered, the ongoing denial of PR, pension money being appropriated … Get ready for it folks, Caymans own “Brexit” or exit from Britain’s evil clutches.
    The writing is not on the wall yet but the kids have got the chalk box out and deciding what colour.

    • Anonymous says:

      Heard he asked for advise on fiscal policy, crime, education and the premier smugly answered “work permit revenues”.

  7. Anonymous says:

    The article is about exploratory Trade talks between two governments. This has nothing to do with the popularity level of the Honduran President. That is the business of the Honduran people who elected him. If there is benefit for Cayman then I am all for it. Let’s not rush to judgement.

  8. Wonderer says:

    Seriously, what does Honduras export? What do we manufacture for export? I suppose CIG could sell them work permits….. but the iguana plans mentioned above make more sense. Maybe we could set up a cat and rat program. Nahhhhh.

    • Anonymous says:

      Wow you people are ignorant. Where do you think you get your bananas and pineapples from?

      Here’s a list of Honduras top ten exports.

      Coffee, spices: US$938.6 million (22% of total exports)
      Fish: $393.2 million (9.2%)
      Fruits (bananas, melons, pineapples), nuts: $357.4 million (8.4%)
      Electronic equipment: $328.8 million (7.7%)
      Animal/vegetable fats and oils: $270.8 million (6.4%)
      Paper: $240.2 million (5.6%)
      Books, newspapers, pictures: $181.6 million (4.3%)
      Gems, precious metals: $162.1 million (3.8%)
      Plastics: $127.3 million (3%)
      Tobacco: $104.2 million (2.4%)

      • Anonymous says:

        and for now these go to the US and we buy from them. guess who gets the profit. you buy direct cut out the middleman maybe honduras gets more money for their products and we buy cheaper by cutting out the middleman.

      • ummm says:

        you forgot guns and drugs

        • Anonymous says:

          Guns are made in America, America is the biggest consumer of illegal drugs and no one is talking about that.

          • PLEASE PAY ATTENTION PPM MEMBER (I know its hard) says:

            Because its Honduras who transship the guns and drugs they sell to the US criminals via places such as Cayman! Please try and stay on topic now and stop doing the usual PPM Magic trick of distraction. I swear every PPM member has ADHD, hard to get them to focus…

            • Anonymous says:

              well for info, i am UDP all the way!!!!!! but you forgot the guns in fridge case???? remember the guns came from america not honduras. Also it always been USA passengers getting caught with ammo/ bullets in their bags, not hondurans!!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Do you know that Nike, reebok, puma, Hanes, has factories in Honduras. Honduras exports produce palm oil, coffee, tobacco, gold, silver, seafood, meats, lumber and a lot more products. People should do they home work before commenting

  9. Anonymous says:

    Send more waitresses. We have plenty of people willing to give them 40 points towards permanent residence.

  10. I wonder how our local farmers view this situation?Here we are trying to encourage producing produce locally and now this comes along and might very seriously undermine the very people we are trying to help.Not only that but the cost might very well put a severe dent in the money that farmers make locally.Please don’t lets just jump into this before ALL sides are looked at.

    • Anonymous says:

      Simple solutions, find out what Cayman farmers are mostly producing for market and raise import duty on those picticulure items. Honduras produce a lot more produce that Cayman can’t grow.

    • Anonymous says:

      Or the fishermen. Why would we export fish from honduras that are caught from fishing grounds that i believe are under treaty for cayman to fish?

      • Anonymous says:

        8:30 – don’t believe all the foolishness that some people post on Facebook. The boundary with Honduras was agreed 15 years ago and the significant fishing grounds (ie the fishing banks) are in Honduran waters not Cayman Islands waters.

        A part of the delimitation treaty is that up to 10 Cayman based commercial fishing vessels may fish the Honduran fishing grounds.

        So you see we are merely allowed to fish Honduran waters and it is not the case that Honduras is fishing our waters. So we can catch some of their fish and maybe we buy more of their fish directly if we get a better deal. That is better that importing Honduran fish through Miami and paying the American wholesalers added profit is it not?

        • Sorry says:

          There was an opportunity to negotiate the boundaries. This came up recently but was not done. The opportunity was lost because other countries are still fishing in waters that technically should be restricted to the Cayman Islands. You are talking historical, this is recent. Get your facts right please.

          • Anonymous says:

            Sorry you cant make up your own facts to suit your proposition. Once the boundary is settled it is settled.

            Accordingly there was no recent opportunity to discuss the Honduran boundary.

            Recent discussions have related only to the boundary with Cuba. The boundary with Jamaica is unsettled as well but they do not seem to be interested in engaging in negotiations.

            Because we are a small territory with a small coastline we have little leverage when negotiating with much larger countries with substantially greater coastlines.

            • hmmmm says:

              So our Coast Guard is out protecting the boundary with Honduras as we speak then ? All is well? No Honduran boats fishing there and selling the fish they catch there to the guys on the waterfront?

              Also because of our small geographical size we are to sit back and allow Cuba and Jamaica to claim the other two areas and we should just be content to buy fish from Honduras?

              Typical Govt response….

      • Anonymous says:

        95% of fish that Cayman consume is being caught in illegal waters from Honduras, Nicaragua and Columbia… Over the past couple of years they have been couple of Cayman register boats being detained for illegal fishing in those countries. Honduras has fishing grounds in the Caribbean side and also on the Pacific Ocean side, that pacific side is rich in seafood and our local boats cannot reach these fishing grounds, forcing boats to go fish further and illegally.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Maybe he was looking for the pretty lady who vanished without a trace?

  12. Anonymous says:

    Wasn’t this the same deal the UDP was trying to do when they visited Honduras, When they visited the cruise port etc! They are retreating wheel! I hope this drive down prices on island!! BRACKA

  13. Anonymous says:

    I have to agree with wow says. You said it all for me. Honduran Residents here are saying that violence in Honduras are out of control, everyone are locked down when night comes in fear. We really don’t need to go backwards. Please please rethink your decisions.

  14. what a joke says:

    Guess the Side Chicks will be happy..

  15. wow says:

    This is a real travesty. The Honduran President is the worst ever elected in Honduras. His popularity in Honduras is at an all time low because he has done nothing to help his people. He recently asked Israel to help his military to fight organised crime. We all know the gangs in Honduras run the show. Now Alden is inviting them to do business with us??? What will be their biggest export? Guns and drugs!!! That is how the cocaine gets in here now…stuffed in the fish we buy. Seriously I can imagine some bartender in Country n Western telling Alden this was a good idea but not the thousands of Caymanians who will wonder why we are even contemplating this!

    • Anonymous says:

      You have no idea what you’re talking about. Do you even live in Honduras? If not, STFU.

    • Anonymous says:

      I wouldn’t be so quick to judge for being a small island you all have lots of problems drugs theft Killings

    • Anonymous says:

      Well let me inform you on some info Mr. Badmind.

      Honduras has one of the best agricultural industry in world, next you go to fosters and buy/ eat bananas look on the dole sticker and it would say from Honduras.

      All people can think of is the negative. If Cayman make this trade deal go thru, the cost of food would drop dramatically. Imagine the bananas are grown by dole in place called Saba (which is 1hour drive from la cieba, where Cayman airways lands). Them bananas travel by truck to California, then to Miami, then by boat to Cayman. So imagine the cost of the product when it reach Cayman.

      Listen, Honduras maybe not the best and safest country in the world but Cayman can benefit from trade deals. The shipping route is closer, the range of products are cheaper and better, and grown naturally.

      • Anonymous says:

        I understand fully your explanation of the banana scenario and know it is true, but instead the farmers here along with government’s incentives should be able to provide all the bananas, plantains, pineapples that we can consume on this rock. I have a little 2×4 backyard and I recently harvested 5 huge pineapples grown in 7 gallons pots. Can you imagine how much more could be grown on an acre or two? Also Chuckie is having enough problems now trying to keep the islands safe and free from drugs – can you imagine having to search every box thoroughly that comes here from Honduras? I think this will create more harm than good. The premier really need to look at all angles before signing off on this.

        • Anonymous says:

          That’s good, but what it cost you and the time you grow those pineapples, I can but atleast 100 pineapples all year round in Honduras. Dole, del monte and aAmerica standard fruit company has farms in Honduras. Before landing into la cieba airport on Cayman airways, you will fly over a pineapple field for 15 minutes that own by dole. Which is 5,000 acres of pineapple.

          I am a born and raise caymanian and I been to Honduras all my life, and I have to admit that thier produce is far more better and way cheaper than Cayman produce. I can buy a 100 pound sack of bananas and oranges for 12 use for both which is 10c.l. In Cayman two little bags of oranges cost 12 c.i.

          Imagine limes when they are out season in Cayman foster would sell them as high as 25ci cent for one. For that same price in Honduras I can buy 24 limes. The cost of food in Cayman is ridiculas compare to the other parts of the wold

        • Anonymous says:

          Poster 9:52 Chuckie have no less task searching cargo from any country in the world than they do Honduras. Drugs and guns come from the USA and Jamaica also. Should we stop importing from them because of this? Your argument is very flawed

    • Anonymous says:

      6:06 Honduras manufactures and exports lots of garments, food and other items. Don’t be daft it will be good for Cayman to trade with other countries within Latin America and the Caribbean region. No! Mr/Ms Trump they are not always gangsters, gun runners, dope pushers, violent criminals, etc, etc… There are also many, many good people from Honduras that will come here to conduct legit business. Don’t forget many Caymanians have family members in and from Honduras far more than in any other country of nationals that live and work here in Cayman. Good move Mr. Premier good move.

    • Anonymous says:

      I think they say that they would discuss direct importation of food (lower cost for us more likely), cruise port (not sure about this one unless it involves cheap labour) and cayman airway (finding places for CAL to go to that will be a financial gain – they need it)

    • LORNA E BUSH says:

      “wow says:
      02/09/2016 at 6:06 pm”
      You are spot on. These ‘negotiations’ all started with Alden at the Country & Western Bar! We really do not need this. It’s a camouflage.

  16. MM says:

    I hope they are not trying this as a way forward for independence, goodness “other mutually beneficial initiatives”… oh boy

  17. Anonymous says:

    BS. Just I stayed in your hotel. Now you can stay in mine. Our people will pay the bill.

  18. Anonymous says:

    Export Iguanas…million dollar business…

  19. Anonymous says:

    yeah….’we have nothing except money laundering….i mean ‘financial services’ …..what you got?????’
    pretty quick discussion

    • Anonymous says:

      If you never been there, you would never know what they offer.

      Here is a list of what they got:
      Thriving meat industry
      Thriving diary industry
      Thriving wood industry (Honduran mahogany are some of the best in the world)
      Thriving agricultural industry

      Where ever you go in this world you will have the good, the bad and the ugly. Food cost in Cayman could drop by 50% if this deal goes thru, and that is good enough

    • Anonymous says:

      There is always at least one comment from someone who thinks they know everything.

      • Anonymous says:

        And there is always one comment from someone that always be negative, this why this country can’t move forward

  20. ThIs WrItInG Is VeRy IrRiTaTiNg says:

    Are they interested in buying our surplus of green iguanas dead or alive?

    • Blanca says:

      First of all for all of you with your negative comments about Honduras there are 11 million people living in the country, and only a small percentage of the population is involved with drugs gangs and whatever other negative opinion you have about Hondurans, on the other hand Cayman is a small island that is able to fit in Honduras how many times? & yet for being so small nearly half the population are involved with drugs & alleged “gangs” Honduras is a much more larger country and I agree that a lot of violence is taking place but no need to be a hypocrite, Cayman is just as bad but smaller and for your information Honduras produces MANY things unlike here what do you produce? What crimes does Honduras have that Cayman doesn’t? Ah! check up Honduras Islands and let me know if there’s any thing Cayman has that Bay Islands doesn’t.

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