Tegucigalpa, January 20 (RHC-teleSUR) -- The President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez on Monday visited the United States for a high level security meeting to plan the next steps in the 2015 war on drugs, which is slated to include more US presence and an increased military budget.
This would be the second such meeting this year. The first was kept secret but it is known that General Julian Pacheco, who was named last Friday as Honduras' new head of the Security Minister, attended. The Army Chief will now also head the police force.
Hernandez's visit was to drum up support for more United States military presence in Honduras. This is following in the footsteps of Plan Merida of Mexico and Plan Colombia which militarized Mexico and Colombia, respectively, with the justification of fighting against drug cartels.
Last year, General Kerry of the U.S. Army and Chief of the South Command also made two visits to see the Honduran president.
According to official information Honduras is looking to increase its military budget, justified as part of the strategy on the war against drugs. The meeting between the Honduran President and high level military authorities in the United States could possibly mean more militarization in Honduras. But historically, United States intervention has not been able to reduce violence in Honduras and its increase could have even worst consequences.