The means by which wealthy landowners have used to help themselves to the best and most productive resources can only be explained as greed and recklessness, or choosing to wear blinders and ignore the consequences of their actions. The patterns of oligopoly are evident in the exploitation of the land and the people, the decisions to enrich an elite few and impoverish many others, worsening the suffering of those affected, and risking the future of the country. The destruction, whether social or environmental, was an exorbitant price to pay in exchange for making a quick profit. 

Even though Honduras continues to lose its forest resources every year, cattle raising continues to increase. There’s scientific prediction that “the forest resource will be exhausted in a generation.” (USAID Agricultural Sector Profile; also see Honduras Landscape Analysis). 

See next article: Honduras is Losing the War With the Maras.