Honduran opposition rails against plan to build US$800mn island penal colony

The Honduran defense ministry is trying to push ahead with a project to build a prison complex on the Cisne Islands in the Caribbean Sea, sparking criticism from the opposition due to the nature of the contract awarding process and possible environmental damage. 

Islas del Cisne is an archipelago located 250km north of the mainland, with no regular communication routes with the rest of the country, but with an airport on Cisne Grande Island, the largest in the archipelago which also has a navy outpost. The islands are also a protected marine area.  

The executive order to build the prison came from Honduran President Xiomara Castro, after clashes between gangs at a female penitentiary close to capital Tegucigalpa on June 20 resulted in the deaths of at least 46 women. 

Two days later, Castro led a meeting with members of the security cabinet, informing them of her decision to put the military police (PMOP) in charge of the Honduran prison system to halt the activities of gangs that operate from jails. 

The national prison system has more than 20 facilities around the country and houses nearly 21,000 inmates despite having a reported capacity of 15,000. 

In that meeting, Castro also instructed the armed forces to build a penal colony to relocate the leaders of criminal organizations, according to local media.   

This penal colony would be similar to ones built in the municipalities of Ilama, Santa Bárbara, and Morocelí, daily La Prensa reported. 

Defense minister José Zelaya has said that all necessary pre-construction studies will be carried out to enable the prison to be built as soon as possible. No firm capex has yet been mentioned but, analysts quoted by paper El Heraldo suggest that it could cost as much as US$800mn due to the cost of transporting materials to the island and to build associated infrastructure. 

Finance minister Rixi Moncada has said that if the ministry of defense's budget is not sufficient, loans will be requested. 

One of the most controversial characteristics of this project is that the ministry plans to build the facility using direct procurement instead of conducting a tender. The Honduran liberal party (PLH) said the project would be a serious drain on public money due to the costs of having to transport staff and supplies to and from the archipelago.  

“This excessive project is the excuse to justify direct procurement and we have all the damage it will cause to the area and the economy. It is a clear example of the lack of planning and lack of knowledge of penitentiary safety and natural resources,” it said on Twitter. 

Environmental experts cited by La Prensa, such as marine biologist Gabriela Ochoa, claim that there are no environmental studies to show how the construction would impact the marine and ground ecosystems in the area.  

“It is important to remember that Cisne Islands are a protected marine area, so it has a certain level of protection due to the important habitats that are on and around the islands. I would ask the president to reconsider her decision,” she was reported as saying. 

Photo credit: PMOP