The Latin Americanist has been reporting on the political turmoil in
Honduras was one of the original banana republics, dominated for years by the United Fruit Company. Even today, US multinationals Dole and Chiquita control a big share of the country's farm output.
Coffee, bananas and other crops remain big earners in a mainly agricultural economy. But these days, they are rivalled by Honduras's thriving sideline in "maquiladoras" - factories that import textiles from the US and export finished items of clothing.
With American consumers cutting back on spending, Honduran maquiladora workers who provide clothing for stores like the Gap and Walmart, have lost their jobs.
Online Sources: BBC News, U.S. Department of State
Image: Kirsten Hubbard, About.com
For more information about bananas in Central America, worker exploitation, and the role of Dole, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment