Piggyback or horseback was the most fun game when we were kids. We climbed on the backs of our relatives while they crawled around or jumped around bucking like a horse. To be photographed on a horse or to be given a wooden horse was the best birthday present a kid could receive. These figure of the horse in our innocent children's games became tainted when movies and television portrayed them as symbols of power, machismo or the violence of the western United States of Northamerica.

These childhood memories came rushing to my mind after a conversation with Maria, a member of the indigenous organization of the Lenca, COPIN. She told me, "Doctor Juan, please go to Montaña Verde "which is close to the sky". There is much need. Doctors have hardly ever visit there. It's only a four-hour trip on horseback from San Francisco de Opalaca.

Days later we set out on a medical mission from Tegucigalpa, and eight hours later we arrived in San Francisco de Opalaca. The sun was still smiling. The children gathered around us under the shade of pine trees and played with my companions on the mission: Mayté and Marielos. "What do you use to color with?" I asked one of the children. "With colored pencils." She answered; then added, "But, the pencils we need to use for school are very expensive." Taking a piece of charcoal leftover from the Doña Christina's fire, I proceeded to draw one of the children´s faces. Promptly, the rest of the children joined in the activity telling us that the earth could also be used to color.

Later, in the company of the children, I went into the cooperative to buy, among other things, a hat; however, I couldn't. I tried on ten hats and all of them were too small. I discovered for the first time that I belong to the "Big Head Club". I noticed the barely hidden laughter on the children's faces.

The next morning, the seventh of April of the current millenium, International Day of Health, we left for Montaña Verde. Benigno, one of our hosts, arrived with two horses to help us in the transport of the medicine and one of our companions. I walked with Marielos carrying a knapsack with fifty pounds of medicine. While en route, Feliciano showed up with two more horses. There was still three hours left of our journey, so the other companion and I decided to ride. I felt anxious as I climbed on that mule with no brakes. First, it had been fifteen years since I had ridden a horse. Second, I was concerned that the weight of my body might cause suffering for the animal. The path was filled with dips, rises, precipices and all kinds of dangers, but we all arrived safely thanks to the good directions of Benigno and Feliciano, and the patience and generosity of the horses.

The scent of the pines and the huge liquidambars indicated the strength of the mountain. The diversity of the flora and fauna were sustained by the natural springs. Here, there was no slashing and burning.

At last, we arrived. We had passed the tough test of climbing two thousand meters up. Luis, who had arrived before us, and several members of the community gave us a warm welcome.

The tenderness of nature was mixed with the humility of those who lived there. Nevertheless, the area and its community were under constant threat, exposed to terror and suffering injustice due to the presence of organized violence which, with impunity, endeavors to dislodge indigenous peoples from the legitimate land.

The total abandonment by the government was evident, a health center without a nurse or doctor, a school without a teacher. The suffering was clearly shown in the prematurely aged faces and the toothless mouths.

During the medical consults, I ran into Maria again who said she wanted to introduce me too her "guapos y guapas", four sons and three daughters. Maria´s children were shoeless, swollen bellied with a history of intestinal parasites and their hair showing the distinctive rainbow of colors indicative of malnourishment. They were representative of the level of poverty existent in this community. I took a picture of them and put one child on my back as if I were a horse trying not to let on how these images of poverty dampened my spirit.

We met under the stars and a full moon, full of hope. The manner of speaking in this community reflected the clarity and freshness of their natural environment. Feliciano began, " We have suffered a lot, but Montaña Verde has given us the spiritual strength to achieve certain victories. We have protected the forest from being slashed and burned by those who are always attempting to take over our land. We have reduced the consumption of alcohol to zero, and the third victory has to do with tobacco. We the men..." continued Feliciano, "because we go more often to the city, learned to smoke and bring cigarettes to sell them at Montaña Verde."

Later he added, " Through movies and television we were well aware of the image of the "Marlboro Man" riding high in his cowboy hat. This encouraged us to smoke. We adopted the habit and began promoting the use of tobacco in our community where there is no electricity, television or cowboys."

Maria explained, "We held a community assembly in which the women planted the idea that the community members follow the wisdom of the mosquitoes who run from smoke to maintain their health. Our children had started smoking as early as the age of six by snatching the leftovers of their fathers´ cigarettes. Faced with this reality, we determined that the money that was being spent on tobacco would be used to nourish our "guapos y guapas". Benigno added, we, then, understood that the "Marlboro Man" was an messenger of death."

Feliciano concluded, "The community decided that Montaña Verde would be smoke free. Just one year ago, half the population smoked and now only five percent smoke. Here, near the sky, we do not sell or promote tobacco or alcohol."

Their story taught us that the wisest decisions are products of love and respect for life.

While this historic experience was taking place in Montaña Verde, the government of Honduras continues to be held down by the powers of the British American and Phillip Morris Tobacco Companies and their urge to unleash the "plague of the third millenium"

All the way to Geneva we will bring the testimony of Montaña Verde so that it can be emulated by those governments that are still supporting the tobacco multinationals and creating obstacles to World Health Organization regulations.

Urgent messages of solidarity are required so that the violations of the human rights of the community of indigenous people in Montaña Verde will be stopped, especially, because they are enacted by powerful and impugned sectors.

In my dreams, the images of Montaña Verde live with its "guapos and guapas" who ride like carriers of hope and freedom announcing that one day there will be justice for the poor of the earth.


Nota Bene: Please show your solidarity through letters requesting respect for the Human Rights of the community of Montaña Verde and supporting their efforts to create and maintain a smoke free environment. Your letters can be directed to:

The President of the Republic, Ingeniero Carlos Roberto Flores Facussé
Fax: 235-6949

The President of the National Congress, Profesor Rafael Pineda Ponce
Fax: 238-6048