The title of this chapter is 'A Visit to Honduras'. In this chapter Nick writes about his visit to Honduras and also shares a lesson that he's learnt over the years, which gets re-confirmed from his experience in Honduras. When some people speak about their want for justice, they may use 'justice' in a way that may mean criminal justice i.e which is putting people in jail. But certain people speak about justice, they may be referring to the kind of a situation where social practices cease to perpetuate injustice. For example, seeking for justice in the context of Apartheid South Africa may be trying to rectify practices that discriminate people based on colour. Both kinds of seeking justice are important.
In Honduras, there is widespread injustice because criminals are not behind bars. Criminal law is not quite alive. When there is corruption, assassination etc. the victims or the poor people are not in a position to seek criminal justice. 'Poor people do not trust the police, the judicial system, or the bureaucracy. The police do not trust the prosecutors; the prosecutors do not trust the police'. If you testify/work against a criminal, the criminal may hire an assassin to kill you, whatever you are. And the result is that criminals continue to get away with their unjust actions.
Nick then argues that if justice is to prevail, criminal justice must be alive. Without criminal justice, vicious cycle of injustice will continue and eventually a culture of distrust and fear will prevail; and the longer such fear takes hold on the people, the more difficult it is to rectify injustice.
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