Honduras signs deal with investors to create 3 private, independent cities in bold experiment

Police investigators gather bags containing body parts in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Aug. 31, 2012. Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the world. / AP

(AP) TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — The government of Honduras has signed a deal with private investors for the construction of three privately run cities with their own legal and tax systems.

The memorandum of agreement signed Tuesday is part of a controversial experiment meant to bring badly needed economic growth to this small Central American country. Its weak government and failing infrastructure are being overwhelmed by corruption, drug-linked crime and lingering instability from a 2009 political coup.

Both sides hope to begin work on the first city in coming weeks and say the project could create 5,000 jobs over the next six months.

The project is opposed by civil society groups including indigenous Garifuna people who say they don't want their land to be used for the project. The developers say the fears are unjustified.

[jnoll2245]

This is where my family will relocate if Obama is re-elected. We will take our money and our business out of America and good luck to all of you. The rich from France, America and the over taxed and liberal European nations will follow I have no doubt. Considering that the rich pay 90% of all taxes in this country I suspect America will quickly fill into decline very fast. I love my country but it has been dumbsized to the degree that I no longer recognize it. The fact that people will actually vote for a man who is spending $40,000 a second and within less than four years outspent any ruler in all of history. Having spent $6,000,000,000,000.00 Obama has outspent any person in all of the history of man. No king, no queen, no czar, no dictator, no one has spent as much in a lifetime that Obama spent in four years. Yet, there are these dummies that will vote for the man because the FEEL like it, they FEEL that Obama is a nice guy, a guy who is on their side. So sad.....the great depression of my grandmother's childhood will be sweet music compared to what 2016 forward will look like for the starving, impoverished people of America.

[ichibandan]

Is one called Troy and another Saprta? This is just going back to the city states of ancient Greece. Constant warfare will be the result.

[vielmann]

This is just the drug cartel leaders' attempt to be free from the very violence and corruption they promote.

[commercial-pilot]

it is an attempt at a new beginning without the corruption and criminal elements.

[tsigili]

That should please the drug cartels.

[commercial-pilot]

why, they are left out of the deal? No this is an attempt to get back to sanity and stop the killing. Chicago should try it!!

[RangerDan107]

So this is where the rich are going to try to start building their walls against the thundering herd of the lower classes. Sorry folks, it's been tried before and it never works.