U.S. Policy on Honduras - Views of Two Diplomats - NYTimes.com Re "In Honduras, a Mess Made in the U.S.," by Dana Frank (Op-Ed, Jan. 27): Ms. Frank's insinuations about the Honduran government's illegitimacy are offensive to the 56.6 percent of Hondurans who voted for President Porfirio Lobo in the last election. More than 4,600 international and domestic observers closely supervised the electoral process. The other four Honduran political parties recognized President Lobo's election, have been integrated into the sitting national reconciliation and unity government, and are represented in Congress. Ms. Frank's article points to the effects and not the underlying causes of violence in Honduras. It confuses common and organized criminality with human rights offenses. Honduras is a victim of what Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton described as America's "insatiable demand for illegal drugs." Without it, murder rates would drop dramatically. Ms. Frank observes that Honduras is struggling against crime and narcotics trafficking - yet she urges the United States to abandon Honduras to the drug lords by cutting off police and military aid. This assistance supports President Lobo's and Congress's efforts to strengthen the legal and institutional framework to better combat crime and narcotics trafficking, by appointing judges with national jurisdiction, approving a security tax, authorizing wiretapping, creating a strong internal affairs board for the National Police, amending the Constitution to allow extradition of Honduran nationals and establishing an independent commission for reform of the security sector. The independent Office of the National Prosecutor for Human Rights has been investigating and prosecuting the alleged human rights violations with assistance from the United States, Colombia and Spain. Legislation has been passed to combat child labor, a committee against torture was established and legislation against human trafficking has been introduced. Ms. Frank's call to desert a steadfast American friend and ally would damage the Honduran people and would be disastrous for American interests in the whole region. JORGE R. HERNÁNDEZ ALCERRO Ambassador of Honduras Washington, Jan. 31, 2012 Your Op-Ed essay about Honduras makes its points - "mess made in U.S." and "fraudulent election." It may be gratifying to attribute Honduras" problems to generals with sunglasses or to rigged elections. But it is not true. This is not the 1970s with Central American coups, contras and revolutionaries. No, the unfettered violence of today's Honduras, and its neighbors, is caused by drugs, gangs and corruption. It is a choice of bribes or bullets, all driven by the market for coca leaf products. Honduras faced political and institutional stalemate after the removal of President José Manuel Zelaya in June 2009. Far from making a "mess," the skilled diplomats under Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton deftly worked for the only way out of a descent into armed clashes - democratic elections. My fellow international observers concluded that the process was free and fair. In a decadelong crescendo of troubles pushing down from the United States and Mexico, the cartels and gangs are ever more aggressive. Police corruption follows. It is now early 2012. What an astoundingly wrong time to "cut off all police and military aid," as suggested by Dana Frank. No, the evils of the drug trade must be met by an increased focus by the United States government to counter cartels. Security and hope for the future demand renewed commitment and funds for the Honduran part of the Mérida Initiative, an international agreement to fight drug trafficking and crime. It is in America's national interest. The writer was United States ambassador to Honduras from 1996 to 1999.