Honduras might become the first former colony willingly getting rid off its territorial sovereignty since the times of decolonisation. The Latin American republic intends to cede several of its regions to private companies who would be free to establish city states based on their interests and ideas in the areas (more details here). So far, it concerns three regions – each of them of about a thousand square kilometers. There might be something about it. The history of Honduras is the history of Mayan city-states succeeded by the history of Spanish settlements and, after all, Honduras is also the country that gave the world the colloquial expression banana republic. The banana plantations and later also the palm plantations enjoyed an exceptional status in some areas of Honduras, even sovereignty in a sense.

The city-states will start being created in half a year. The feasibility studies were paid for by the Koreans. The first investor is from South Africa. What it means for the impoverished people, who often remember the rule of banana barons with nostalgia, is probably the return of another Latin American tradition – slavery. However, it isn´t only the corporate oligarchy wants to establish the micro-states these days. There is also The Pirate Bay and its Buy Sealand agenda or Christiania in Copenhagen, and many others. With opposite intentions and similar means. Nonetheless, Honduras is the first state that, under the influence of Paul Romer‘s strange ideology, declared the state itself an obstacle to development. What a historical event – another milestone for the “failed state” term.