HONDURAS

THE CIGAR INDUSTRY IN HONDURA STARTED TO FLOURISH IN THE SIXTIES LAST CENTURY, WHEN CUBAN TOBACCO EXPERTS CHOSE HONDURAS AS THEIR NEW HOME IN THE WAKE OF THE REVOLUTION ON THE ISLAND. THEY ALSO BROUGHT WITH THEM THEIR EXPERTISE IN GROWING TOBACCO AND PRODUCING CIGARS. ALREADY IN 1962, A FEW EXPERTS FROM CUBA TRAVELLED TO HONDURAS WITH PACKETS OF THE BEST TOBACCO SEEDS AS PART OF THEIR DIPLOMAT LUGGAGE, AND THEN DECIDED TO STAY THERE FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES OVER TIME, MANY CUBAN EXILES FOLLOWED, AMONG THEM WELL-KNOWN TOBACCO PLANTERS AND CIGAR MAKERS SUCH AS ANGEL OLIVA, JULIO EIROA, FRANK LLANEZA, RAMÓN MARTINEZ, ROLANDO REYES AND NESTOR PLASENCIA, THE DOYEN OF TODAY'S HONDURAN CIGAR INDUSTRY.