Honduras Coup Update - May 2012
(see full version here http://www.sydney-says-no2honduras-coup.net/much-shorter-monthly-version...)
There was a sudden surge of political killings during May. There were at least nine political assassinations.
In addition, there was a massacre on 11 May against indigenous Miskito people on a boat. A U.S. State Department helicopter that the US government confirms carried U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and security contractors opened fire. Four people were killed - two pregnant women, a 14-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man - while at least four more were seriously injured. This is in the context of the new Caratasca US military base, installed after the coup in the name of fighting drugs and terrorism, in this isolated region, where the 400kms long Patuca River is the only transport route other than by air. It is a zone full of natural resources – petroleum, forests, and rivers. Witnesses said when the helicopters landed, those who came out to check the boat were tall, Anglo-Saxon, with clear skin, spoke little Spanish, in military-wear and seemed to be US military staff. US and Honduran authorities have not interviewed witnesses. Community leaders of MASTA affirmed in a statement that those who were on the canoe are fishers not drug traffickers.
Under threat from Dinant palm giant Miguel Facussé, thousands of farmer families in Bajo Aguan MUCA (Movimiento Unificado de Campesinos de Aguán) on the right bank now face imminent eviction and bloodshed due to lack of political will by the state to enforce the signed agreement of April 2010. The regime is simply pressuring farmers to immediately sign a payment plan, which is against their interests.
MUCA Right Bank essentially decided to hold off signing the payment plan (Left Bank has signed it) until the agreement signed in April 2010 is fully complied with – it means not just 4,000 hectares but an additional 7,000, and state spending on education, health, and infrastructure for the communities.
As the month ended Dinant applied to the Security Department to reactivate a 1.5 year-old eviction order against the settlements of MUCA Right Bank, and against Marañones (left). Lobo´s response is to blame the farmers, “MUCA´s stubbornness can provoke the militarisation of Bajo Aguán by not signing.” There are also reports that near the settlements, in the last 2 weeks of May, there had been a re-militarisation, with heavy arms and checkpoints, including military personnel from the USA, Colombia, and Israel.
Although Prosecutors announced they will be charging police, military and civilians involved in human rights violations in Bajo Aguán, including on 50 assassinations, farmers do not have faith in the process / do not believe actions to end impunity will be taken.
As murderous scandals involving the police pile up, supposed reforms to the Honduran justice systems proceed, and create a state intelligence body to investigate crimes. The reforms continue to be shaped by dismissing some high heads of police and replacing them with police accused of grave human rights crimes. For example, the newly appointed police director Juan Carlos ´El Tigre’ Bonilla has been accused of starting death squads and been linked to at least 3 assassinations and forced disappearances between 1998 and 2002, although one case was absolved in 2004. The newly appointed Commissioner of Dirección Nacional de Servicios Especiales de Investigación Santos Armando Rodríguez Flores, was accused by a father of assassination of two youths in Bajo Aguan on 28 October 2011 that remain unresolved.
At the same time, a repressive reform was passed by two-thirds of congress to increase the time police can detain crime suspects from 24 hours to up to 48 hours.
A crackdown on civil society groups was announced as interior and population secretary Áfrico Madrid requested CNBS (National Banks and Insurance Commission) not to process financial transactions where civil organisations have not complied with reporting requirements - he said 3,500 of 8,000 have not and are illegal.
Under the neoliberal government, transport fares were increased and there are moves to introduce modern transport services by private interests that would further increase transport costs. Citibank fired 180 Honduran employees for trying to organise a workers´ union, and Hospital Atlántida told 274 employees not to come to work anymore, saying it has no capacity to pay them, after not having paid them for 5 months already. Sitraunah (autonomous university workers union) ignored unionists´ demands and a hunger strike, indifferent to the conditions of people having been on hunger strike for a month.
False climate solutions: International Finance Corporation and Banco Atlántida announced $50 million in loans to feed the biofuels and hydroelectricity industries.
Major human rights reports and stats this May:
· Several European Union Ambassadors condemned threats against human rights defenders and journalists in Honduras, expressing concern at threats against international (including one French) volunteers and Cofadeh.
· Amnesty International demanded re their last months´ campaign with Honduras, ´Not one more death, attack or threat against journalists and human rights defenders.´
· Homicide statistics for 2011 in Honduras: 7,104 / 86.5 every 100,000
· Inter-American Press Society condemned recent kidnappings of journalists in Mexico, Honduras and Colombia.
Shameless and contradictory acts patting the coup regime and its military on the back: an article depicted Honduran military students in San Pedro Sula in a reforestation project, Honduras Verde, carrying pro-environment placards as they took the streets, and Lobo decorated and sent off 8 select army officials to participate in war games – Olimpiadas Fuerzas Comando Colombia 2012.
Persecution – surge in political assassinations in May 2012
Summary of killings this month:
1 May: A young Lenca Indigenous man, Santos Rodríguez, was killed in his home.
2 May: Singer and unionist, Sitraunah, Rigoberto Matute, was run over and killed.
3 May: University lecturer, Sitraunah, Miguel Barahona, assassinated by hitmen.
5 May: LGBTI human rights activist, journalist and aspiring candidate, Erick Martínez (32), went missing on 5 May and was found dead on a highway kerb 2 days later.
8 May: Community leader, Choloma Cortés, and sympathiser of the resistance party, Edilberto Solano, were assassinated by hitmen on a motorcycle.
16 May: An organised farmer, Juan José Peralta (60), of the Marañones MUCA settlement was riddled with bullets by palm oil giant Facussé´s (and known oligarchy) security guards.
18 May: An organised farmer, José Del Cid (41), also of the Marañones MUCA settlement was shot and killed by unidentified persons.
20 May: Resistance activist who was involved with leftist parties, ´el Pollito´ (dear little chicken) Jesús Pineda (55) was shot by unknown hitmen.
31 May: An organised farmer Erick Rivera (40), previously of Marañones, was shot dead by unknown persons despite being with a bodyguard.
