http://www.sydney-says-no2honduras-coup.net/much-shorter-monthly-summari...
October 2013 Honduras military coup update
Now that we are reaching the end of Lobo's coup regime, its election time again in November 2013. In these four years the elite have constantly held onto hegemony and whitewashed the coup using language of 'peace, tranquility, and reconcilitation'. The election is equally their game, and their rules, their chance to further consolidate, and has a demobilising effect to their favour.
Sowing terror just before the election, the elite Public Order Military Police, legislated earlier this year, were on the streets from 14 October 2013. They are in the major cities of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula now. People report feeling terror from the militarisation, commenting on seeing these agents with their faces covered. The political persecution the military police undertakes has been immediately apparent with terrorising raids by their contingent into homes of leaders of the resistance and of LIBRE party. Congress president Juan Hernández announced his plans to reform the constitution to institutionalise the military police – to increase their powers, expand them so other city mayors who request them can have them, and to make them permanent, in the name of fighting insecurity.
Selling out the underground for crumbs, the Lobo regime gives to British Gas company, 35,000 square kms of La Mosquitia to explore over 4 to 6 years before a 20 years exploitation period for a mere $2.5 million without the required public tendering –
Honduran Engineers Association Cimeqh assserted that through public tendering the contract would have been at least $100 million. Documents about the process are not publicly available and in meting out the contract, the regime has yet again violated indigenous right to prior, free and informed consent required by the signed ILO convention 169. The exploration region overlaps with SAM – a protected region of mesoamerican coral reef extending from Mexico to Honduras, yet the environmentalists who normally defend this area including against Garifuna people who fish there, had been silent on the concession. The risks are high with the vulnerability to climate change, to oil spill accidents (like with BP in Mexico) – given BG has had accidents too – in Elgin Platform. BG is also known for corruption (ref Kazakhstan), and environmental damages (refs Tarija Bolivia and Queensland Australia). Ofraneh's call for a moratorium on gas exploration and exploitation was ignored last year. Now suddenly, there is talk of the regime giving the same exploitation concession to Chevron http://chevrontoxico.com/, that they are negotiating 38,000 square kms.
There is a coup process against human rights and anticorruption prosecution departments through arbitrary transfers and remotions in the name of restructure – just months after having unconstitutionally elected the current General Prosecutor and Adjunto. Prosecutors being remoted are five prosecutors who have been reopening investigations on cases of violations against human rights defenders, journalists, hospital medicine supplies and preparing charges against officials for corruption.
The regime failing to pay doctors but blames them for striking. After 8 days of doctors strikes, the regime ruled illegal the doctors strikes of over 600 specialists.
The regime is behind by almost $4 million in the payment of 672 temp doctors who haven't been paid since January, and, 111 retired doctors have not received their retirement payment – totalling around $10 million, at the same time that doctors are demanding a 6% increase that will cost about $7 million. Other professions of the health sector (eg nurses and other workers) are demanding the payment of occupational risk allowance, and unpaid salaries, and for the hospitals to have adequate medicine supplies to respond to needs and for overtime payment in the psychiatric centres.
The pre-election political persecution has been heavy also with assassinations by hitmen, raids and attacks by the new public order military police, death threats...
Summary of political assassinations in October 2013
Terensio Paz, a community activist towards community control and communication and in environmental defence, and subcoordinator of the local LIBRE (electoral arm of the resistance) campaign was assassinated by hitmen on 2/10
Manuel Murillo (32), camerapersn of Globo TV and Zelaya government's official media cameraperson including capturing the execution of the coup, and MP LIBRE candidate, was assassinated by hitmen and his body found on 24/10
Eulalio Martínez (43), MUCA organised farmer and cooperative shop coordinator, was killed by hitmen on 17/10/13
Manuel Ochoa (48), MUCA organised farmer, was killed by hitmen on 21/10/13
Elvin Hernández, standby Libre MP candidate, was assassinated by hitmen, on 15/10/13
Continued repression against the Rio Blanco resistance against the dam
The indigenous Lenca struggle against Agua Zarca dam includes a highway blockade on Rio Blanco that started on 1/4/13. The repression suffered had been immense with state's direct complicity with the company DESA – in July Tomás García was killed by soldiers firing gunshots as the protest arrived at the blockade, his son Allan wounded by the same gunshots. Weeks later, three Copinh leaders – Berta Caceres, Aureliano Molina, and Tomás Membreño - were meted a series of false charges and Berta has recently been refused bail and may be captured and imprisoned at any moment. Military and police operations in the territory continue as has permanent harrassment by DESA employees.
On 3/10/13, Copinh leader and human rights defender Aureliano Molina Villanueva was falsely accused of breaching his bail condition and threatened with imprisonment after he accompanied Nora Cortiñas – founder of Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in Argentina – in going to Rio Blanco to a community ceremony. His bail condition was not going to 'the scene of the crime' – the false charges against him are illegal land seizure, coercion, and damages to the dam company. When the court recognised that he had not breached his bail condition, the bail was modified by judge Knight at the company's request to include his prohibition to go to the surrounding communities of Rio Blanco – an unconstitutional prohibition, imposing an indigenous person to stay away from his own ancestral lands..
During the hearing at Santa Barbara Appeals Court against Berta of one of the false charges - illegal possession of arms – the judge shamelessly showed it is giving all the privilege and credibility to the testimonies of the Battalón de Ingeniero soldiers, and gave no chance to investigate who is the real owner of the planted weapon in the Copinh car, that is used as evidence to incriminate her without evidence. In addition, the court eviction order against the Rio Blanco protest continues to be current.
On 16/10/13, a massive Cobras squad was mobilised to the Rio Blanco community to evict the farmers. It was reported on 28/10/13 that they were still there and had been carrying out vehicle searches, harrassing national and international delegations, journalists and members of communities organised with Copinh. There are reports of death threats and interrogation about the trio withdished out at checkpoints.
To end the month, Honduran Business Council president Aline Flores made a press statement saying groups led by Bertha Caceres are impeding renewable energy development projects.
Killing and long intense persecution against resistance activists
On 2/10/13, heavily armed men firing gunshots assassinated Terensio Paz (38), resistance and community activist and subcoordinator of the LIBRE electoral campaign in Lempira. On 26/9/13, two men with their faces covered by motorcycle helmets with shields (supposeably tinted) on motorcycle waited for Terensio near the crematorium – a place that his attackers would have known he had to go past this day, but Terensio managed to escape on this occasion. Terensio was the Secretary of the Committee of Common Goods in Iguala, Lempira, that began an initiative of starting Taragual community radio, for which he was also the secretary. Terensio was also involved in those campacities struggles to protect rivers locally – with many local rivers concessioned for hydroelectricity dam projects. He leaves behind five children aged between 8 and 21, and his partner Ruth.
On 23/10/13, a contingent of dozens of the new military police together with undercover inspectors, a judge executor and sniffer dogs, raided the family home of resistance activist Edwin Espinal in the pretext of 'looking for weapons and drugs' under a order from judge Claudio Daniel Aguilar Elvir. The contingent forced the door open, ruined it, messed up the house completely in their search in which nothing was found, and were going to launch a grenade in there. Prior to that, the family had already abandoned the house, due to threats and persecution:
On 9/10/13, about 9am, a taxi driver arrived at Edwin's home and passed a phone to mother - Edwin's nephew and sister took the phone, to hear someone on the phone self identify as Cholo, as of a gang, with number 88297008, asking insistently for Edwin, claiming he sold drugs and has problems with Edwin. The family initially refused and the caller threatened to come and throw a grenade. He made many threats, and eventually the family gave Edwin's number and returned the phone to the driver who said he had nothing to do with it, that another taxi drivver gave him the phone and asked him to take it there. Immediately, 88297008 buzzed Edwin's phone. Edwin's family decided to abandon the house, and sought assistance from the military that was occupying the soccerfield – from which, Coronel Hernández came with police and soldiers talking with them, they searched the family's belongings, and then escorted them out of the area. Hernández also answered Edwin's call from Cholo pretending to be Edwin. Edwin has been constantly persecuted since the 2009 coup, apart from illegal captures, tortures, being followed and watched constantly, he lost his spouse Wendy Ávila in September 2009 to a teargas attack, and one of his friends was murdered in 2010 when he borrowed his motorcycle and was shot at by hitmen.
Human rights defenders
Hacking against the website of the human rights organisation Cofadeh, Defensores en Linea, was reported on 10/10/13.
A murder, and silencing, death threats, attempts, a raid, exile and immigration detention against journalists
On 10/10/13 in the morning, outside the Radio Globo radio station, 2 traffic police agents beat up José Luis Galdamez, Director of Radio Globo TV program 'Tras la Verdad' and LIBRE MP candidate, on the pretext of a traffic parking offence, and confiscated a pistol that was legally carried for personal safety. He was coming to work, and they approached him, confiscated his gun and his suitcase with personal papers and his mobile – they tried to capture him forcing him into the vehicle but he was freed thanks to the intervention of his colleagues. He has been subject to death threats and attempts since the coup.
On 16/10/13, in Choloma Cortés, police impeded journalists Rogelio Trejo (Choloma TV) and Alex Sabillón (Multicanal) – snatching at the camera of Rogelio who were covering a violent eviction against farmers of the cooperative 'Altos de la Gloria' in Choloma, police in under an hour destroyed the crops and make shift homes of the farmers, and dispersed the farmers and journalists with teargas.
On 24/10/13, cameraperson Manuel Murillo (32)'s body was found, murdered, with 3 gunshots in the head, in a secluded location in a gated community in the capital city of Honduras. He worked for Globo TV, and was also a MP candidate for Libre. He was constantly under very serious threats and persecution, by police and military. The most serious was in February 2010, when he and another cameraperson were kidnapped and tortured by two police while working for Globo TV, in which the police demanded he handed over videos he recorded on the protests, and that if he didn't, his family would be assassinated and he was also given death threats himself repeatedly. He had told Cofadeh, 'I fear for my life, this people keep looking for me, and my daughters and my mum are at risk, sometimes I can't even sleep because there are too many cars and motorcycles driving pass in the midnight hours around my house that stay at the corner, sometimes I think that they are going to come in and harm us.' He is the 36th journalist killed between 2003-2013, majority of whom since the coup in 2009. He was an exployee of Canal 8, who at the time of the coup, captured the assault of the army against Zelaya's home. He always worked bravely, despite threats and torture. He leaves behind two children aged 9 and 7.
Sometimes during 14-21/10/13, the first week of the military police being on the street, the home of Dassaev Aguilar, ex correspondent of Telesur, was raided for unknown reason by military police.
On 25/10/13, exiling Honduran journalist Joel Durón Coca who travelled through Guatemala and Mexico and tried to crossed into the US via Tijuana, seeking asylum US after having attempted to in Guatemala but feeling unsafe there, was detained in San Diego US prison – he was freed on 31/10/13 and is now staying with family in the US, through pressure and support from Honduran journalist Selvin Martinez and local and international human rights organisations. On 17/7/13, Joel Coca suffered an attempt by 2 men – one armed with a pistol another with a whip, as he left his workplace, being a correspondent of Canal 11 and coordinator of the program 'Más Noticias' of Multi Cable in Puerto Cortés – he was beaten with the whip. From the attack, his arm, rib and two fingers were broken - and he was screamed at and told that they were going to kill him but that they were sent this time only to beat him up – but he heard the person who had the gun and did not shoot ended up dead later – Joel left Honduras in fear of his life and that of his family.
It was reported that Dina Meza, Fidelina Sandoval, amongst other community journalists, because of censorship and persecution, have chosen to exile from Honduras
On 29/10/13, the TV program 'No se deje' of journalist Adolfo Hernández that has been trasmitting for 6 years through Telered 21 was taken off air arbitrarily by the TV channel that is now owned by the mexican transnational Alba Visión – Adolfo exposed on this program corrupt politicians who made million dollar deals of pharmaceutical supplies companies with the state. He has lately received death threats, for the first time in his 30 years working as a journalist..
On 31/10/13, in the afternoon, journalist and press coordinator of Hable Como Hable (HCH) Ariela Cáceres, when she was participating in the TV program, she received death threats by text message that she chose to ignore, having gotten used to that being part of her journalist job, but when she left her house and found strangers in her car, not knowing if it was a robbery or had something to do with the threats, she became more worried about the death threats. She noticed other suspicious events in the last month that lead her to believe she could be in danger. HCH director Eduardo Maldonado is requesting that authorities provide her with protection as they had for her once before. Other HCH journalists have also been victims of attempts in the past.
Assassinations, violent evictions involving gunshots, and discrediting against organised farmers
On 17/10/13, about 9am, Santa Cruz de Yojoa police with Chineses company Monty brutally evicted, chasing the hundreds of farmers families out, including using live gunshots as they fled behing chased like animals into the mountain, the contingent destroyed 178 hectares of crops (of corn, beans, malanga, etc). The evicted farmers group which had worked on these lands since 2008 was organised as Unión y Esfuerzo, their spokes person said the police received bribes from the company, and that there was no court order for the eviction which was illegal.
On 17/10/13, in the morning, farmer Eulalio Martínez (43) of MUCA was assassinated by unidentified persons with two gunshots in the head when he was travelling to the Salamá community – he is the administrator of the MUCA corner shop of La Chile farmers cooperative. He also works on the land, and looked after his family, now leaving behind 5 children and his partner.
On 21/10/13, at 6.30pm, heavily armed hitmen on a motorcycle surprised and assassinated immediately with repeated gunshots MUCA farmer Manuel Ochoa (48), who was riding on a bicycle, in an area controlled by security guards of palm giant Miguel Facussé, in a region under complete vigilance by Xatruch Operation. He is the 112th organised farmer murdered in 4 years. Manuel belongs to the Los Laureles cooperative of the La Concepcion settlement in Tocoa. He was a farmer that got up every morning to work the land, he leaves behind 4 children and his spouse.
On 28/10/13, farmers organisations MUCA, MARCA, MCA, Mcrgc, Mocra, Aexbanh publicly complained the months-long campaign of Coronel German Alfaro Escalante of Xatruch operation to discredit and criminalise the leadership of MUCA, and also condemning actions Alfaro Escalante has taken including making bribes and economic proposals to farmers leaders, threats through phone calls, and false proposals of protection and development
Killing and disappearances by army in indigenous La Mosquitia, where getting there and away is only by air or on the water (can take days)
On 30/10/13 at 8am, in Belén La Mosquitia community, Brus Laguna, Gracias a Dios, a contingent of more than 70 from Xatruch Operation Army, under order of Coronel German Alfaro Escalante, suddenly arrived in a family home and without any words begun to fire repetitively live gunshots at Osbin Nahúm Caballero Santamaría who is currently disappeared together with his spouse Rosa Florinda Alvarenga Lara (20) and two little daughters Keylin Noeli Caballero Pérez (6) and Mesly Rosibel (2). Javier Castillo and Justo Castillo were there too and are disappeared also. Osbin's mother María Digna Santamaría (45) received a call from Rosa Florinda at 8.30am telling her that the army came in helicopter and boats and that they shot against Osbin, and had forced him onto the military helicopter. She said that Rosa told her that Rosa and the daughters are being watched by the army and don't know where they would be taken to, but affirmed that Osbin had been assassinated. She had not heard from Rosa again and she went to investigate going to the Trujillo Naval base, and to the commissioner of the Lempira Port Prison, but neither gave her any information. 24 hours after the disappearance, she went to the Human Rights Watch and Human Rights Commissioner of Colón and accused Coronel German Alfaro Escalante of the kidnapping and possible assassination and the disappearances. She said Osbin had on 25/10/13 received public threats through the media
Assassination against LIBRE candidate, and the detention by a suspicious checkpoint against a prominent LIBRE member
On 15/10/13, just before 6pm, Yoro Libre MP standby candidate (to candidate Mercedes Emilia Avila Panchamé) Elvin Hernández was assassinated inside his home business – pawn shop and car tyres shop. In the same place, some time ago, he had suffered an attempt but excaped unharmed without knowing the motives of the attack.
On 31/10/13, at 9.30am, Bishop Luis Alfonso Santos was driving when he was stopped and detained for two and a half hours by a police ghost operation (headed by an agent with the surname of Lara, no accessible official records mention the operation) together with the army – supposeably for not consenting to the searching of his car - 5 agents opened the car door, people tried to intervene but it was hard because they made people leave/move on and they did not allow people to take photos and confiscated phones and deleted images before returning them where people have taken photos with their phones. As well as being a liberation theologist he is also a member of the Libre party. Seventeen minutes after they let him go, the checkpoint/operation dispersed, and it is not a highway there there was ever a checkpoint before, at the exit of Los Flores towards Lepaera..
Persecution against different organised workers fighting for their rights
On 10/10/13, during the midnight hours, the home of vicepresident of the sitrapani (child protection workers) union and social activist Marco Antonio Rodríguez, was illegally raided by military and police forces with complicity of a DPP prosecutor who ordered it without a legal process. His family including two underage children were at home – the whole family were forced and held onto the floor with their faces down and told that the security forces were searching for weapons – nothing was found.
On 11/10/13, armed men in a vehicle followed Pedro Elvir -Sitrapani member/leader, who was also driving on the capital city highway that surrounds the city. They suddenly crossed in front of him and gave him a death threat.
On 14/10/13, after 8 days of doctors' strike, the regime declared the strike illegal, instead of addressing the reasons for the strike like temp doctors having worked without pay for many months or retiring doctors not being pay, let alone that the demand for 6% increase has not been responded to.
On 27/10/13, Education Minister Escoto made a resolution to arbitrarily and illegally dismiss Roberto Odoñez – principal of Instituto Vicente Cáceres high school, who belongs to the Copemh teachers union. He resolved not to pay his October salary, all this without letting him exercise his right to defence and appeal to disagree with what he is accused of. The school was also militarised with around 100 police and soldiers – see picture.
Quick snapshot of some of the organising happening in Honduras
Movimiento Morazanista Popular, a horizontalist political network mostly of young people managed to start renting a space they called 'Casa morazanista del pueblo' with voluntary monthly support by young people who are part of MMP, though collectively they are unable to sustain the place and are seeking donations to helpf furnish the house. They made a callout for old unwanted furnitures, kitchen utensils, mattresses, blankets, broomsticks and mops, books for the library, pencils, journals, etc – the address for someone who wants to visit is Bo El Centro, frente Parque López, La Esperanza, open 8.30-5, and phone number 97981267
At the end of the Indigenous and Black Peoples of Honduras Human Rights Watch workshop they held on Prior, Free and Informed Consent and Consultation this month, as well as making a number of demands for criminalisation against indigenous activists to stop, demanding for the CPLI (prior, free and informed consent) law that be written and driven by the peoples' decision making processes to be approved, for investigation and justice for assassinations against indigenous peoples and for a number of laws and contracts passed to be annulled since they do not have CPLI of indigenous peoples, they self-convoked to develop a Summit of Territorial Uprisings.