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December 2013 β Honduras coup/fraud update β more murders, higher living costs, worsened conditions, to welcome 2014...
Summary of political assassinations in December 2013
An unnamed youth of Anti-JOH 'black shirts' (antifraud) was assassinated on 1/12/13
journalist Juan Carlos Argenal was killed by hitmen on 7/12/13
Ex Libre candidate Graciela Suazo Solano was murdered on 7/12/13
Students, murdered and disappeared...
On 1/12/13, in Tegucigalpa, a young member of the Anti-JOH (Juan Orlando Hernandez β president by fraud from January 2014) - 'black shirts' - was reported to be assassinated - no more information was available.
On 12/12/13, university student in industrial engineering, Carlos Fernando Posadas Soto (19) was disappeared. He is also son of Dagoberto Posadas, president of the child protection workers union Sitrapani. He disappeared after seeing his father at a protest at the electoral commission TSE at 4.30pm, he was last seen wearing a maroon shirt, blue jeans, black sneakers, and black jumper.
Threats and an assassination against journalists
On 5/12/13, a close relative told Edgardo Castro, director of Globo TV program Latigo contra la Corrupcion and Cortes Libre Party coordinator, that an intelligence officer of the Lobo coup regime said that Edgardo will be killed with bullets and that he should take security measures. Edgardo receives threats daily on his mobile since his number is given out on air on TV on a Monday to Friday nightly program, but he ignores them, but this message worries him especially as the state has not made any protection guarantees for him despite giving that information. He believes this latest threat is related to him revealing that National Party parliamentarian Oscar Alvarez had put $30 million towards buying Libre MPs to vote for him as congress president, and is threatening and offering $8.5 million lempiras each.
On 7/12/13, at 6pm, radio and tv journalist Juan Carlos Argenal (43) was assassinated by a hired hitman with two gunshots in the head, his body left face down, on a big puddle of his own blood, wearing only pants and sandals. He is also the brother of Danli FNRP (resistance) coordinator Mario Argenal. He was a reporter for different radio and tv stations and owner of a local TV channels. He received threats for publishing acts of corruption at a local hospital. He is the 37th murdered journalist in 4 years.
On 11/12/13, in Namasigue, Choluteca, 5 armed men broke into the home of journalist Ariel de D'Vicente, by taking advantage of the moment when the domestic worker opened the gate β taking her by the hair to get inside. They started to yell, 'where is Ariel?' and when they did not find her, they beat up and tied up the two people inside by feet and hands. Ariel affirms that the attack was because she revealed on news about a case of the fraud of $2.5 million lempiras against a cooperative, and state investigative agents are implicated in this case.
On 12/12/13, in San Pedro Sula, human rights defender and journalist Yanina Romero of Centro de Derechos de la Mujer received death threats by text messages sent from the web platform of the TIGO Honduras company. The aggressor called himself 'antifem' and sent messages alluding to the work defending and promoting women's rights. One of the messages said, 'on the inside you are fragile and vulnerable... your self confidence will not stop the big storms that await you'. She finished broadcasting on Radio El Mundo at 7pm, and the messages began at 8.49pm. The same day she had also participated in the TV program of colleague Alfredo Bogran on insecurity and vulnerability of exercising journalism.
On 18/12/13, in Tegucigalpa, Tras la Verdad director of Radio Globo, Luis Galdamez read out a text message death threat against him warning they are going to kill him. The program is 9-10am Monday to Friday. He is an elected parliamentary of Libre party for 2014-2018.
On 31/12/13, in Tocoa, Colon, journalist Hector Antonio Madrid Vallecillo was finishing a new years eve special musical program when unknown persons fired shots at his car that was parked at the carpark in front of the Canal 35 building β they did not hear the gunshots when they were fired, just the bullets left encarved including on the drivers door. 9mm bullets were found. Hector never received threats in his 20 years of working as a journalists and does not know why he was attempted against. He is also a correspondent for Canal 10, and Mas Noticias de Colon, transmitted by Canal 35. This is in the Aguan region.
Libre politician murdered
On 7/12/13, in the night time, in Atlantida, ex Libre Candidate Graciela Suazo Solano was assassinated in colonia los Maestros in La Ceiba β she was a candidate for mayor of Brus Laguna. It was supposeably a robbery.
Political imprisionment, persecution and discrediting campaigns against organised farmers and those who accompany these
On 2/12/13, at the entrance of the Panama community in Trujillo, Carlos Ovidio Monge, Andres Lara and Mario Licona were driving a green car to Panama community to look for a car part sold by a community member there β Anibal Leon, when Xatruch operation members (at least 3 army commandos and police and head Alfaro Escalante detained these without any judicial order. They were accused of illegally carrying weapons, and of a supposed attempt against army officials. The three were held in Trujillo prison without bail. Their relatives demand their immediate release, asserting that they did not do what they were accused of.
On 2/12/13, at the Panama community in Trujillo, in the midnight hours, a Xatruch operation headed by German Alfaro Escalante accompanied by Miguel Facusse's security guards hunted down Movimiento Campesino Refundacion Gregorio Chavez (that is involved in the recovery of the Paso Aguan farm) leaders β Santos Marcelo Torres and Leodan Cartagena Castillo.
On 3/12/13, in the afternoon, Xatruch operation soldiers detained Alexis Mirinda β another farmers leader, who was psychologically tortured to give information about the whereabouts of the farmers leaders (Santos Marcelo Torres and Leodan Cartagena Castillo).
Coronel German Alfaro made a statement that puts at risk the life of human rights defender Annie Bird who publishes information and articles as part of the organisation Rights Action based in North America. This forms part of his chain of press appearances where he launches attacks against farmers and human rights defenders organisations β amongst which are his persistent attacks against MUCA leaders Johny Rivas, Vitalino Alvarez and Juan Chinchilla.
Murdered lawyer
On 8/12/13, in Rio Blanquito, Choloma, in the midnight hours, lawyer Jose Enrique Reyes Coto (36) was killed by 3 unidentified people with firearms, without saying anything first, inside a business called Salon del Dia where a public party was happening. He was a candidate for a council position of Gustavo Mejia for the Libre Party. Gustavo Mejia said, 'this guy was a tireless fighter. Two years ago he obtained his university degree and always tried his best. He comes from a humble family...'
Rio Blanco community continues under siege
On 8/12/13, an urgent alert was issued of new threat of armed aggression against Rio Blanco (community in permanent blockade of a highway against the construction of a hydroelectricity dam in their territory, since 1/4/13 that has been under heavy repression) β human rights observers witnessed the continued harrassment and direct police control against those opposed to the dam, following the latest massacre threat and police raid on 1/11/13 against La Tejera community. They also documented the impacts of the state of siege against the physical, emotional and psychological integrity in the children.
Freedom of movement restricted against people mobilising against the electoral fraud
On 1/12/13, in La Barca, a military checkpoint of around 10 police patrols and 100 soldiers stopped hired buses and private cars, retaining people including the journalists Edgardo Castro and Patricia Murillo from Tela, San Pedro Sula and El Progreso who were driving to Tegucigalpa to mobilise against the electoral fraud
December 2013. In whose name? Honduran congress legislates to increase living costs through taxes, to fix minimum increases to the minimum wage for the next three years
The deal with the taxes... The congress approved the Law of Tidying Finances, it legislated for the following tax increases: sales tax ISV by 3%, consumers tax of telecommunication services, mobile phone, cable tv, by 15%, internet tax increased by 12%, and previously energy consumers who consumed up to 150 kw a month received a subsidy β this was changed to be restricted to a subsidy of $6 a month for those who consume up to 75kw a month. Petrol will go up by 5.30 lempiras (more than 25 cents) a galon (vaguely said to be towards social and conservation programs β costs worn by whoever needs to catch a bus for example). There are also new taxes to alcohol.
The taxes are supposed to generate an income of $200 million towards the Honduran regime, another $600 million is supposed to be generated from state spending cuts and by the petrol tax. The industries exempt from these tax increases include the fast food and drinks industry, and beneficiaries of Ley de Incentivos al Turismo, state institutions, and importers of merchandises.
Minimum increases to the Minimum Wage... the increases are fixed to between merely 5 to 8% (depends on the number of employees in a company) a year for 2014, 2015 and 2016, said to be revised only if inflation at the end of 2014 or 2015 is more than 8% or less than 4%, ignoring that people are not coping with living costs.
Mojado and deportations β the story of too many Honduran families. Every 15 minutes, one Honduran travels to US without papers. Only 10% of Honduran who travel to the US manage to arrive. Around 50,000 Hondurans apply for US visas every year, of which, only 10,000 get approved. In 2013, between US and Mexico, over 70,000 Hondurans suffered deportations. Every 15 minutes also, a Honduran gets deported. Around 1.2 million Hondurans live in US with and without papers, but mostly without. Desperation.
More power to president and minister council? Who wants that? The congress does, so does the congress president who is the president elect by fraud, to begin in January 2014. So they approved it, after just one debate. The passed legislation is called 'Measures to make efficient the public administration, improve services to the citizenry and strengthen the transparency of government'. This reforms the public administration law, contentious administration law, Administrative Proceedings Law, and Public Tendering Law. Under the changes, the president and ministers council can, if they wish, create a mixed government, and even suspend and modify state organs. For economic reasons, the president will be able to create, maintain or cut public services, and 'take necessary measures' to restructure, to 'improve'. The reforms let the president to appoint secretaries without assigning determined offices, to designate authorities to develop special programs, to nominate persons to improve the efficiency of public administration, and to merge or remove a secretary created by law. Decisions of council of ministers will be secret, unless ordered otherwise by the president. In the state companies, staff work contracts could be snatched away, permanently or temporarily, if considered 'unnecessary'.
Snapshots of resistance in Honduras this month
In Rio Blanco, constantly under grave threats of massacre by police, received several visits from groups of human rights defenders to accompany the community, including to finish the year..
From Atlantida, a fully packed bus left the communities fighting against mines at midnight, arrived in the capital city in the morning to protest the state corruption that had facilitated the persecution against environmental and community activists, and the concessions that are ruining lives of the communities