Congressional trip to Russia
In late September, approximately 16 LIBRE party Congressional representatives, the President of Congress, Luis Redondo, and possibly two members of Foreign Relations traveled to Russia to meet with Russian authorities to discuss “diverse themes of cooperation and the relationship with Latin America and Honduras.”
U.S. Ambassador Dogu regrets the visit, telling the Honduran press that the visit generates uncertainty in Honduras particularly as the National Congress has still not elected a new Attorney General.
Meanwhile, accusations that the Congressional representatives travelled using public funds circulated in the social media networks. The Secretary to the President Rodolfo Pastor clarified to the press that the Congressional representatives had been invited by the Russian Parliament and that no public funds were used for the trip.
https://x.com/Congreso_HND/status/1707795251136549105?s=20
Honduras’ response to what is going on in Palestine and Israel.
In an official press statement, the Honduran government via the Foreign Affairs Ministry denounces Hamás’ attack on Israel.
https://x.com/poderpopular022/status/1710774949521096955?s=20
President Castro at the U.N.
President Castro gives a speech at the United Nations during the 78th General Assembly and calls for the end to U.S. sanctions among other demands: “We condemn the long blockade against Cuba and Venezuela, we also demand the removal of Cuba from the list of countries classified as terrorists because it is a manipulated, false and whimsical measure. The unjust measures and sanctions against Nicaragua must also be eliminated as they are barriers that prevent the normalization of relations.”
Resurrecting the Interoceanic Railway Project
For years (decades? centuries?), many Honduran governments have discussed building an Interoceanic Railway from Amapala, Tiger Island on the Pacific, through Olancho and to Puerto Castillo on the Caribbean. In a speech during a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of Francisco Morazán, President Xiomara Castro announced that the railway project is of “national interest” and that many governments, including the U.S. and China are interested. Days later, the Central American Bank of Economic Integration (BCIE) announced that it is willing to fund the necessary studies for the Railway.
https://www.latribuna.hn/2023/10/08/bcie-ofrece-apoyo-para-el-diseno-de-tren-interoceanico/
Talks of Coups
During an interview on Frente a Frente, a nation-wide television program on October 9, Foreign Affairs Minister Enrique Reina denounced that according to state intelligence bodies, ex-military and organized crime have been involved in coup and destabilization attempts against President Castro.
https://x.com/poderpopular022/status/1711412601685520460?s=20
ZEDEs: Zones of Economic Development and Employment
On October 4th, news reports from Roatan claimed that at least one person had fallen from a three-or-four story building located inside ZEDE Próspera adjacent to the community of Crawfish Rock. Locals reported that the person was likely a construction worker working on Próspera’s Duna residence that is being constructed with no regard to the local bylaws and national laws that prohibit such tall and environmentally vulnerable constructions, among other violations. Government authorities have not responded and there are no additional reports of the incident.
Criterio.hn publishes an informative article about how companies linked to ZEDE Próspera have purchased approximately 3% of the Island of Roatán and outline the investors behind the ZEDE.
Another ISDS case has been presented against Honduras in the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlment of Investment Disputes (ICSID). A renewable energy company linked to Fernando Paiz Andrade and Anabella Schloesser de León de Paiz (both Hondurans) made their claim under CAFTA-DR. The latest ISDS case is now the ninth against Honduras presented in the last year.
https://icsid.worldbank.org/cases/case-database/case-detail?CaseNo=ARB/23/43
Endless Misinformation Campaigns Against the Government
In mid-September, a fake website misrepresenting itself as NACLA published a series of falsified documentation accusing the head of the Tax Institute, Marlon Ochoa accusing Ochoa and his family of corruption, creating fake companies, etc. to misuse public funds. The fake website was widely distributed by members of BOC (The Citizen Opposition Block) and was used to attack Ochoa and his family. The next day, NACLA denounced that the fake website was not connected to them. This is another example of the sophisticated fake news and misinformation campaigns circulating in the country.
https://x.com/HondurasNow/status/1703802589987434903?s=20
https://x.com/NACLA/status/1703772353379885413?s=20
The Presidential palace press secretary Carlos Estrada resigned after videos circulated on social media of Estrada’s arrest by the Honduran National Police. At first, opposition parties to the government claimed that Estrada was arrested because he was driving under the influence, but later, as more videos circulated, it appeared that this was not the case and instead, Estrada had spoken disrespectfully at the police after he had been detained. In all the reporting about the case, it is hard to get a sense of what actually happened because of all the misinformation circulating (although it seems that Estrada was not drunk) but representatives of the Xiomara government insisted that all public officials must act respectfully and accept their role as public figures in a responsible manner.
https://x.com/carlosjestrada/status/1706722015355232257?s=20
Costa Rica imposes visa constraints on Honduran visitors
In October, Costa Rica announced that it would impose a consular visa for Hondurans seeking to visit their territory. The Honduran Minister of Foreign Affairs told the press it was because Honduran ex-military and hitman were being contracted to carry out illicit acts in C.R. The Minister regretted the decision and shortly later, Honduras imposed several requirements for Costa Rican citizens who now must seek a consular visa in order to enter Honduran territory as well.
https://x.com/MigracionHND/status/1711582016733430165?s=20
Corruption Cases
The Constitutional chamber of the Supreme Court has reactivated the ‘Caja Chica del Hermano’ corruption case after ruling in favor of a constitutional challenge (amparo) presented by the UFERCO (Special Anti-corruption prosecutor’s office) in 2018. The case accuses Wilfredo Cerrato Duron (the father of the ex-President of the Honduras Central Bank) and Ramon Lobo Sosa (the brother of former President Pepe Lobo) of fraud and misuse of public funds. The two men are accused of stealing over $500,000 USD through 125 checks from a designated bank account under the management of the Presidential palace.
https://x.com/Luis_Santos_C/status/1709046540021510330?s=20
https://tiempo.hn/reactiva-el-caso-caja-chica-del-hermano-pepe-lobo/
Violence, Threats Against and Criminalization of Defenders
On September 19, four armed men entered the home of OFRANEH’s General Coordinator, Miriam Miranda. The attack was stopped through the intervention of military assigned to protect Miriam, who has suffered endless attacks and threats. In response, several international and national organizations denounced the attacks against Miriam and Garifuna leaders across the north coast of Honduras. In response, the Honduras Solidarity Network launched an action asking individuals to contact their US Congressional representatives and participate in an online action.
https://x.com/ofraneh/status/1704583453755285981?s=20
https://x.com/drluthercharry/status/1705409367317656048?s=20
https://afgj.salsalabs.org/protectmiriammiranda/index.html
https://x.com/IM_Defensoras/status/1705237740529320380?s=20
https://x.com/OACNUDHHN/status/1704690005971517440?s=20
https://x.com/StateDRL/status/1707141605625340182?s=20
On September 25, members of the Garifuna community of Puerto Castilla in Trujillo, Colon were beaten and injured by individuals connected to a seafood company Intermares. The conflict is related to a long-standing land conflict linked to the Garifuna communities ancestral land title in Trujillo Bay. At least 3 armed individuals fired shots at 8 Garifuna defenders injuring Garifuna defender, Norma Lino who was taken to the hospital following the attack.
https://x.com/ofraneh/status/1706817262571643258?s=20
https://x.com/RedDefensoras/status/1706706871464108344?s=20
On September 28, José Nemrod, a member of the Guapinol Environmental Committee was harassed and beaten up by Honduran police in Tocoa. Nemrod is the nephew of well-known Guapinol water defender Reynaldo Dominguez and family, who have suffered endless attacks against them for their involvement in the defense of the Guapinol river.
https://x.com/guapinolre/status/1707482193633677713?s=20
On September 15, environmentalist Ramiro Lara’s house was shot at by armed men in the city of Santa Rosa de Copan. The incident was caught on security cameras and thankfully, Ramiro and his family were not injured.
The Tegucigalpa-based environmental group, ARCAH announced that one of its members and human rights defender, Donaldo España was the subject of an attack on October 3. Unknown individuals loosened and removed tire screws on Donaldo’s car, the second such incident against Donaldo in the last month.
https://x.com/Arcah_hn/status/1709340983538704404?s=20
On September 30, the Legal Firm Studies for Dignity denounced that two members of the CNTC Candido Santamaria and Marvin Avila were detained by Honduran National Police and accused of aggravated illegal possession of land and aggravated damages to the harm of the large sugar company, Azunosa. Both men are accused for land recovery efforts by the Agua Blanca Sur campesino cooperative. The men were released on bail pending trial but another 39 people are accused in relation to the same case.
On September 26, five defenders known as the ‘Jilamito five’ went to trial for usurpation-related charges for defending their river against the construction of an internationally-funded hydro-electric dam in the northern department of Atlántida. The dam is widely rejected by the local community and threatens a drinking water project that the community hopes to construct to help resolve their limited access to water. Days later, Judge Zúniga Garcia dictated definitive dismissal of all charges.
https://x.com/WfPSolidCollect/status/1706673394727506360?s=20
https://x.com/WfPSolidCollect/status/1707075438575489484?s=20
Aguan Valley
On September 24, campesino and community leader José David Fortín, the general secretary of the Tarros Limitada cooperative, was murdered in/near his home by two hitman riding a motorcycle. Fortín was injured and died later in hospital. The Los Tarros cooperative was recently evicted from their lands by armed men linked to the family of Pedro Aguilera.
The Agrarian Platform denounces the eviction of the Associative Campesino Company (EACI) by the over 200 elements of the Special Cobra forces and the Honduran National police on October 2. Police helicopters were also used to intimidate the campesinos and live rounds were shot injuring Oscar Fernando Alonzo Aguilar. Despite a constitutional challenge to the eviction order, the eviction took place in Trujillo, Colon on lands that the EACI had begun to recover on September 29th, 2023. According to the Platform, EACI holds the legitimate title to the land and were victims of dispossession by companies and individuals linked to a subsidiary of the Standard Fruit Company. OACNUDH expressed its concern about the eviction and EACI’s situation.
EACI had, like several other campesino cooperatives, signed an Agreement with President Castro’s administration to investigate the human rights abuses and land conflict related to their struggle. Inaction on behalf of the government has contributed to the growing violence in the Aguan.
https://x.com/HondurasNow/status/1707918761758503136?s=20
https://x.com/WfPSolidCollect/status/1709304670244446602?s=20