U.S. Ambassador Laura Dogu caught on camera
A major news show in Honduras reported that U.S. Ambassador Dogu was caught “sleeping or meditating” at the public celebration of the Day of the Flag that kicks off the month of Independence celebrations in Honduras.
https://x.com/TN5Telenoticias/status/1697812162477994231?s=20
Two U.S. Republicans Tweet About Honduras.
In the midst of the growing opposition to Castro’s administration including false information campaigns, at least two U.S. representatives made reference to Honduras in recent tweets. US Congressional rep. Maria Elvira Salazar tweeted, “Xiomara in Honduras looks more and more like her husband Zelaya, who passionately embraced castro-chavismo. Just as Castro created the CDRs in Cuba and Chavez the colectivos in Venezuela, now Madam President organizes ‘teams’ to silence and arrest opponents. Bad road!” Similarly, Senator Jim Risch, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, tweeted: “I am concerned about attempts to undermine the independence of @Congreso_HND & the @MP_Honduras in #Honduras. The Biden Admin must monitor this situation closely and hold accountable those seeking to undermine independent institutions.”
https://x.com/MaElviraSalazar/status/1696187267537158570?s=20
https://x.com/SenateForeign/status/1700249901295096254?s=20
https://x.com/All_Things_HND/status/1700383332956053592?s=20
Independence Day Celebrations
LIBRE and their supporters called a protest/march starting on Boulevard Morazan in Tegucigalpa and ending at the National Stadium for the annual Independence Day celebrations on September 15th. Upon arriving to the stadium, President Castro gave a speech. In one section of the stadium, several “cachurecos” or individuals believed to be against the government began throwing objects from the bleachers when the LIBRE supporters arrived to the stadium.
https://www.laprensa.hn/honduras/honduras-celebra-independencia-entre-division-social-DA15401345
President Castro participates in G77 + China Cumbre in Cuba
On September 16th, President Castro attended the G77 + China Cumbre held in Cuba. Castro called for an end to unjust blockades and sanctions. The President also met with Venezuelan President Maduro.
https://x.com/poderpopular022/status/1703149317530272099?s=20
https://x.com/gobprensaHN/status/1703175185430429827?s=20
“No to coups” – José Fortín, head of the Chief of Staff of the Honduran Armed Forces
In a public celebration marking the 158th anniversary of the Honduran Navy and widely attended by public officials including President Castro, the head of the Honduran Armed Forces, Jose Jorge Fortín said the names of several former Honduran military generals and called for “no more coups.” Fortín named Romeo Vásquez, the general that lead the 2009 coup against President Manuel Zelaya and has recently been talking about ‘couping’ the new government; and retired Generals Isaías Barahona, Luis Maldonado, and Adolfo Pacheco. In the same event, President Castro denounced efforts to destabilize her government: “”I’m forced to denounce before the world the conspiracy organized by the mafias and organized crime elites with the drug trafficking structure, to overthrow my government.”
https://x.com/KawsachunNews/status/1696678557638943134?s=20
In response to Fortín’s speech, the named retired Generals went and filed a formal legal complaint against Fortin. The National Party also denounced Fortín for making political statements when the Armed Forces are legally not able to participate in politics (their hypocrisy is hard to handle).
Attorney General (AG) Elections: No New AG Yet
The National Congress has still not reached an agreement to elect a new Attorney General and Assistant AG from the proposed 5 candidates. Several proposals were put forward at the end of August and early September, including the Saviour Party of Honduras (PSH) that proposed Marcio Cabañas as AG and Jenny Almendárez as Assistant AG. The press reports that PSH received support from the Liberal and National Parties. Cabañas is the candidate of the National Party. Despite being the daughter of the notorious human rights defender, Dr. Juan Almendárez, J. Almendárez is suspected to also be a National party supporter or sympathizer. LIBRE supports Johel Zelaya for AG and opposed the PSH’s proposal. Since early September, discussions to elect a new AG have been suspended in Congress. Congress will sit again to elect a new AG once agreements are reached in behind the scenes negotiations and discussions. What is clear is that there are powerful interests behind ensuring that the new AG is not committed to investigating corruption, drug trafficking, etc. and that the whole AG election process is deeply controlled by the interests of the political parties.
Since a new AG has not been elected, there were several debates and discussions about the current AG and assistant AG remaining in their positions until new authorities are selected. Lawyer and human rights defender Joaquin Mejía argued that the anti-corruption prosecutor, Luis Santos, is by law, required to take over leadership of the AG office in the meantime and that the former AG and assistant AG are not able to stay in their position beyond September 1st. In light of the debate, Assistant AG, Daniel Sibrián first resigned after discussion that he could be accused for being in his position illegally after Sept 1st, and then may have changed his mind and remained in his position. Meanwhile, AG Chinchilla left for Nicaragua (see below). So, while it is not entirely clear who is currently leading the AG’s office, police were placed at the front of the building starting in early September.
Oscar Chinchilla flees Honduras or going to take over his role on the Central American Court of Justice?
On September 3, just two days after finishing his term as Attorney General, Oscar Chinchilla left Honduras and entered Nicaragua by land. Honduran authorities alerted the press causing some to believe that Chinchilla was fleeing the country out of fear of possible repercussions given his close ties to ex-President and accused drug trafficker, Juan Orlando Hernández. Others reported that Chinchilla left for Nicaragua as he had been appointed to the Central American Court of Justice in 2017. Regardless of the reasons, Chinchilla’s exit from Honduras generated discussion and debate about Chinchilla’s key role in ensuring impunity for the narco-dictatorship and powerful families, while cracking down on land defenders and anyone opposing the dictatorship. Chinchilla decided (unlike the assistant AG) to abandon his position as AG even though a new AG has not yet been elected.
https://x.com/VictorFerG/status/1698461611248304415?s=20
COHEP vs. the Honduran tax authority (the SAR): The Tax justice Law
Marlon Ochoa, the head of the Tax Administration Service (SAR) (the Honduran equivalent to the IRS), went to the Attorney General’s Office in a truck holding several boxes containing over 20,000 pages of documents aimed at demonstrating the corruption and concentration of wealth in the hands of the economic elite that acted throughout the narco-dictatorship to steal public funds, seek multiple tax benefits, and act irregularity to receive multiple financial benefits of varying sorts. Ochoa’s action came after COHEP, the business lobby, challenged him to present evidence and formalize his public accusations against the 10 wealthy families in the country represented, according to Ochoa, by COHEP and the new opposition group, the Citizen Opposition block (BOC). While presenting the documents and accompanied by dozens of supporters, Ochoa denounced that the wealthy families that benefitted from the dictatorship are preventing the election of the new Attorney General and blocking efforts to pass the Tax Justice Law in Congress.
Watch Ochoa’s speech outside the AG’s office: https://x.com/SAR_HND/status/1702081469982605696?s=20
https://x.com/COHEPHonduras/status/1701297527201395048?s=20
https://x.com/SAR_HND/status/1699532802507538588?s=20
In response, multiple actors including COHEP, said that Ochoa was putting on a ‘show.’ The criticism against Ochoa and the Tax Justice Law demonstrate once again the power of the mainstream media to control the narrative and oppose efforts of the Castro administration that impact the economic and political elite of Honduras.
https://www.laprensa.hn/honduras/marlon-ochoa-circo-show-politico-acusacion-cohep-NP15381914
LIBRE and supporters mobilize in Tegucigalpa.
On August 29th, several thousands of people from all over Honduras converged in Tegucigalpa in a large march to support President Castro and her platform. As opposition forces continue to strengthen, the march aimed to show on-going support for Castro, the Tax Justice Law, and the election of a new Attorney General. Meanwhile, the opposition went crazy denouncing the government for using public funds to fund the march. No solid evidence has appeared so far.
https://x.com/KawsachunNews/status/1696694674113610088?s=20
The Opposition forms the Citizen’s Opposition Block (BOC)
On August 19th, the BOC that includes members of the National Party, the Liberal Party and elements of the Saviour Party of Honduras (PSH) marched to the Presidential Palace in Tegucigalpa against the government of Xiomara Castro.
Current Vice Minister of Security linked to drug trafficking
From an article published by The Intercept: “COL. ELIAS MELGAR URBINA, a top-ranking Honduran military official and U.S. partner in joint drug war operations, has been tied to a Honduran drug trafficker, according to a U.S. Justice Department filing, and a private security company accused of assassinating land rights activists, according to eyewitness testimony and documents obtained by The Intercept.”
Read The Intercept article here
Land, Environmental & Human Rights Defenders: Criminalization and Abuses
Garifuna defender Milton Zapata was arrested and accused of illegal possession of land in San Antonio, Trujillo. After his arrest, Zapata was released pending his initial hearing held on September 13th. The judge provisionally dropped the charges against Zapata but the criminalization of other Garifuna defenders from the same community are feared.
https://x.com/baraudawaguchu/status/1701961668685598932?s=20
https://x.com/BufeteBJP/status/1701758269981667588?s=20
https://x.com/ofraneh/status/1701575555534016986?s=20
https://criterio.hn/bajo-enganos-fue-detenido-defensor-del-territorio-garifuna-en-trujillo-colon/
OFRANEH denounces the harassment of Garifuna communities and fisherman in Cayos Cochinos, specifically the Bulaños Key at 9 pm on September 13th.
https://x.com/ofraneh/status/1702316698169491931?s=20
COPINH continues to demand justice in the case of Marcos Pineda, a young man who was killed in La Paz by Honduran police officer José Pérez. The trial against Pérez began on September 14 in Comayagua and COPINH and the Lenca community of Guachipilín were mobilizing outside the courthouse when the trial was suspended until October 9th, 2023.
https://x.com/COPINHHONDURAS/status/1702474480067527135?s=20
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=466064515655024&set=a.251283953799749&type=3
The Indigenous Lenca community Tierras del Padres located in the department of Francisco Morazán continues to struggle for recognition of their land rights and to stop the eviction of several families. The Justice for the People Law Firm denounces judge Gladys Ochoa for working on behalf of the interests of a company wanting to take the community’s land and ordering the eviction of four families. Ochoa ruled after the Supreme Court ordered the eviction order to be closed and for the ancestral rights of the community to be investigated.
https://x.com/BufeteBJP/status/1702116461638991959?s=20
https://criterio.hn/ninez-de-tierras-del-padre-a-las-puertas-de-desalojo-judicial/
Human rights defender Ramiro Lara suffered an attack against his residence on September 15th. Unknown individuals fired several shots at his window. Lara has been involved in various land, environmental, and human rights issues in Santa Rosa de Copan (western Honduras) for many years.
https://x.com/CHTVHN/status/1703443055439720743?s=20
https://x.com/BufeteBJP/status/1703444019349446984?s=20
Radio Progreso, government officials, and several members of the social movement commemorated the 40th anniversary of Jesuit priest Guadalupe Carney’s forced disappearance. A concert and mass were held to commemorate Carney’s life and work.
https://x.com/rudopastor/status/1703100310200135738?s=20
https://www.facebook.com/RadioProgresoPaginaOficial/videos/1232134804107509
A former imprisoned water defender from the community of Guapinol, Arnol Alemán was arrested by Honduran police on August 15th in northern Honduras. Human rights defenders denounce that the arrest is nothing more than harassment against Alemán, who was held for over 24 hours without justification. He was later released.
https://www.guapinolresiste.org/post/alerta-arnol-aleman-sigue-detenido-arbitrariamente-en-honduras
COPINH: David Castillo and Berta Cáceres-related cases.
COPINH announces that the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court has denied a constitutional motion (amparo) requested by David Castillo, the convicted co-author of Berta Cáceres’ murder. Castillo and his legal team presented the motion to request that he be considered for a political amnesty as part of the Amnesty Law approved by the Castro administration. Castillo is accused of several acts of corruption in the Fraud on the Gualcarque case. COPINH warns against the on-going delays in the same case.
See an article by COPINH here
COPINH and others continue to keep the call for justice for Berta Cáceres’ murder alive. A petition is circulating (in Spanish) requesting signatures and demanding an end to impunity in Berta’s case. COPINH and Berta’s family are still waiting (3 years later) for the Supreme Court to confirm the sentence against the seven material authors convicted for Berta’s murder.
To read and sign the petition, go here
An image of Berta Cáceres will be placed on the 200 Lempira bill, according to the Central Bank of Honduras.