https://sydneywithhonduras.wordpress.com/2019/12/23/november-2019-honduras-coup-update/

November 2019 Honduras coup update

This month: one uni student of the students movement, Leonardo Castillo and a high school student, Sulmy López, were killed. Another high school student has been disappeared. An extermination plan is known – to silence opposition and to silence the drug trail of the TH-JOH politician brothers. One more exposition to JOH’s money laundering and scandals for funding the 2017 electoral campaign. Another journalist, José Arita, was assassinated. Human rights defenders Jorge Acosta and Ramón Aguilar were assassinated, another one received a death threat in his car. Villagers of Zacate Grande standing up to large landholders suffer repeat arrests. Campesinos of La Paz have court processes sitting on top of them. Guapinol community defenders against mining also has its eight political prisoners stuck in a dragged out court process, and a journalist who accompanies their struggle suffered a kidnap attempt, whilst the community there live under a state of siege as a public meeting approaches. As communities in Tegucigalpa mobilised again to protect the La Tigra national park from an enormous luxury apartments project, they suffered a violent eviction. The political prisoners from Pimienta suffer persecution outside the prison. Another political prisoner Gustavo Cáceres was finally released after almost 2 years. Surveillance intensified. Campesinos leader and his family were victims to gunshots attack in Bajo Aguan. Protests were repressed.

Two students assassinated, another disappeared

In Trujillo, Colón, on 1 November, in the night time, 25 years old student leader of the MAU (Movimiento Amplio Universitario) uni students movement, Leonardo Daniel Castillo Lagos, was murdered that night with several gunshots including one in the head, and his body was found afterwards on the shore of the Trujillo beach. Leonardo was studying psychology at the UNAH-CU campus. Both his parents were local teachers. MAU issued the following statement about Leonardo’s killing, ‘in Honduras, the government is killing us, and criminalising, jailing and threatening us. And they are stealing our dreams, for being young, for being students, for thinking differently. For bringing to light the constant atrocities of the Government and for demanding a better Honduras. We will keep screaming because of the injustices of our country. Nobody will stop us. WE ARE STUDENTS; NOT DELINQUENTS!’ MAU also blamed COHEP, the Honduran Business Council, for Leonardo’s assassination, since COHEP had just publicly demanded ‘for death squads to show protests organisers to their place’. In the midnight hours the same night, two other students who belong to the MAU, were given death threats.

Leonardo Daniel Castillo

In Dulce Nombre de Culmí, Olancho, on 5 November 2019, 17 years old high school student, Sulmy López, was assassinated. Sulmy is the 79th student to be assassinated so far in 2019 in Honduras.

In Tegucigalpa, on 15 November 2019, the parents of 13 years old high school student of Instituto Técnico Luís Bogran, Dayana Lilibeth Gómez Aguilera, reported that Dayana was disappeared. That day, like other days, Dayana said bye to her mum and dad and left the family home in El Carrizal neighbourhood headed for school early in the morning. What was different was, at midday, when she should be at home, she didn’t appear. Dayana was always super punctual, and was home 15 to 20 minutes after school finished. Her mum and dad got more and more worried as more time lapsed. When one and a half hours had passed, they knew that something must have happened and started looking for her everywhere. Her mum went to the school first to ask around there but nobody knew anything. She then went to ask her friends, but they didn’t knew anything. The parents thought maybe she was with her boyfriend and went to find him, but he didn’t know anything. They went to the police then, but they also didn’t know anything, and couldn’t do anything. The parents said she had depression, but she took medication and a bit of everything, and it was not extreme, ‘she just got bored and would get depressed.’ They said their daughter was never in trouble, that she is peaceful. She was a doer, she did her homework, gets excellent grades and all.

In October 2019, two students were reported disappeared from this same school, days later, the body of Oscar Daniel Mencía Cantarero was found, in Villa Cristina neighbourhood. The school principal said, ‘Oscar was always involved in the protests’

Investigative journalists pointed out that the death squads to carry out JOH and TH’s extermination plans, elaborated on next, could be behind the killings and disappearances of students, since students have been a strong voice for calling JOH to get out, for quality education well resourced by the state, and speaking up against the narco state with the TH scandal. Schools where students are most organised and belligerant, are most at risk, remembering also Oscar David, car mechanics student at Instituto Luís Bogran killed, and Dennis Avila Sánchez, 29 years old UNAH student in Tegucigalpa who was killed on 30 October 2019, near his home.

Known extermination plans

On 1 November 2019, an alert came out that the JOH regime was embarking on a plan that had already started, to exterminate those who criticise the regime, and those who used to associate with the mafias of JOH and TH who know things. The extermination would be carried out by death squads of the JOH and TH brothers, over a three months period, according to information that the JOPRODEH human rights organisation has.

They have at the end of October assassinated in the ‘maximum security prison’ Magdaleno Meza, who was involved in the mafias.

Also, on 31 October 2019, the highly ranked official, Presidential Commissioner of Transparency, Alfredo José Cantarero Callejas, whose work is to scrutinise the work of JOH regime president (including about the government’s involvement in drug trafficking), was found dead. Authorities called Alfredo’s death a suicide, saying that ‘obligates’ them to close the investigation; but Sherill Hernández Mancía who worked in Alfredo’s department – Office of Criminal Investigation – confirmed that it was possible that Alfredo was murdered.

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Julissa Villanueva, the then Forensic Medicine director of the Prosecutors Department, was fired on 21 November 2019, for apparently being slow and thorough in her work. The Medical Association was on her side. Julissa had subsequently spoken up about Alfredo Cantarero’s murder, and Julissa received death threats. She said if anything happens to her or her family or collaborators, that the state and the Prosecutors Department are responsible. She added that she is a scientist committed to uncovering the truth.

It is believed that the attempt against Jaime Rodríguez, threats against journalist Milton Benítez, who directs the program ‘The Yellow Dog’ and spoke up against corruption, the persecution against the organisations Aci Participa and Apuvimeh, and the threats and surveillance against the Garífuna doctor, human rights defender and leader Luther Castillo Harry are all part of this plan. Also on the plan’s blacklists are ex-president Lobo Sosa (association with mafias), and journalist David Romero.

Update on the neverending expositions to JOH’s money laundering and scandals for funding the 2017 electoral campaign

The major ones had been from IHSS social security health services for workers, with scandals of empty hospitals and empty medicine pills causing many deaths, and then the drug cartel head/parliamentarian/brother of JOH, Tony Hernández, had also facilitated large sums for JOH’s electoral campaign. Now, newly uncovered are many other cases including one of the plundering of the agricultural trust (supposed to use its funds to give credits to small grains farmers), but proceeded to assign about US millions to the Honduran army (which applied for a basic grains production project) for the building of a reservoir to irrigate 14 hectares of land in October 2017 (just before the election). Even the Honduras Chambers of Commerce protested this.

Journalist assassinated

On 25 November 2019, journalist of Canal 12, Puerto Vision, José Arita, had finished presenting his program ‘The Hour of Truth’ for the day and stopped to buy something on his way home when unidentified people who travelled in a tourist van fired gunshots at him assassinating him. In this last program he presented, he spoke up about being excluded from some press conferences, and he said, ‘I say to the mayor, to the public and private institutions, that I don’t know what you are scared would happen if I were at a press conference.’ From the same channel, another community journalist Santiago Carvaja of the queer community, was murdered with gunshots four and a half months before José was murdered.

Jose Arita

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Human rights defenders assassinated and received death threats

In La Lima, Cortés, on 17 November 2019, Jorge Alberto Acosta, aged 62, president of the savings and credit cooperative of the TelaRailRoad Co workers’ union (Sitraterco), was assassinated in the San Juan neighbourhood. Jorge was a human rights defender who received death threats, and the state’s mechanism of protection recognised his need for protection prior to his killing.

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The same date, in Marcala, La Paz, human rights defender and Marcala councillor, Marlon Calles, got up very early that morning and went to his car to get his charger, still very sleepy, only to realise something was wrong when he had opened the door on the drivers’ side and noticed that the glass window was broken with a cement tamper, and inside, a note, to him, saying, ‘YOU ARE DEAD’. Marlon had been speaking up against the logging of the Jilguero forest by a transnational logging company – should the logging go ahead, one of the main water reserves of La Paz province would dry out. Days prior to receiving this death threat, his car had already been broken into and someone stole a file from it about a new water project that would affect over 30,000 people in the same region, that is being pushed by local parliamentarian Juan Manuel Melgar. Marlon is known by and has collaborated with Cofadeh human rights organisation since 2018, Cofadeh coordinator said that Marlon doesn’t have any enemies, that the only possible source of the death threats are the business interests that would destroy the water and natural resources of Marcala.

On 24 November 2019, in Alianza Colina, Santa Barbara, a recognised community leader, Ramon Aguilar, was assassinated.

Villagers of Zacate Grande arrested time and again for standing up to large land holders

Back on 22 September, María Hernández was arrested with charges of usurpation, and at that time, there was an agreement made that her partner, Santos Hernández, who had six charges against him, also for resisting the expansion of large landholders, was to appear in court on the same dates as Maria. So, 25 and 26 November 2019 were their court dates at Amapala Court. On 25 November 2019, María and Santos attended court, accompanied by the president of ADEPZA (organisation of Zacate Grande Villagers for defending territory) Abel Pérez, aged 36. At 3.30pm that day, police arrested Abel at the court for a new charge in addition to existing charges. Then on 26 November 2019, the court was heavily militarised with many agents of navy, investigative police and police there. When court hearings finished, police then also captured Maria and Santos, even putting Maria’s 10 years old son on the police patrol vehicle with them this time. Abel, Maria and Santos spent this night in the police cells there. María was very emotionally traumatised going through all of that. Abel told Maria and Santos to stay calm, ‘we are going to get out of this,’ Abel had been in prison with Santos for 101 days back in 2016, and sentenced with Santos too to 5 years and 1 month of imprisonment; the sentence being under appeal. The accusing party is Jorge Luís Cassis, the latest charge against the three is related to damages to a wall Cassis built in the Playa Blanca community, a wall he built on a disputed space to impede the movement of communities who have lived where they live for over 50 years. Cassis has land titles because large landholders have control over the state institutions, not because the lands are rightly his. On 27 November 2019, Abel, Maria and Santos were released on bail.

Campesinos of La Paz attacked by courts, and police made obvious which side they do and don’t serve

Carlos Geovani Calix of the 9 de julio campesinos group in Tutule, La Paz, and who also belongs to the CNTC campesinos’ federation, had the hearing against him suspended and postponed for the second time on 5 November 2019 because the accusing party – Carlos Arriaga – did not show up to the hearing. This hearing got postponed to 8 November 2019. It was until 26 November 2019 when, in court again, Carlos Calix was found to be innocent of the charges of usurpation by the court. 9 de julio campesino group has been growing food on the land that Carlos Arriaga claimed was his since the beginning of 2010.

Also on 26 November 2019, and in Tutule as well, CNTC La Paz regional directive member, María Rosaura Vásquez, called the police because unidentified persons raided her home and took her home belongings and money for the family’s sustenance by force. The police refused to answer her call for help. Instead, it was members of La Paz human rights network RedhilPaz who went to her home in solidarity and stayed with her, to make sure she was okay.

Guapinol (community against mining) political prisoners continue in dragged out court processes and in prison, a journalist accompanying the struggle suffered a kidnap attempt, and communities approaching a public meeting are intimidated by terror tactics

The eight environmental defenders of Guapinol community and river endured another month in prison. On 5 November 2019 they had hearing, but the prosecutors did not show up, so this was postponed one day. On 6 November, the bail revision hearing was held and people were in solidarity outside with banners, but judge Lizeth Vallecillo decided again to deny them bail. During the hearing, on the balcony the floor above of the court building, police took photos of those friends, compas and family members who were outside in support while the defenders were on trial inside. An appeal was placed on 7 November 2019 again demanding their freedom.

On 14 November 2019, in Tocoa city, journalist César Obando Flores of Diario Colón hn and correspondent of Radio Progreso was one block from his home when some unidentified people who travelled in a van attempted to kidnap him, luckily, he escaped. César had been very steady in accompanying the Guapinol struggle.

On the build up to the open meeting in Tocoa organised by the council where the community aimed to declare Colón to be a municipality free from mining and expel from their community the mining company Inversiones Los Pinares (and partner factory company Ecotek), the community could feel a heavy terror campaign to try to deter people from going to this meeting. On 23 November 2019, two people were killed at the entrance of the Guapinol community – their names are Roberto Portales and Vilma Portillo. Roberto is said to be an employee of the mining company. The back story is not known, perhaps Roberto was a whistleblower. It is timely to point out that one Guapinol defender charged who had not voluntarily appeared in court to subsequently become a political prisoner, Roberto Antonio Argueta, was assassinated by hitmen. The companies (which both have as their biggest shareholders, elite Hondurans Lenir Pérez and Ana Facussé) do anything to impose their project to exploit iron oxide over 200 hectares, using open pit mining, just 150 metres away from the communities, between Guapinol, La Lempira and Ceibita – these communities would suffer grave damages to their water source, health and environment.

Tegucigalpa: Communities mobilised to protect La Tigra national park violently evicted by police

On 7 November 2019, communities surrounding La Tigra national park once again mobilised and blocked roads to La Tigra in El Hatillo, El Chimbo and Río Abajo, in defence of the environment and of their water source, against the massive luxury housing project. The communities were violently evicted by polcie with teargas bombs.

Follow up on some political prisoners from 2017 – the ten from Pimienta, and Gustavo Cáceres

Ten political prisoners of Pimienta, Cortéz, were arrested accused of burning a police station and looting, during the semi-insurrectional period post election in 2017. They were locked up in maximum security prison El Pozo for several months and released on 5 May 2018 on bail, but the freedom not only came with conditions like having to go to court to sign the book every week, but living in constant persecution and knowledge that their lives are at risk. For example, Roque Jacinto Alvarenga, one of the ten, reported on 12 November 2019, that there had been hooded people in vehicles without numberplates, and others on foot or bicycle, going near his home, taking photos of the house without any airs of shame, and then leaving. This was in addition to having had his home raided in the wee hours of the night several times. It was not enough to reinforce the doors and windows, which he tried, so when his home was still raided, he left his home to save his and his family’s life. That was not the end of it, he had many other stories of the antigang police, of a red Hilux, of a black Ford Escape, of a white Kia Sorento, of children of his extended family noticing strange people taking photos of his house, of moving, being found by them, and moving again, of not being able to do jobs he wants to do because of this highly unstable living situation, and once they even appeared while he was fixing something in someone’s home. Roque said this is part of the EXTERMINATION that the police carries out against social leaders, students, ex political prisoners, ‘I think deep down that I am also part of this extermination, but this only God would know, but yes I feel quite unsafe.’ Roque is not the only one persecuted of the ten ex political prisoners of Pimienta, another also received audio files and messages of threat through social media from the investigative police of Pimienta police station.

Another political prisoner from that period, Gustavo Adolfo Cáceres, was locked up from 21 December 2017, taken in a water delivery truck because he carried no ID, at the barricades against the regime – charged with ‘carrying explosives or war weapons’. The hearing process only began almost two years after his arrest without bail, on 28 October 2019. This hearing was then suspended and postponed to 11 November 2019 because the Prosecutors’ ‘witnesses’ didn’t show up. They also did not show up on 11 November 2019. On 14 November 2019, the court finally dismissed the charges, after his 22 and and half months spent in prison, where Gustavo tried to support his family by doing other people’s washing inside the prison. Gustavo was the first political prisoner the be locked up and last to be released from that period. He suffers from anxiety and depression from this ordeal.

Cops case suspended

On 12 November 2019, military police Denis Omar Cáceres (who is on bail) appeared in court accused of the assassination of David Octavio Quiroz back on 15 December 2017 during the semi-insurrectional protests against the military fraud, in Villanueva, Cortés. The officer’s legal team did not show up despite having been duely summoned, and the hearing was suspended.

Surveillance and profiling: against protester and political party activist

On 12 November 2019, Juan Carlos Flores, a business administration graduate and LIBRE party activist and collaborator of the assassinated indigenous anticapitalist feminist activist Berta Cáceres and her family, spoke up about profiling and persecution against him by the military police. He said in the last days of October, four military police had gone to the basketball training carrying a photo of him asking people there if they knew where he lived. Even the photo looks like one taken of him in basketball training with others, he was wearing shorts. He believes this took place because he had been seen collaborating with Berta’s daughter and Libre parliamentarian, Olivia Marcela Zuniga. There are concerns about profiling activities of the state increasing against activists.

Bajo Aguan – attackers gunshot wounded campesino leader and his family

On 13 November 2019, in the Panamá community where campesino leader Santos Torres and his family live, armed attackers shot at and attempted against their lives; they were gunshot wounded and hospitalised but luckily their condition was stable. The whole Bajo Aguán region is permanently under siege by large landholders together with police and military who dispossess campesinos of their territories. For years now the region has been militarised and many campesinos have been killed, many others charged, the state has no interest in changing this.

Protests repressed

On 6 November 2019, there was a protest in Iztoca, Choluteca, that was being violently evicted by the police. A Metro TV channel journalist was covering the eviction when police saw him doing that and pushed and knocked him and his camera about.

On 14 November 2019, in Linaca, Danlí, El Paraíso, villagers there were mobilised in a protest about government neglect – during JOH’s ‘surprise visit’ to Danlí to oversee and do public relations on the investment of about US3 million to repair 6kms of highway around the country, which does not cover the highway the Linaca needs repaired. The community needs the road to function so that their campesino producers can sell their produce and survive within the economy. They also protested the military involvement in the agricultural industry. Instead of responding by sending construction teams to repair the highway and cancelling the army’s agricultural project, police proceeded to attack the protesting villagers viciously with teargas bombs launched at their heads, abdominals and legs from close range. There are photos of their wounds – bleeding and bruises, bleeding around the eye, eyes covered, head and scalp bleeding. They were 50m from the regional hospital Gabriela Alvarado so did not have far to go to wait for medical attention. Those wounded are José Miguel Zúniga, Kevin Javier Casco, Jonh Milton García (LIBRE municipal councillor), Jorge Miguel Martínez and Cristina Rodríguez – Cristina was hit by three teargas bombs.

On 23 November 2019, in San Juan Pueblo, military police repressed the town centre protests, committed abuses, arrested two protesters and were torturing these.