Honduran Foreign Policy & Relations
In a historical visit, President Xiomara Castro and a delegation of Honduran officials visited China to inaugurate the new Honduran embassy and build ties after breaking relations with Taiwan. During her trip, President Castro also met with Dilma Rousseff, the President of the BRICS-led New Development Bank to request Honduras’ admission to the bank. Prior to traveling, President Castro announces the nomination of well-respected Dr. Salvador Moncada as the Honduran ambassador to China.
https://www.elheraldo.hn/honduras/presidenta-xiomara-castro-llega-a-china-II13824826#image-1
Brian Nicols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, tweeted about protests in southern Honduras: “We are following the reactions to the protests in Choluteca, Honduras. The right to peacefully protest and the right to express one’s own opinions are a fundamental component of democracy, and they must be promoted and protected.” In response, Foreign Affairs Minister, Enrique Reina tweeted: “Mr. Nichols, it’s surprising that the US opposes all types of legal reforms aimed at combating private-public corruption presented as sovereign decisions of Pres. @XiomaraCastroZ, just like the Energy & Tax Justice laws, & elimination of ZEDEs. We will not accept manipulations.” Nicols’ tweet comes after the government of Honduras announced they would investigate protests in Choluteca, specifically the manner that employees of private companies have been forced to protest against the Tax Justice Law.
The Honduran government announced that they will contract the lobbying firm, Arnold and Porter, located in Washington, D.C. The firm will be charged with improving and deepening relations with the Biden administration and is contracted from June to December 2023 for a total of $630,000 USD. Former US Ambassador to Honduras, Hugo Llorens, will be part of the team. In 2021, Pro-Honduras Network denounced that Arnold and Porter was contracted by the Honduran government led by Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH) to try and influence the Justice Department in relation to the drug case against JOH’s brother, Tony Hernández.
https://www.laprensa.hn/honduras/630-000-dolares-pagaran-firma-realizara-lobby-eeuu-GE13719807
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation is currently visiting Honduras (June 6 until approximately June 20th) to negotiate an agreement with the government. The Honduran government announces that they see the IMF as an important ally but do not want conditions imposed on them by the Fund.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=213749368243668&ref=sharing
On May 31, the Presidential Commission for the Defense of Land and Sovereignty held a press conference in Tegucigalpa to announce that the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) of the World Bank, should not have been accepted the arbitration case filed by ZEDE Próspera against the state of Honduras. According to the Commission, the Honduran Congress agreed to participate in ICSID but included a condition that requires companies to exhaust national judicial mechanisms prior to filing an international arbitration case. The Presidential Commission is arguing that ICSID did not ask the companies whether they met that condition, and is asking that ICSID reject the cases as a result. The Honduran Solicitor General (PGR) also announced that the state of Honduras rejects the appointment of one of the arbitrators based on a conflict of interest. Finance Minister Rixi Moncada calls the creation of ZEDEs and ZEDE Próspera, “one of the biggest acts of public-private corruption in the history of Latin America.”
In response, ZEDE Próspera published a statement calling the government’s statements “misleading” and claim that the merits of the arbitration case against Honduras are “very strong.” The case against Honduras filed by Próspera is one of seven cases filed in the last six or so months.
https://twitter.com/sefinhn/status/1664086562089385987?s=46&t=f6iwSdfZM76qKr7b50Y1RA
https://www.facebook.com/noticierohoymismo/videos/209376285321960
Government National Policy and Actions
The Honduran National Congress received sufficient votes to approve Honduras’ involvement in the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF). Following its approval, members of the National and Liberal parties refused to ratify the document, placing the previous decision in a state of legal limbo. One Congress representative, Carlos Zelaya, denounces that the efforts to reverse the decision may be tied to how Honduras’ participation in CAF challenges the power of U.S.-based international financial institutions. Others argue that the opposition parties are simply continuing their efforts to undermine Congress’ ability to legislate.
https://www.latribuna.hn/2023/05/24/luis-redondo-ya-se-voto-el-caf-ya-esta-aprobado/
Honduras extends the state of exception for another 45 days.
On June 6, President Castro convened the controversial and narcodicatorship-formed National Security and Defense Council, to announce the formation of the Commission of Agrarian Security and Access to Land. The President recognized the historical agrarian conflict in the country and announced that anyone in possession of land that they do not legally own, will be evicted.
In response, the Agrarian Platform and COPA in the Aguán Valley declare themselves on high alert.
https://www.latribuna.hn/2023/06/07/creada-la-comision-de-seguridad-agraria/
Natural Resources & Energy
After President Castro announced the possibility of petroleum exploration in La Moskitia earlier this year, Honduran organizations are raising alarm about the damages of such exploration, including that local, affected communities have not been consulted.
Business man Lenir Pérez with business ties to Nucor Corporation has suspended his workers alleging that he needs to seek the necessary environmental permits & licenses to operate. Pérez’s announcement comes a little over a month after FBI raided his home in Florida.
The National Electrical Energy Company (ENEE) denounces a 2nd act of sabotage against important machinery of the Patuca III hydroelectric dam. This comes at a time when ENEE is renegotiating energy contracts & massive blackouts are causing discontent across the country.
Corruption & Inappropriate behaviour of state officials
The Anti-Corruption Council (CNA) publishes a report that questions the nepotism in the President Castro administration, including how several members of the Zelaya family are in key positions inside the government. The report generated criticism from the government that accuse the CNA of staying quiet during the JOH narco-dictatorship. Others denounce the CNA’s ties to the U.S. government and the business lobby, COHEP. A few days later, the CNA presented a formal legal complaint against several members of the JOH administration for misusing, stealing, and siphoning money from the Security Tax (Tasa de Seguridad).
https://www.elheraldo.hn/honduras/cna-denuncia-familion-nepotismo-gobierno-xiomara-castro-OP13585038
On May 23, Tirzo Ulloa, the General Secretary of the National Property Institute (IP) resigned from his position after photos of chat messages were publicly distributed showing how Ulloa requested sexual favors from women seeking employment at the IP.
On May 26th, Dulce Maria Villanueva, the Executive Director of the National Office of Youth, Adolescents and Family (DINAF) resigned from her position when audio messages circulated of Villanueva asking for money from individuals seeking employment or salary increases. The audios were circulated following a scandal reported by Honduran journalist Cesar Silva, who denounced that Villanueva had received money from foreign families seeking to adopt Honduran youth, while bypassing national legal mechanisms in place to protect adopted children. Villanueva and some of her supporters went to the UNETV station where Silva works, and attacked him after he published his investigation.
OFRANEH: Land Issues & Violence Against Land Defenders
OFRANEH denounces the murder of Garifuna community leader, Martin Morales Martínez on May 28, 2023. Martínez body was found one day after his family members reported he went missing, close to a piece of land previously reclaimed by community members. The area is also known to be a place where other land defenders’ bodies have been found. Martin was the member of the Follow-up and Fulfillment Commission of the InterAmerican Court Sentence in Triunfo de la Cruz. Martin is the second Garifuna land defender murdered in the last five months.
OFRANEH denounces that the Honduran police detained at least four Garifuna leaders and OFRANEH members on May 25th. OFRANEH accuses authorities of racial profiling and denounces the on-going racism of the Honduran state against Garifuna communities.
On May 29 to 31, the InterAmerican Court was invited to Honduras by the Honduran Solicitor General (the office responsible for representing the state of Hondurans in the InterAmerican system). The pro-coup, business lobby COHEP formally requested to participate in the visit. In response, the community of San Juan (that is waiting for a InterAmerican court sentence) published a communiqué rejecting any participating in the IACHR visit to examine the issues related to their ancestral land title and case they presented to the Court. OFRANEH continues to denounce the corrupt and criminal actions of the National Property Institute in illegally titling land to individuals that do not belong to the Garifuna community and that violate the integrity of their ancestral land title.
Given the constant violence and the failure of the Honduran and Latin American governments to implement InterAmerican court sentences, OFRANEH convenes a group of communities from Brazil, Costa Rica, Argentina, Nicaragua, Chile and others, to discuss the frustration, continued violations, and strategies to pressure states to meet their obligations.
Aguán Valley
On June 9th, Wendy Hernández, a resident from the community of La Panama was shot by hitmen, while in the area of the municipal market in the city of Tocoa. She was with her two-year-old son at the time. Hernández was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
On June 9th, campesino Jeremías Cruz had his pre-sentencing hearing in Colon. Cruz was wrongfully found guilty for usurpation (illegal possession of land). His sentence will be announced in the coming days or week.
Osvin Nahúm Caballero Santamaria, also known as ‘Ardilla’, a leader of the paramilitary group involved in terrorizing and murdering several campesinos in the Agúan, was convicted for the murder of two MUCA leaders, President José Angel Flores and Silmer Dionisio George. Caballero Santamaria faces up to 40 years in prison once sentenced.
Residents of the Guapinol community denounce that large portions of the Guapinol river has dried up. This is due to the Inversiones Los Pinares mine and the iron ore pellet plant located next to the river that continues to extract water for its operations (See above for news about the reported closure of the mine).
On May 26, hitman riding on a motorcycle wearing private security uniforms belonging to the company SEC, opened fired against a vehicle driven by seven members of the campesino cooperative, Producción Mártires del Tumbador. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.
Attacks Against Other Land Defenders
On June 1, community radio broadcaster and land defender, Abel Pérez Avila was arrested without an arrest warrant in Zacate Grande. Days later, Avila was sent to prison where another land defender, Santos Hernández from Playa Blanca, Zacate Grande is also imprisoned. On June 8th, residents of Zacate Grande mobilized to demand freedom for both land defenders.
Juan Orlando Hernandez-related news
Lawyer Ivan Martinez suffered a serious assassination attempt in Tegucigalpa. He had state-granted protective measures. Martinez defended JOH in his extradition case, the disgraced ex-First Lady Rosa Bonilla & other public officials accused of corruption. He later died in hospital.
https://www.elheraldo.hn/sucesos/atentan-contra-el-abogado-ivan-martinez-AC13774620