More Details on Election-Related Violence in Cantarranas (ENGLISH/ESPANOL)

 From Honduras Election Observation and Human Rights Monitoring - Honduras Solidarity Network

En español abajo


Two Campesino Farmers Killed in Cantarranas Following Electoral Training
More details have emerged on the pre-election assassinations of LIBRE activists in the Department of Francisco Morazan. On the eve of the Honduran election, at 7:50 pm, Maria Amparo Pineda Eduarte , the President of the campesino Cooperative of “Carbon”, a local leader of the National Workers (CNTC), and president of a polling station for LIBRE Cantarranas walked home with Julio Ramón Araujo Maradiaga and his son Wilmer from a Cantarranas polling training. They returned on foot to their homes in the community of Carbon when two masked men ambushed them, blasting them with high caliber weapons and killing everyone but Wilmer. The murderers fled without stealing anything. The two wounded died, Julio Ramon at the hospital in Valle de Angeles. Maria died in the Hospital Escuela in Tegucigalpa.
Maria had repeatedly complained to authorities in Cantarranas and in Talanga that  Fermín Portillo – a local landowner – was making death threats against her. Fermín Portillo is the current head of the National Party in Cantarranas and has been in conflict with the Carbon Cooperative for 16 years. Over the past three years, the threats and harassment have increased. He even once threatened that he would, “eliminate them all one by one.”

 The killings appear to be related to the land conflict and the election. Maria was well  known as a community leader and as a LIBRE Party activist. One thing was clear, Maria’s enemies were successful in suppressing the vote. The shock of the attack and the assassination of their companieros caused many to stay home on election day.  The incident cast a dark wave of fear across the entire community.

Elecciones manchadas por sangre
Dos campesinos asesinados en Cantarranas después de capacitación electoral
La noche del 23 de noviembre a las 7:50pm María Amparo Pineda Eduarte, una campesina dirigenta de la Cooperativa el Carbón, miembra del Central Nacional de Trabajadores del Campo (CNTC), y presidenta de una mesa electoral por LIBRE en Cantarranas salió junto con su hijo Wilmer y Julio Ramón Araujo Maradiaga de una capacitación en Cantarranas sobre las mesas electorales. Iban de regreso hacia la aldea del Carbón cuando dos hombres encapuchados les emboscaron, tiroteándoles con armas de alto calibre y matando a todos menos el hijo. Los asesinos se huyeron sin robar nada. Los dos heridos murieron, uno en el hospital de Valle de Ángeles y la compañera en el Hospital Escuela de Tegucigalpa.
Amparo ya había denunciado ya varias veces a las autoridades de Cantarranas y de Talanga al terrateniente Fermín Portillo por amenazas de muerte. Fermín Portillo es el actual regidor del partido nacionalista en Cantarranas y ha tenido conflicto con la cooperativa el Carbón desde hace 16 años. En los últimos tres años las amenazas y el hostigamiento han sido más constantes. Incluso una vez amenazó “eliminarles a todos uno por uno.”

Los asesinatos parecen ser relacionados con el conflicto de las tierras y el proceso electoral. Amparo era la dirigente campesina y activista de LIBRE más conocida de la comunidad. Venía regresando de una capacitación electoral cuando la asesinaron junto con el otro compañero. Una cosa fue clara, tenían éxito en reducir la votación en la zona, ya que todo mundo se encontraba tan agraviado por los hechos que muchos no fueron a votar. También los hechos han dejado increíblemente asustados a las familias que quedan en la

Video: Berta Caceres of COPINH discusses election, fraud and repression

 From Honduras Solidarity Network Observation and Human Rights Monitoring

Interview with Berta Caceres, of the Indigenous Council of the Council of Indigenous and Popular Organization of Honduras (COPINH) discussing the topics of the election, fraud, and climate of militarization and repression.
Only a few days prior to the election, a delegation from the Honduras Solidarity Network was detained by armed men on the way to monitor the human rights crisis facing communities  protesting the hydroelectric dam project in Rio Blanco which have suffered repression since the beginning of the conflict.

News Release from the Council Analyzing Human Rights Violations in the Honduran Electoral Process

Source: Defensores en Linea

 


The general elections of 2013 are taking place in an atmosphere of suspicion, due to the historical experiences of “Honduras-style” electoral processes.

The council of analysis met today. Over the course of the day, we were visited by various respected figures who are part of the International Federation of Human Rights, FIDH, among them Luis Guillermo Pérez Casas and Judge Baltazar Garzon, with whom we shared some of the facts of this electoral process:

1.- The Council recognizes and values ​​the presence of more than one thousand observers and international accompaniers, distributed throughout almost all the departments of the country. Despite this contribution, some have been subjected to intimidation, persecution, and harassment, with a xenophobic slant. This has been the case in the department of Yoro, in a Jesuit Training Center; in nine hotels in Choluteca; in Francisco Morazán; in two hotels in the capital; and in Intibucá, in the community of Rio Blanco. Harassment also occurred in restaurants in Tegucigalpa where some international delegates were present, according to information that has been provided to our council.

2.- The militarization and control of the National Telecommunications Commission, CONATEL, and of media outlets which since the coup have continously published news which isn’t controlled by the groups that participated in the Coup d’etat, such as Radio Globo, GloboTV, and channel 11.

3 – The threats against, illegal detentions of, and intimidation against members of the voting tables and active members of the LIBRE (Liberty and Refoundation) Party by paramilitaries. This has been the case in the municipality of El Paraiso in the department of Copán, and also in the community of San Jeronimo, in the same department, where entry to the community was impeded. In La Union, Lempira, and Ocotepeque, attacks by armed men have also occurred. Also the attack on the members of this party, Julio Ramón Araujo Maradiaga (67) and María Amparo Pineda Duarte ( 52), in Cantarranas, Francisco Morazán, which took the lives of both. We also condemn the attacks on members of other parties, including the attack on Carlenton Dávila , mayoral candidate in Tegucigalpa for the Anticorruption Party (PAC).

4 – The buying and selling of votes and credentials by the National party, even using the Nationalist discount card “let’s work now,” has been observed in many parts of the country. In addition, there have been irregularities in the electoral registry, where people who are alive are listed as deceased, and voters have been transferred without consultation.

5 – Nationalist party activists have been used at the voting centers against some representatives of the LIBRE party. They have warned the LIBRE party members of possible attempts on their lives during or after the elections.

6.- We emphasize the mass participation of voters, despite the context described above. The Honduran population has demostrated enthusiasm, tranquility, serenity, restraint, and determination to exercise their right to vote. This indicates that the Honduran people have no interest in creating a climate of violence. We have called on the Honduran people to exercise their right to vote, and we urge that the conclusion of this process should not be marred by imprudent technological actions.

We also encourage citizens to continue lodging complaints, which we are open to receiving. Our council already has 63 cases, and will proceed to bring the violent cases to justice. We remind the people of Honduras that we are not alone, for we are being accompanied by hundreds of international defenders of human rights here in our country, who are taking note of the injustices and violations of basic rights, so that they can submit timely reports to their respective countries.
To conclude, we reaffirm our demand that human rights are respected, in particular the right to life , integrity, and freedom, rights which are systematically violated in this country.
Tegucigalpa M.D.C. November 24, 2013

The “Council Analyzing Human Rights Violations in the Honduran Electoral Process” consists of: the Union of Workers of the Beverage Industry and Similar Industries (STIBYS); the Visitation Padilla Women’s Movement for Peace; the Committee of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared of Honduras (COFADEH); the Center for Women’s Studies – Honduras (CEM-H); and the Center for Women’s Rights (CDM).

Violence, Intimidation and Inconsistencies on Election Day

Coverage by Sarah Blaskey from Rebel Reporting on the Honduran elections can be read at this link:

Rebel Reporting: Honduran Elections

Assasination of CNTC and LIBRE party members in Cantarras

[Version en español abajo]

From the Honduras Solidarity Networks Election Observervation and Human Rights Monitoring Blog

Two members of the Carbon Cooperative,  affiliated with the National Council of Rural Workers (CNTC),  were killed last night as they returned from an election training, as both victims had official electoral duties for today’s election. They were ambushed by masked gunmen with high caliper weapons as they returned home on foot. They died immediately from the shootings.

The incident occurred between 7:30 and 8:00 pm, in the community of Carbon, in the Cantarranas Municipality. Maria Amparo Pineda Duarte was the elected President of the Cooperative. Julio Ramon Maradiaga was an active member. The community is the site of an ongoing land struggle in the area, and both victims were active members in the LIBRE party.

      

Audio Interview by Observatory for the Human Rights and Resistance of Women (in spanish)

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Activistas asesinados en Cantarranas

 Dos socios de la Cooperativa del Carbon, afiliada con el Central Nacional de Trabajadores del Campo (CNTC), fueron asesinados anoche mientras regresaban de una capacitacion electoral, dado que los dos victimas tenian cargos oficiales electorales para las elecciones de hoy.  Unos hombres encapuchados los emboscaron con armas de alto calibre mientras iban caminando hacia sus casas. Se murieron inmediatamente por los tiroteos. Los hechos ocurrieron entre las 7:30 y las 8:00 PM, en la comunidad de Carbon, Municipio de Cantarranas. Maria Amparo Pineda Duarte era la Presidenta electa de la Cooperativa.  Julio Ramon Maradiaga era socio activo.  Hay una lucha de tierra continua en la zona , y los dos victimas eran socios activos del partido LIBRE. 

Link: Entrevista  por parte del Observatorio de Derechos Humanos y Resistencias de las Mujeres