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[Translation of an article by Agence France Presse as published in Diario Tiempo of San Pedro Sula on May 8. See original here.]

Tegucigalpa – The assassination in Honduras of journalist Erick Martínez, who was a spokesman for homosexual groups and a congressional candidate for the Left, has reawakened anger in the most violent country in the world, where 18 other murders of journalists remain unpunished.

The body of the 32-year-old journalist, an activist with the Libertad y Refundación party (Libre, the leftist party of former President Manual Zelaya [and the electoral arm of the Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular]), was found on a highway outside the capital on Monday night with indications he had been strangled.

“The results of the criminal investigations are blank pages; there is no interest in investigating, there is an institutional weakness and a lack of responsibility in the exercise of public duty,” government Human Rights Commissioner Ramón Custodio told AFP. (more…)

((Revistazo photo))

[Translation of an article from Revistazo of Tegucigalpa for April 20. See original here  and related articles here, here and here.]

Tegucigalpa – The Ministry of the Interior has announced the issuing of warrants for police, military and civilians involved in human rights violations and the assassinations of more than 50 people in the Bajo Aguán region. The campesino leadership considers it necessary to punish those responsible but has no confidence in any actions the prosecutor may take.

Although he did not disclose the names of those involved, Special Prosecutor for Human Rights Germán Enamorado told the press that the prosecutor’s office has succeeded in gathering the evidence needed to initiate prosecutions, which in the case of public employees will involve charges for abuse of authority, dereliction of duty, personal injury and attempted homicide. (more…)

An interview with Guillermo Padilla Amador

[Abridged translation of an interview from Página/12 of Buenos Aires for September 19. See original here.]

by Gustavo Veiga

In Honduras, he took part in the resistance movement against the coup that deposed President Manuel Zelaya and a year later he had to seek exile. Despite the fact that Zelaya returned to Honduras and there is now an elected government, dozens of opponents have been assassinated with the coming of a wave of supposed street violence.

Why did you have to go into exile in Argentina after fighting for a year against the coup d’état against Manuel Zelaya in Honduras?

Because there are disguised political assassinations in my country and the Honduran army has the best advisers, Colombians as well as Israelis, for carrying them out. Singers of popular music are turning up run over by cars or activists done away with, with their pants pockets turned out. Street violence has been increased deliberately to cover up political assassinations. The Porfirio Lobo government has allowed these deaths. Fourteen journalists have been assassinated in Honduras during his government. That’s why I’m not going back. (more…)

[Translation of an article from Brasil de Fato for August 26. See original here.]

By Aline Scarso

Another leader of rural workers has been assassinated in the state of Pará. Valdemar Oliveira Barbosa, 54 years of age, was killed by gunshots to the face and neck at about 10:00 on Thursday, August 25, on Belém-Brasília Avenue in the São Felix neighborhood, on the outskirts of Marabá. Witnesses of the killing said that shots were fired by a gunmen who fled, with the help of another man, on the backseat of a motorcycle. Since they were wearing helmets, they could not be recognized.

Known as Piauí, Valdemar is the sixth leader of rural workers in the southern and southeastern region of the state killed by gunmen this year. In May he had contacted the Delegacia de Conflitos Agrários (DECA – a unit of the civil police dealing with agrarian conflicts) in Marabá and reported that his life had been threatened by Vicente Correa, owner of the Califórnia farm, located in a rural area of the community of Jacundá, where Valdemar had been leader of an occupation in 2010. (more…)

[Translation of an article from Revistazo.com of Honduras for April 20.]

A bullet to the head ended the life of journalist Georgino Orellano, making him the seventh reporter killed in the country in 2010. Another murder to deplore, along with the negligence with which police forces operate in Honduras.

Preliminary accounts say Orellano had been stalked by an individual who would wait for him at the exit to the television network installation in San Pedro Sula where he worked.

A gunshot wound in the head inflicted as he got into his car is said to have caused his immediate death. Other accounts say he died as he was being admitted to a public hospital in the city. (more…)