Currently, Hondurans are in the midst of an electoral process that will culminate on Nov. 30.

On Thursday, Honduran groups filed a hate speech complaint against the Liberal Party presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla, after his supporters burned a flag of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (LIBRE). The incident occurs amid the electoral process that will culminate on November 30.

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Right-wing activists led by Arnaldo Paguada burned the flag at the headquarters of the Liberal Party Council in Tegucigalpa. LIBRE authorities described the act as an apology for hatred and violence, demanding the justice system to act immediately against those responsible.

What Nasralla did “is not ‘criticism,’ it’s an apology for his hatred of the LIBRE party and the historic resistance put up by the dead, the persecuted, and the exiled,” former President Manuel Zelaya said, adding that the burned symbol represents 16 years of struggle against the two-party system.

Foreign Minister Gerardo Torres described the episode as a despicable and hateful act. “It is a crime, aggravated by the fact that Liberal Party’s candidate applauds the incitement to violence”, he declared.

The text reads, “In the absence of proposals, in the absence of arguments, and with the approval of Liberal candidate Nasralla Salum, today they dare to burn the flag of the Honduran dignity party. But what they will not be able to do—no matter how much fire they light—is burn the memory of the martyrs, the dignity of the Honduran resistance, or the dignity of a brave people who remain standing and advancing in the streets stronger than ever. This coming November 30th, the people will respond to them with votes, with dignity, and with conviction.”

Migration Affairs Minister Zulmit Rivera stated that the Liberal Party has always been violent. “They have given instructions to assassinate presidents, ordered the shooting of people demonstrating against their coups and their narco-state. They have always been the violent ones.”

In a public statement, the Liberal Party attempted to apologize for the incident: “A regrettable incident occurred involving an activist recently recruited into our ranks. Acting individually and autonomously, he made the grave mistake of burning a political party flag.”

Currently, Hondurans are in the midst of an electoral process that will culminate on November 30, when the Presidency, the National Congress, and the mayoralties of the Central American country will be elected.

teleSUR: JP

Source: teleSUR – El Libertador

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