Live
Audio Only
Tens of thousands of Hondurans took to the streets Friday night for the sixth consecutive week of protests to demand an independent investigation into government corruption and the resignation of President Juan Orlando Hernandez.
The latest round of torchlit protests were the largest yet in the ongoing movement, bringing some 60,000 people to the streets in the capital city of Tegucigalpa alone, with rallies also taking place in other cities.
Newsletter
#MarchaDeLasAntorchas crece #RenunciaJOH #FueraJOH @hoy_mismo @chambrelavadero @EsdrasALopez pic.twitter.com/flca9DF3Yy
— Carlos Andres Garcia (@PapaCarlosHN)
July 4, 2015
“March of the torches grow. Resign JOH, Out with JOH.”
The central demand of the protest is the establishment of an independent body of investigators to probe government corruption. The proposed accountability body, referred to as CICIH, would be modeled after the U.N. anti-impunity body called CICIG that has led recent fraud investigations in neighboring Guatemala.
RELATED: Central America Discusses Integration amid Political Crises
The protests also denounce fraud-embroiled President Juan Orlando Hernandez and demand his resignation. Thousands in the marches chanted, “No more corruption, out with JOH,” using the president's initial to call for his exit from office.
@HCHFansClub Impresionante #MarchaDeLasAntorchas en TEG pidiendo la #CICIH pic.twitter.com/86TaZklnzB
— DennisHn™ (@Andino2013)
July 4, 2015
“Impressive march of the torches in Tegucigalpa calling for CICIH.”
Hernandez and his ruling National Party are accused of receiving US$90 million of more than US$200 million embezzled in the country's Social Security Institute, known as IHSS, to fund the 2013 election campaign that saw him narrowly win amid widespread calls of electoral fraud.
RELATED: Washington Complicit in Honduras' Corruption Scandal
Hernandez has admitted to accepting a fraction of the accused amount, but has shirked responsibility saying he was not aware of the source of the cash.
#Honduras: March towards the Presidential Palace against the govt, on July 3. #FueraJOH #CICIHondurasYA #RenunciaJOH pic.twitter.com/RKa07GxYdx
— #FreeTenharim (@PersonalEscrito)
July 4, 2015
Last week, Honduras marked six years since the military coup that ousted democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya and brought Hernandez' National Party predecessor Porfirio Lobo to power in widely internationally condemned post-coup elections.
RELATED: Disaster Capitalism and Outrage in Post-Coup Honduras
Militarization of the country, human rights violations, and criminalization of political opposition and social movements have ballooned in the wake of the coup.
