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Honduras' popular “outraged” movement took to the streets with tens of thousands of supporters for the eighth week straight Friday night to protest government corruption and impunity and demand an independent investigation into the country's recent fraud scandals.
The movement, in alliance with opposition political parties, has focused on demanding the creation of a U.N. anti-impunity body. The proposed accountability body, called CICIH, would lead an independent probe into government corruption, beginning with President Juan Orlando Hernandez and his National Party, implicated in massive embezzlement from public coffers amounting to over US$200 million from the Social Security Institute alone.
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Escuche lo que el pueblo indignado le grita al presidente... #fuerajoh #CICIHondurasYA pic.twitter.com/ILV0XfxDxK
— Jorge Cálix (@JLCalix)
July 18, 2015
Protesters chant condemning government corruption.
The popular movement has also called for Hernandez' resignation, rejecting his proposed dialogue process as a viable means of tackling corruption.
“The Honduran people are outraged, the Honduran people are fed up and each day are more upset because the president of the republic, who is an employee of the people, just does not listen to the people,” said youth activist Miguel Briceno, according to Honduras' La Prensa.
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Briceno was among five youth leaders of the outraged movement who were able to meet with U.S. Ambassador James Nealon on Friday. During the meeting, the youth questioned Nealon about the use of future U.S. financial support for Honduras, asking whether the funds would go toward the popularly-supported CICIH or the government-proposed anti-corruption system, which opponents have condemned as doing nothing to challenge the status quo of impunity.
Embajada Americana recibí a jóvenes indignados que demandan la CICIH.... pic.twitter.com/7K8RjbSLmD
— Jose Manuel Zelaya R (@manuelzr)
July 18, 2015
“American Embassy received youth outraged activists who demand CICIH.”
“The solution has to be something made in Honduras and it has to be a Honduran solution,” said Nealon in a statement. “The United States will help in Honduras' efforts to try to combat impunity and corruption and promote transparency.”
Despite the scandals swirling around Hernandez' government and Honduras' deteriorating human rights record in the wake of the 2009 coup d'etat ousting President Manuel Zelaya, Washington still regards Honduras as a key partner. Obama's proposed US$1 billion Alliance for Prosperity plan for Honduras and neighboring Guatemala and El Salvador would triple funding for the region with more of the same policies that have – rather than reducing violence and insecurity – increased misery and forced migration.
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Diverging from the route of previous marches, Friday's protest included two marches toward the presidential palace converging from separate starting points at the university UNAH and the U.S. Embassy, both key places of recent movement action. While pro-government sources described the two marches as a sign of division in the movement, activists on social media described the protest route as “2x1,” escalating the action with a double march.
From different points of the city protesters continue gathering around Presidential Palace in #Honduras pic.twitter.com/GUZxa0kric
— Gerardo T teleSUR (@GerardoTteleSUR)
July 18, 2015
The latest round of torchlit protests come a day after security forces repressed and beat hunger striking protesters in order to block their peaceful demonstration at the presidential palace. The marches also come the same day as authorities issued an eviction order against student activists protesting corruption with a sit in at UNAH, the national university in Tegucigalpa.
Earlier this week, opposition Libre Party leader and former President Manuel Zelaya proposed a referendum to put the question of establishing CICIH to a popular vote by the Honduran people.
WATCH: Imaginary Lines speaks with Honduran Solidarity Network’s Karen Spring about recent protests and consolidation of elite power
