International Accompaniers Continue Deployment Across Honduras

With two days left for the November 28 elections in Honduras, a mission of accompaniers from Colombia, the United States and Mexico began its deployment on Thursday in the territory of that Central American nation to observe the development of the country's democratic exercise.

In a meeting with the media held in Tegucigalpa (capital), the director of the Center for the Study of Democracy in Honduras (Cespad), Gustavo Irías, valued that the observers will contribute to the development of transparent, legitimate and peaceful elections, and thanked them for their presence in the country.

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The co-director of the US non-governmental organization Global Exchange, Marco Castillo, explained that they decided to participate due to the deep concern caused by the role that the United States (US) Government has assigned itself as "judge" of the electoral processes in the region.

He noted that they also mobilized out of fear that Honduras could face another crisis like the one that occurred during the 2017 elections, when the opposition denounced the existence of fraud and large protests ensued.

According to press media, Global Exchange deployed 25 observers and facilitates the accompaniment of others, coming from Mexico.

For her part, the coordinator of the electoral observation mission, Lucía Vijil, said that this group will help to support the right to "live in democracy, to monitor the infringement of public liberties and human rights."

She also showed concern for the violence that has characterized the elections. She said that "more than 25 candidates have already been assassinated and this generates tension and is conditioning Honduran society to vote."

According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), around 7,000 national observers and 400 international observers are expected to attend the elections.

This Friday the denunciation of the deputy director of the World Network of Young Politicians of Honduras, Andrea Sandoval, who pointed out that the National Institute of Migration (INM) denied access to the country to a group of foreign electoral observers, also came to light.

According to Sandoval, the INM's refusal was due to the fact that the observers were not on the list of accreditations assigned by the CNE, which only issued 26 credentials out of 60 requested.

Sandoval emphasized that her entity did the diligence of requesting credentials in advance and regretted that the observers had to return to their countries.

It was also learned that the Armed Forces (Armed Forces), immersed in the distribution of electoral material throughout the country, began the shipment by air of the necessary electoral ballots for the voting of Hondurans living in the U.S. and Central American nations.

The CNE authorized just 15,713 Hondurans residing in those territories to vote, of which 12,868 currently live in the US.

According to the spokesman of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant José Coello, electoral material was sent to the U.S. cities of Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, McAllen, Seattle, Boston, San Francisco and Charlotte.

In the case of Central America, voting will be available in San Salvador, Guatemala City, Managua, San José, Panama City and Belmopán, all capital cities.