By Brenda Lopez Romero
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – The Organization of American States (OAS) expressed concern that three political activists have been murdered in the last month.  Since Zelaya was deposed there has also been kidnappings, arbitrary detentions, torture, sexual violations and illegal raids against the political resistance to the military.

In January there was a new President Porfirio Lobo Sosa elected, who must now handle the civil society and liberties issues in the country.  The commission indicated “Honduras must adopt urgent measures to guarantee the rights to life, humane treatment and personal liberty … All persons, without distinction, must be equally protected in the exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and political participation.”

Minister of Security Oscar Arturo Alvarez Guerrero reported that “[w]e will strengthen our investigations aimed at clearing up these events, appointing a special squad that will produce the arrests of those responsible and the unrestricted application of justice.”

The recently murdered activists were 29-year-old Vanessa Zepeda Alonzo, union member Julio Funez Benitez, and Claudia Maritza Brizuela, daughter of union and community leader Pedro Brizuela; all participated against the coup.

The Commission wrote “with dismay that it appears that sons and daughters of leaders of the Resistance Front are being killed, kidnapped, attacked and threatened as a strategy to silence the activists.”  OAS has not faulted the new government but rather the previous political unrest.

For more information, please see:

CNN – Report condemns Honduras violence – 08 March 2010