16 de March de 2010 Press Release

Appointment of Former Honduran Army General as Manager of National State Company worries CEJIL

San José, Costa Rica, March 11, 2010

Honduran president, Porfirio Lobo, appointed the former head of state

Joint Staff of the Armed Forces, Romeo Vasquez Velasquez, as the new manager of the Honduran Telecommunications Company (Hondutel) on March 8. The former general was involved in the arrest and expulsion of former president Manuel Zelaya Rosales on June 28, 2009. Vasquez Velasquez was a key player in the coup in Honduras, which was later dismissed by the Supreme Court, along with 5 more military men. This appointment is a recognition of an unfortunate person who attacked Honduran democratic system.

Romeo Vasquez Velasquez was in command of the armed forces when massive and serious human rights violations were committed. Since June 28, several media outlets were illegally raided. Additionally, because these facts did not stop, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has adopted protective measures to ensure free expression of Channel 36, Radio La Catracha, Cholusat Sur, and Radio Globo, as well as it ordered the return of the transmission equipment that soldiers and police had seized on  September 26, 2009.

During the months following the coup, the army attacked civilians, suppressed manifestations, and harassed human rights defenders, journalists, among others. An example of such serious violations human rights is the death of Isis Mencías Obed Murillo, 19 years of age, who died of a gunshot wound in her head near Toncontin airport in Tegucigalpa. The demonstration was suppressed by the armed forces who arranged snipers in nearby buildings.

The IACHR has noted in its Honduran Report: Human Rights and Coup D’état

<http://www.cidh.oas.org/countryrep/Honduras09sp/Indice.htm>, which “for the duration of the curfew, Army agents intimidated the population not to leave their homes and detained people without a warrant”. The report of the IACHR there are kept various human rights violations committed by members of the Army forces which was headed at that time by General Vasquez.

The president’s decision to benefit this former military man with this appointment sets a bad precedent and casts doubt on its commitment to democracy and respect for human rights. Romeo Vasquez ought to be investigated by the serious human rights violations

who committed the Army while he was directing. This appointment is a carte blanche to impunity and increasingly dwindling options is identified, prosecuted and prosecuted those responsible of events.

Since the appointment of Romeo Vasquez exclusively by the Executive power, CEJIL urges the president Porfirio Lobo to revoke such designation and to refrain from such actions that reward those who occupied positions of power when human rights violations occurred. The situation is critical and Honduras President must set the standard and example of the commitment to strengthening the Rule of law. Unfortunately, events like this put on question that duty.

 

* Recent Press Releases from CEJIL on Honduras *

Secretary of State Clinton Should Promote Thorough Accountability for Human Rights Violations in Honduras

Impunity Reinforced in Honduras

CEJIL requests minimum conditions for the establishment of a mechanism to search for the truth in Honduras

https://cejil.org/.website_6cea44c6/en/comunicados/cejil-requests-minimum-conditions-establishment-a-mechanism-search-truth-honduras

CEJIL sought assurances for the protection of human rights in Honduras
<https://cejil.org/.website_6cea44c6/comunicados/cejil-pide-garantias-para-la-proteccion-de-los-derechos-humanos-en-honduras> (In Spanish)

Murder of Human Rights Defender in Honduras
<https://cejil.org/.website_6cea44c6/comunicados/asesinan-a-defensor-de-derechos-humanos-en-honduras> (In Spanish)

 

Contact in Costa Rica
Nancy Marín Espinoza
Press and Difusion
Tel: 506-2280-7473/7608
E-Mail: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>

www.cejil.org

The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) is an advocacy of human rights in the Americas. CEJIL’s main objective is to ensure full implementation of international human rights standards in the Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS), through the effective use of the Inter-american human rights system and other international protection mechanisms. CEJIL is a nongovernmental nonprofit with consultative status at the OAS, the Organization of the United Nations (UN) and observer status with the African Commission on Human Rights.