Honduras: Curfew lifted in eight departments December 6 /update 19

Event

Authorities suspended overnight curfews on Wednesday, December 6, in eight departments: Choluteca, Valle, El Paraíso, Ocotepeque, Copán, Lempira, Intibucá, and Santa Bárbara, as well as Comayagua city center. Curfew orders remain in effect in the remaining ten departments between the hours of 20:00 until 05:00 (local time); all curfews are currently slated to expire on Sunday, December 10.

The Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE) has extended the deadline for all election-related legal challenges to Friday, December 8; it will reportedly not declare the winner of the election until such disputes are resolved. The TSE's deadline to declare an election winner is December 26.

Election-related political violence has resulted in the arrests of several hundred people, and at least three deaths, since November 29; some local media sources have reported as many as 12 related deaths. Additional protests, political violence, and associated transportation disruptions are expected in the coming days throughout Honduras, and particularly in Tegucigalpa.

Context

On Tuesday, December 5, opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla urged the TSE to review all voting cards, or to permit a runoff election between Nasralla and President Juan Orlando Hernández. Honduran law does not currently permit such elections, so special legislation would need to be drafted.

Protests have been ongoing throughout Honduras since Wednesday, November 29. Reports of vandalism and looting are widespread, particularly in urban areas. On December 1, military officials announced that the government had suspended several constitutional guarantees, granting security forces greater power to address election-related protests and violence. Violent clashes were reported on December 2 in Tegucigalpa between the Honduran police and protesters. On Sunday, December 3, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tegucigalpa in protests that occurred largely without incident. Mass demonstrations took place in major Honduran cities on December 5, leading to transportation disruptions.

The TSE has been criticized by international observers for a lack of transparency during the vote counting process. Nasralla has claimed that the TSE has manipulated the election tally in incumbent President Hernández's favor in recent days, and that "there will be civil war" if Hernández is declared the winner. The TSE announced on December 4 that it had completed a review of all alleged voting irregularities and finished counting all of the votes, but have yet to release the final result.

Advice

Individuals in Honduras are advised to adhere to any instructions issued by local authorities (including curfew orders), monitor developments to the situation, and strictly avoid all demonstrations.

Visitors to the country should note that political activism by foreign nationals is prohibited under Honduran law. Foreigners who take part in demonstrations or other political activities risk detention and or/deportation.