07 Aug 2019 | 10:15 AM UTC
Honduras: Further protests planned in Tegucigalpa following clashes August 7 /update 8
Hondurans to protest in Tegucigalpa following clashes with police August 7; further clashes possible
Event
The Platform in Defense of Health and Education of Honduras has called for another protest in Tegucigalpa on Wednesday, August 7, following a day of protests the day prior that ended in clashes with police. Protesters are scheduled to gather at 07:00 (local time) in front of the Instituto Central Vicente Caceres (ICVC). They will continue to protest corruption and call for President Juan Orlando Hernández's resignation.
Protests on August 7 are likely to produce further clashes between protesters and police, as well as significant transportation disruptions. Heightened security is to be expected throughout the city, particularly due to the violence the day prior. Business disruptions are also likely. Further associated protests are possible in the coming days and weeks.
Context
Protests on August 6 ended in clashes with the police, after police officers attempted to disperse the crowd with tear gas and water cannons. In response, demonstrators reportedly threw stones and sticks at the officers and burned nearby businesses. This protest was organized after a court document filed in the US on Friday, August 2, alleged that President Hernández's 2013 campaign received 1.5 million USD from drug traffickers. Hernández denied the allegations, claiming that the report is part of a smear campaign by political rivals and drug gangs.
Honduras has experienced a wave of violent demonstrations against President Hernández in recent months, after the government presented reforms in the education and health sectors. Many doctors and teachers, with the support of students, have been demonstrating and blockading streets for over a month against two government decrees that, in their opinion, privatize health and education. On June 24, police stormed a university and shot at students in Tegucigalpa, injuring eight.
Advice
Individuals in Honduras, particularly in Tegucigalpa, are advised to monitor the situation, avoid all public demonstrations as a precaution, anticipate transportation disruptions and a heightened security presence in the vicinity of all protests, and adhere to instructions issued by local authorities.
