Honduras: Nationwide anti-government protests scheduled on October 9 /update 11

Event

Members of the Platform of the Fight for the Defense of Health and Education have called for a nationwide anti-government protest on Wednesday, October 9, to denounce President Juan Orlando Hernandez and call on him to step down.

Protests are expected to begin in Tegucigalpa as of 16:00 (local time) at the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University (UPNFM). Associated protests in other urban centers are to be expected. Related protests are likely to take place over the next several days and weeks.

Heightened security measures, along with transportation disruptions, are likely near any demonstration sites; clashes between protesters and security forces cannot be ruled out.

Context

President Juan Orlando Hernandez was elected as Honduras' 55th president in 2013 and elected to a second term in office in 2017, though irregularities were flagged. The Honduran constitution allows a single 4-year presidential term, though the Supreme Court ruled to end the single term limit in 2016. Hernandez has faced accusations of corruption and ties to drug traffickers over the years.

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 are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid all protests and demonstrations as a precaution, and adhere to instructions issued by local authorities.