Hondurans Launch a National Protest Against Election Results

Tens of thousands gather around presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla as protests continue around the country. | Photo: Courtesy of Heather Gies

Thousands of supporters of the Opposition Alliance filled the streets of Honduras this morning as part of a national movement to protest the irregularities surrounding the presidential elections.

Citizens erected roadblocks around the capital’s main highways, preventing traffic from continuing, while others marched the streets, demanding an end to the crisis. The demonstration continued until military police appeared on the scene and forced the protesters to disperse.

Social and political groups called for a national movement Sunday to denounce corruption and fraud in the U.S. and the Organization of American States (OAS).

A delegation of popular social organizations also took advantage of the movement to protest the hundreds of human rights violations in the country. There have been 16 killings, more than 620 people injured as well as dozens of arrests since the protests began, Human Rights Defender, Tomas Andino said.

Similar peaceful demonstrations have erupted across the nation drawing thousands to the streets with protesters declaring they will not rest until the true results of the presidential elections are released and the public has true electoral transparency.

“People collectively know that negotiations here take place in the United States Embassy. That’s why people are very upset, because what’s the point of voting if the president has already been chosen inside the US Embassy,” Historian Edgar Soriano said.

A partial recount was conducted following the public outrage and numerous claims of fraud following the release of the preliminary election results on November 26th. The process revealed the same result as the original counts, placing the incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez in the lead, Honduras’ electoral tribunal said Sunday.

“He won’t be able to govern because the protest will be permanent, it would be a big mistake for the United States to support a president that the people don’t want,” former president Manuel Zelaya Rosales said.

On Friday, Salvador Nasralla, the leader of the Alliance of Opposition Against the Dictatorship, called on the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) to initiate a total recount of all votes and documents.

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