After the controversial presidential election, the government in Honduras has imposed a 10-day curfew on its citizens as well as suppressed protests by use of military force. Yet these protesters want answers in regards to the presidential election results that have been delayed until Wednesday.
The predicament erupted after prior president, Juan Orlando Hernandez, as well as his opponent, Salvador Nasralla, both claimed their victory in the election. Ballots are to be scrutinized due to the amount of technicalities throughout the election that appear suspicious of fraud. The idea of Hernandez running for re-election is in itself disputable as many claim a 2015 court ruling that overturned the constitutional ban on re-election was illegal. However the case may be, the establishment of martial law has allowed the public to recall the 2009 US-backed military coup that overthrew President Manuel Zelaya and silenced opposition; a time where human rights deteriorated and many activists were killed. In this current situation, candidate Nasralla has accused this curfew as a way to establish Hernandez’s election without the people being able to protest. Yet Nasralla refuses to be defeated and his campaign manager has called supporters to protest in a peaceful manner throughout the country.
Yet calling his supporters to protest will undoubtedly heighten the tension within the country as the police will target these protests in order to suppress them. Furthermore, I believe that the election should be redone in order for it to be fair and free from corruption. If Hernandez is to win a second term in office, many will lose trust in their government and the idea of a democracy will diminish further in Honduras. It appears that Hernandez’s power to silence those in opposition of him may allow for his gaining of more control in the country. The article’s reference to the 2009 coup interested me as in that situation as well, the people were denied their right to protest. Nasralla, who supported Zelaya, will undoubtedly continue to fight this situation until he obtains the results he wants. I am interested to know what the actual popularity poll was for these two candidates as it is unreliable due to the problems they had with their voting systems.