Honduras’ President Hernandez sworn in amid protests

Tegucigalpa – Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez used to be sworn in for a 2nd time length amid protests over what the opposition calls electoral fraud. 

Hernandez’s inauguration on Saturday comes below the shadow of more than 30 deaths linked to the political upheaval in the nation for the explanation that kill of November. 

Hernandez, accused of stealing the presidential election to consolidate what critics dub a dictatorship, had promised an « austere » and instant inauguration on Saturday.

Talking to supporters gathered in the heavily-guarded nationwide stadium in Tegucigalpa, the National Obtain collectively president vowed to work to carry out jobs, take care of violent crime, and fight corruption.

Up against a line of militia police and nationwide police blocks away, opposition supporters carrying pink and white  flags of the Opposition Alliance In opposition to the Dictatorship and left-bolt Libre occasion shouted « Out with JOH ».

The chant has been the rallying weep of demonstrations against alleged fraud in the November 26 vote that plunged the nation into its worst political crisis since a militia coup in 2009.

Luis Gustavo, who had a white bandana on his face, marched with opposition supporters. 

« We youth need jobs, training, a larger existence. This authorities has us up against the wall, » the 24-year-frail urged Al Jazeera. « This authorities is a dictatorship. »

Opposition supporters marched in Tegucigalpa chanting « Out with JOH »[Eduardo Verdugo/AP]

Gustavo rejected the authorities slogan that claims « Honduras is changing ». 

But supporters attending the inauguration embraced it.

« All of us know these four more years will doubtless be one more push forward for our nation, » Famo Antonio Diaz, a National Obtain collectively supporter from the inner division of La Paz, urged Al Jazeera originate air the stadium before the inauguration.

« The economic system has picked up, crime has reduced, and there were many achievements with the Vida Mejor programme. »

Unstable ground

The European Union election observation mission wondered the dearth of distinction between authorities resources, including social programmes, and National Obtain collectively coffers in the election marketing campaign.

The contested vote depend saw the incumbent president soar over what had regarded as if it would per chance per chance be an insurmountable 5 percent lead for his challenger, sportscaster-grew to change into-politician Salvador Nasralla of the Opposition Alliance.

The statistically no longer going flip came after a sequence of irregularities, including computer malfunctions and prolonged blackouts in the begin of outcomes.

In a story, commissioned by the Group of American States, Georgetown University’s Dr Irfan Nooruddin argued that a exciting substitute in vote patterns between early- and boring-reporting precincts used to be according to claims that the votes counted final were tampered with.

The electoral commission, led by a National Obtain collectively member, declared Hernandez the winner by 50,000 votes three weeks after election day. The announcement ideal additional spurred protests, which paralysed important roads, in particular in the northern segment of the nation where Hernandez faces ideal opposition.

Supporters of President Hernandez carried banners that read « United for Peace » [AFP]

Political analyst Victor Meza urged Al Jazeera that top disapproval for Hernandez and distrust in the election kill consequence locations the manager on unstable ground.

« As the unique authorities is a made of electoral fraud and additionally the made of an unlawful re-election, the muse of unique authorities is imperfect with two severe considerations that impact its credibility and legitimacy, » said Meza, director of the Center for Honduran Documentation.

« If its legitimacy and credibility are so worn, then the conclusion is that its governability will doubtless be very precarious and worn, » he added.

Inspire at Saturday’s anti-authorities march, opposition supporter Amanda Cruz, dressed in pink of the opposition Libre occasion with a Honduran flag draped over her shoulders, agreed.

« This is rarely an inauguration or no longer it is an imposition of an unlawful president elected by fraud, » she urged Al Jazeera.

« They kill money on teargas when this nation does now not even salvage pills in our hospitals, » she added, referring to the corruption scandal implicating the National Obtain collectively in a multi-million embezzlement scandal in the crumbling public successfully being system. The fraud device allegedly benefited Hernandez’ 2013 election marketing campaign.

Security forces deployed teargas against opposition protesters sooner than the march and as soon as it reached the stadium as Hernandez used to be wrapping up his address.

Some demonstrators threw rocks at the windows of buses that transported National Obtain collectively supporters to the tournament.

Security forces deployed run gas at the opposition march [Edgard Garrido/Reuters]

Saturday’s march adopted a week of rallies that gained ideal a fraction of ultimate month’s energy and took space below heavy presence of teach forces. 

National and world human rights organisations salvage raised dread over the police and military’s excessive and lethal employ of power against demonstrators, including firing run gas, water cannons, and stay ammunition.

The human rights organisation the Committee of the Family members of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH) reported no longer lower than 30 other folks were killed in the political crisis by the head of December.

Analyst Meza predicted that every protests and the teach crackdown will proceed, albeit in more dispersed kinds actual by the nation.

« A authorities as worn as this does now not salvage any varied option but repression to be in a region grasp itself in energy, » he said. « It does now not salvage any public credibility, it does now not salvage an actual social noxious. »

Dialogue? 

Hernandez has promoted a nationwide dialogue as a technique out of the crisis, but failed to take the opposition in talks. The president sent a letter to the UN this week requesting « technical lend a hand » to facilitate a dialogue.

The opposition has criticised the gesture for presidency-led dialogue as disingenuous and demanded « binding » world mediation.

« I’m no longer going to sit down down down to dialogue if the mediator does now not salvage the energy to impose what they arrive by, » Nasralla urged Al Jazeera at the opposition rally in Tegucigalpa on Saturday.

Nasralla, who reduced his profile and distanced himself from the Opposition Alliance following Washington’s endorsement of the election outcomes final month, has continued to command the election used to be rigged.

The Group of American States Secretary-Traditional known as for establish spanking unique elections, but then expressed its « firm design » to work with the unique authorities. The US, Canada, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and varied countries salvage recognised Hernandez’ elevate.

Hernandez is the first Honduran president to support a 2nd time length in space of job, because the Structure prohibits presidential re-election. A controversial 2015 ruling from the nation’s top court docket, stacked with judges tremendous to Hernandez’ conservative National Obtain collectively, threw out the ban on re-election on the grounds that it used to be unconstitutional.

Hernandez has pledged to reign in violent crime and enhance the economic system by attracting international funding.

His Honduras 20/20 thought guarantees to carry out 600,000 jobs in 5 years with a take care of the tourism, textiles, manufacturing and industry lend a hand companies sectors.

In accordance with World Bank info, Honduras is the most unequal nation in Latin The US. Home to 9 million other folks, it additionally one of many poorest and most violent countries in the spot.