Tegucigalpa, June 10 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Tegucigalpa was flooded for the third time in two weeks on Tuesday with thousands of people carrying torches in street protests against corruption in the country.
The movement dubbed the “Outraged” on social networks, in reference to the Spanish Indignados movement, especially demanded the resignation of President Juan Orlando Hernandez, in the wake of a multi-million dollar Social Security Institute scandal. The president admitted last week his presidential campaign had been funded by resources of dubious nature, but claimed he was not aware of it. He has faced a wave of protests demanding an end to corruption and his resignation.
Protesters say they will continue to march until impunity is eradicated. They also say they have no links to any political party. “This is not a political party, here no one wants to pull water for his or her own mill. What we want is that the country moves forward,” said one of the march organizers, Ariel Varela.
Another organizer, Paul Zepeda, said: “Our struggle is to make those who are corrupt pay back to the state what they have stolen.” And he added: “We will not let political parties lead this march because this is a civil society movement.”
Another march has already been planned for Friday to call on the international community to help setting up a commission against impunity similar to the one in neighboring Guatemala. The right-wing National Party allegedly received $90 million of the $300 million stolen from the the Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS).
The money, they claim, funded Hernandez’s costly 2013 presidential campaign against Xiomara Castro, wife of former President Manuel Zelaya. The funds were apparently siphoned off through fake businesses, some of which wrote checks to the party, and jacked up prices to fund kickbacks. The entire 18-person board of the IHSS is under investigation. They all happen to be members of the National Party.
Meanwhile, several National Party officials filed a lawsuit against Salvador Nasralla, head of the Anti-Corruption party, claiming his allegations of misappropriated funds are defamatory.
