2017–2018 Honduran protests

The 2017–18 Honduran protests were occurring throughout the country since the 2017 general election.

2017–18 Honduran protests
Part of the aftermath of the Honduran general election, 2017
Date27 November 2017—11 December 2018[1]
Location
 Honduras
Caused byFraud allegations
MethodsDemonstrations, riots, cacerolazos, street blockades, strike action
Casualties
Death(s)38
Injuries20+
Arrested1,675

Background
See also: Honduran general election, 2017

On 30 November, with approximately 94% of the votes counted, Hernández's lead had climbed to 42.92% compared to 41.42% for Nasralla.[2] On 1 December, the TSE announced that they would give no further results until the TSE had been able to review all of the 1,031 tally sheets which had not been properly filled out by the political parties.[2][3] The 1,031 tally sheets represent 5.69% of the total vote.[3] Later that same day, as the TSE was still trying to convoke 60 representatives and four supervisors for both Nasralla and Hernández for the final vote count,[4] Hernández's cabinet announced a ten-day curfew from 6pm to 6am to try to calm the violence associated with the protests.[5]

On 2 December, the Honduran National Roundtable for Human Rights issued a press release, in which it declared that the government actions were state terrorism against civilians, it warned that the declaration of a state of exception was in order to create repression to ensure electoral fraud labeling it as illegal after reading several articles of the Honduran constitution.[6]

Timeline

As of 2 December, at least 7 people had died in the protests with more than 20 injured.[7] On the second night of the curfew, thousands of people participated in what is known as "cacerolazos", banging pots and pans in protest.[8][9]

As of 15 December 2017, the court had finished a recount of ballot boxes that presented irregularities but had still not declared a winner, and protests continued throughout the country, with 16 deaths and 1,675 arrests, according to Honduras' National Human Rights' Commission.[10] The court has 30 days from the contest to do so.[10]

The TSE finally announced a winner on 17 December, giving Hernández the victory with 42.95% of the vote to Nasralla's 41.42%.[11] The announcement sparked a new wave of protests across the country, with Mel Zelaya announcing a national strike.[11] The country's two major cities - Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula - saw streets blockaded, their main exits blocked, and traffic between them severely reduced.[11][12]

Organization of American States (OAS) election monitors, in their final report, documented widespread and numerous irregularities in the conduct of the voting and ballot tabulation, and doubted the validity of the official results. OAS secretary general Luis Almagro issued a statement following the TSE's announcement saying: "Facing the impossibility of determining a winner, the only way possible so that the people of Honduras are the victors is a new call for general elections." Hernández rejected the OAS's position, and his top aide accused of OAS of seeking "to try and steal the election" for Nasralla.[13]

See also

References
  1. "Instalado el gran Diálogo Nacional" (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  2. "Elecciones en Honduras: la autoridad electoral postergó la declaración del ganador en la carrera presidencial". Infobae. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  3. "Las 1.031 actas que decidirán al próximo presidente de Honduras en medio de protestas, violencia y denuncias de fraude" (in Spanish). BBC Mundo. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
  4. "TSE pide a Nasralla y JOH nombrar representantes para escrutinio especial" (in Spanish). La Prensa. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
  5. "Honduras: Toque de queda de 6:00 pm a 6.00 am por 10 días". La Prensa. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
  6. Camila Parodi; Nadia Fink; Julieta Lopresto; Laura Salomé Canteros (2 December 2017). "Honduras: Mesa Nacional de Derechos Humanos denuncia asesinatos y detenciones tras protestas por fraude electoral" (in Spanish). El Ciudadano. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  7. "Honduras: posible fraude, muertos y mucha tensión" [Honduras: possible fraud, deaths and great tension] (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa: ABC Color. EFE. 2 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  8. "Cacerolazos y manifestaciones en Honduras al cumplirse segundo día de toque de queda" (in Spanish). Venezolana de Television. 3 December 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  9. "Seguidores de la Alianza de Oposición en Honduras hacen sonar cacerolas en protesta por toque de queda" (in Spanish). El Heraldo. 3 December 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
  10. Cuevas | AP, Freddy (2017-12-15). "Opposition blocks highways after Honduras presidential vote". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
  11. Freddy Cuevas (18 December 2017). "Continúan las protestas en Honduras por resultado electoral" (in Spanish). El Nuevo Herald. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  12. Agence France Presse (19 December 2017). "Las protestas se intensifican en Honduras tras la reelección del presidente en un supuesto "fraude"" (in Spanish). El Mundo. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
  13. Elisabeth Malkin, Honduran President Declared Winner, but O.A.S. Calls for New Election, New York Times (December 17, 2017).
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