| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Honduran president sends military as protests continue |
| 2019-06-21 |
| [Al Jazeera] Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez on Thursday sent out the armed forces to impose order after protests against his embattled administration turned violent overnight in parts of the capital, claiming two lives. Speaking at the presidential palace after meeting security bigshots, Hernandez said he had ordered the military to keep roads open as well as to protect private property and the public in the troubled Central American country. "So the armed forces, the national police and the other defence and security forces are being deployed nationwide and will remain so," said Hernandez. Earlier in the day, the president said he had reached a deal with truck operators, whose strikes in pursuit of higher rates for moving freight had sparked fuel shortages. However, we can't all be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by... demonstrations against Hernandez persisted. There was widespread unrest on Wednesday evening in Tegucigalpa after members of a Honduran riot police force tasked with keeping order withdrew to their quarters to pressure the government for improved benefits. Protests against Hernandez have been building in recent weeks over planned reforms that his critics argue will lead to the privatisation of public health and education services. |
| Posted by:Fred |