Honduras Government Must Respect Citizens’ Right to Peacefully Protest While Awaiting Election Results

Washington DC — Adriana Beltrán, Director for Citizen Security at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a leading research and advocacy organization advancing human rights in the hemisphere, issued the following statement today following reports of rising tensions in Honduras after the November 26 presidential elections:

“The inconsistencies and delays in Honduras’ vote-counting process are deeply concerning, and are generating tensions in the country. There are troubling reports that security forces attacked peaceful demonstrators yesterday. The government of Honduras has a responsibility to ensure that police and security forces exercise restraint, uphold its citizens’ rights to peacefully assemble, and respect the human rights of protesters as Hondurans and the international community continue to await the official results of the presidential election.”

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