HONDURAS

The manager of the state telecommunications agency, Hondureña de Telecomunicaciones (Hondutel), Marcelo Cherri, filed a series of lawsuits against journalists on September 28 for publishing reports about alleged misappropriation and diversion of funds. The allegations were originally reported in the Mexican daily El Universal. Renato Alvarez and Rosanna Guevara of the channel Televicentro; Melissa Amaya and Juan Carlos Funes of Radio Cadena Voces; Carlos Mauricio Flores of the daily El Heraldo; and Nelson Fernández, editor of La Prensa, were sued for libel and defamation. The businessman supported his complaint by citing Article 164 of the Penal Code which states: “The owners, managers and directors of advertising media are required to exhibit the signature of the original written material or the audio recording or film that contains the recording or images in whose publication there has been libel or defamation. If they do not do it they are guilty of that offense.” The criminal courts rejected these complaints because they found that there was no malice in the publications. Attacks against journalists have continued, but it is not possible to determine precisely if they were attacked because of their work. Authorities are investigating. Executives and reporters of radio station Radio Cadena Voces (RCV) of Teguicigalpa reported at the end of August that they had been intimidated and threatened by President Manuel Zelaya, who told one of their reporters, “If I were Hugo Chávez I would have closed that radio station by now.” Carolina Torres of RCV, who has been covering the president’s office since August, has said that there is a news blackout against the station. She said that the president’ s office has refused to give her formal accreditation or call on her in news conferences. The president’s schedule has been kept from her. On September 7, Geovanny García of channel Hondured, was followed while in her car by unknown persons on a motorcycle. They cut her off and fired seven shots, one of which caused a superficial wound to a hand. García had reported on corruption cases involving contracts to pave roads implicating some officials of the Public Works Department. On the same day, Martín Ramírez of the daily La Tribuna was threatened several times after publishing an article about organized crimes (juvenile gangs) and their alleged ties to the police. The telephone threats to the journalist and his family increased after one of the police officers disclosed his identity and the subject of his investigation.