The Los Angeles Times reports on some distressing news from Central America:
Nine months after a military-led coup plunged Honduras into political turmoil, human rights groups are denouncing what they see as an alarming spate of attacks on journalists, including the killings of five in March alone.
No one has been arrested in the slayings, and speculation on motives has run the gamut. The violence illustrates the depth to which Honduras remains unsettled and on edge, even after a new president was elected in November and installed in January amid promises to heal national divisions.
As the story notes, it’s not clear that all of this violence is politically motivated—Honduras has a high murder rate and an organized crime presence that predates the current unrest. Whatever the reason, it seems apparent some reporters are being targeted:
One of the victims, Joseph Hernandez Ochoa, was killed as he drove with colleague Karol Cabrera, a TV news host known for her support of the coup. She was injured. Three months earlier, attackers shot at Cabrera’s car, killing her pregnant 16-year-old daughter. Cabrera says she has received numerous death threats.
More details at the link.
