Vigil marks one year since Honduras Coup

The Latin American Committee **and** **the** Wellington Zapatista Support Group **are holding a vigil at lunchtime today outside the **New Zealand Press Association, 93 Boulcott Street, Wellington** to mark the passing of one year since the military coup which overthrew the Constitutional President of Honduras, *Manuel Zelaya Rosales, to protest the lack of adequate press coverage in New Zealand of subsequent events in Honduras, and to commemmorate the dead.

We invite members of the public to bring flowers, a candle, or just themselves, to pay tribute.

*We are deeply concerned at reports by* human rights groups in Honduras that there have been 48 documented assassinations of Resistance members since the coup, with 15 since the inauguration of much-disputed President Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo, on January 28. **

We note that it isn't just "activists and opposition leaders" who are being killed with impunity. *Nine journalists have been murdered in Honduras since January 2010*, prompting international watchdog groups to label Honduras the most dangerous country in the world for journalists.

The nine Honduran journalists killed since January 2010 are:

- *Nicolás Asfura - *Murdered February 18* * - *Joseph Hernández Ochoa – *March 1 - *David Meza – *March 11 - *Nahúm Palacios Arteaga – *March 14 - *José Bayardo Mairena - *March 26 - *Manuel Juárez* - March 26 - *Luis Chévez Hernández* - April 11 - *Georgino Orellana* - April 20 - *Luis Arturo Mondragón – *June 14

LAC and the Wellington Zapatista Support Group demand:

• that members of the New Zealand Press Association cease ignoring the appalling situation in Honduras,

• NZ journalists start behaving like competent and responsible members of their profession,

o by demanding the prosecution of the murderers of their nine colleagues, as well as all others killed since the coup, and

o by giving the grave situation in Honduras the media attention it warrants.

Latin America Solidarity Committee Wellington Zapatista Support Group

http://floweroftheword.wordpress.com/

http://www.converge.org.nz/lac/index.htm

ENDS

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