HONDURAS URGENT ACTION: THE MARCH FOR LIFE

Before the national and international communities, The Committee of Family Members of the Disappeared or Detained in Honduras (El Comité Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos en Honduras, or COFADEH) is proud to announce the launch of the National March for Life (Marcha Nacional por la Vida). The March is being organized in view of death threats and other crimes against religious leaders speaking out in defense of the environment, like the death threat a year ago against Priest Fernando Velasquez, Cura Párroco of the Municipality of Gualaco in the Department of Olancho. Today history repeats itself: now Priest Juan Alonzo Paguada, assigned to the Parroquia of Campamento, Olancho, finds himself in an equally unsafe and insecure condition. On Sunday the 6th of July of the present year, he was ambushed on the highway which connects the municipalities of Salamá and El Rosario, in Olancho.

We demand that the Central Government investigate these denounced crimes and stop the harassment.

To the national and international communities: Solidarity.

Please contact the following authorities and ask them to help put an end to these atrocities:

President of the Republic of Honduras RICARDO MADURO JOES Presidente de la República de Honduras Casa Presidencial Boulevard Juan Pablo Segundo Palacio José Cecilio del Valle Tegucigalpa, Honduras Fax: (504) 2214552

Minister of Public Security OSCAR ALVAREZ Ministro de Seguridad Pública Ministerio de Seguridad Pública Barrio Casamata Tegucigalpa, Honduras Tel: (504) 220-55-47

Lawyer VILMA CECILIA MORALES Presidenta Corte Suprema de Justicia Tegucigalpa, Honduras Teléfono: (504) 234-23-67

To support Honduras, contact: Rights Action: info@rightsaction.org, 416-654-2074