Ricardo Castro, a radio and TV journalist for twenty-eight years, said he’s never seen repression like this in Honduras. The previous Wednesday in Comayagua, the simple act of taking out his recording equipment at an anti-coup protest got him thrown to the ground and beaten by police. He showed us the still-dark remnants of bruises sustained that day. Wednesday he was detained along with peaceful protestors, and he said that the police sprayed water and pepper powder on the floor of their holding cell to make their eyes and skin burn. On Monday in San Pedro Sula, Castro was in the caravan when police pulled him out of his vehicle – clearly marked PRESS – by his neck, put a pistol in his mouth to threaten him, then began beating him. He said, “I know many police officers; I’ve interviewed them over the years; many of them are quite calm. The ones yesterday were crazy.”
Read the full text of the delegation’s letter to the US Embassy in Honduras.
