View this email in your browser 💻 February 6, 2023

By: Anna-Catherine Brigida 
A story from .coda 

“Why would a country of 9.5 million people need so many hardcore surveillance tools? To monitor anyone threatening to expose its wrongdoings or challenge its power. And to ensure its hold on a thriving drug trade” explains journalist Anna-Catherine Brigida as she dives into the Honduran government surveillance system. 

The Honduran government currently possesses some of the most advanced surveillance software out there, programs such as Pegasus, Cellebrite, i2, Palantir, and many more. These kinds of spyware are often found in highly organized security forces and are highly effective in collecting and tracking personal information.

Brigida provides an interesting insight into how technologies that were created for intelligence collection can become tools of oppression and in the case of Honduras, a valuable asset in the illegal drug trade.

These notes also bring the question, how does a well-funded security force benefit the Honduran people and what role will it play in President Xiomara Castro’s recent fight against organized crime and extortion? 

 🌎 To read more about how the Honduran government used its advanced surveillance to track down activists, undermine popular resistance, and aid the illegal drug trade check out Brigida's story here! 

On January 25, Honduras celebrated its National Women’s Day. Despite the date and the celebrations, Honduran women still struggle with unequal access to healthcare, violence and systematic injustice.

Later in the week, on January 27, President Xiomara Castro marked her second year in office, and in an official statement, Vice President Doris Gutierrez said there were still “three gifts” that President Castro owes to Honduran women. 

According to Guiterrez, the government must deliver by passing the Law Against Violence towards Women, the Safe Houses Law, and introducing reforms to the Penal Code. However, activists and experts go beyond and claim that more has to be done in order to improve the lives of Honduran women. 

The fights of the feminist movement in Honduras extend from fighting the normalized narrative of violence towards women to ensuring that they obtain unrestricted access to contraceptives such as Plan B. 

🌎 To learn more about the needs of Honduran women from local activists and organizations read here.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) announced that after their special “Shadow Diplomats” investigation governments from Jordan, Israel, Latvia and Spain have removed or initiated investigations into some of their honorary consuls. 

In the case of Shucri Kafie, a Honduran businessman and honorary consul of Jordan, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan approved the termination of Shucri Kafie’s consulate. In an investigation done by Contracorriente in collaboration with ICIJ, it was revealed that Shucri Kafie used his title as honorary consul to obtain special privileges during his trial for defrauding Honduras' public healthcare system. It was discovered that the Kafie family holds 8 honorary titles and most of them are treated as an inheritance. 

It is unsure why the Jordanian government decided to terminate the position, Jordanian officials explained to ICIJ that the termination of Kafie’s consulate was part of a general restructuring plan. However, it happened shortly after the special “Shadow Diplomats” was released.

In places such as Israel, Latvia, and Spain, the governments have launched a police investigation into some of their honorary consuls for being involved in crimes such as money laundering, corruption, and diamond trafficking. 

🌎 Read here the full details of the new developments from the investigation “Shadow Diplomats” 

🌎 Read the story of Shucri Kafie and his family here: The Kafies: A Story of Honduran elites, Honorary Consuls and their dubious international ties

After being unable to elect a supreme court this past January 25, Congress has set February 10, as the definitive date to elect the 15 magistrates for the Honduran Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the process has been filled with speculation and confusion as the different political parties struggle to propose a court that meets the majority of votes. 

In the list proposed by the LIBRE Party, Contracorriente found that 3 candidates have had questionable pasts. Their records however were dismissed by the Nominating Board which voted on dismissing complaints based on the context given. For most of them, the records were dismissed unanimously but for some candidates such as Milton Jimenez Puerto (LIBRE Party), the dismissal was done by a majority vote as the Civil Society representatives voted against the dismissal of records.

If the assembly cannot reach a consensus on a 15-candidate court proposal then according to the constitution Congress will have to go through a secret vote to individually elect the 15 magistrates.

🌎  More on the Supreme Court Election on the next El Boletin.