Honduras: The National Popular Resistance Front (Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular, FNRP) and the Liberty and Refoundation (Libertad y Refundación, LIBRE) party, including group composition and membership cards; treatment of members who conduct recruitment (2011-August 2013)

1. FNRP

The FNRP is a Honduran coalition formed by those opposed to the ouster of the former president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, following a coup in 2009 (PHW 2012, 608; US 18 June 2010, 8-9).

According to the Congressional Research Service of the United States (US), since 2009, the FNRP "has become a broad leftwing movement" in Honduras and "includes labour unions, worker and campesino organizations, human rights advocates, and other civil society groups" (ibid., 9). The Political Handbook of the World (PHW) states that the FNRP consisted of workers' organizations and other grassroots groups, and that it became the main opposition group to the government of President Porfirio Lobo, which it did not recognize as legitimate (2012, 608, 610).

Information on the composition of the FNRP, its membership cards and its recruitment activities could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2. LIBRE

The LIBRE party is described as the [translation] "political arm" of the FNRP (Brasil de Fato 1 Nov. 2011; Rel-UITA 1 July 2013; NOTIMEX 16 May 2012). The party was founded in 2011 (Agencia EFE 28 June 2013; Brasil de Fato 1 Nov. 2011). Its founders include Manuel Zelaya and other members of the FNRP (Tiempo28 June 2013; US 24 July 2013, 8). In November 2012, Xiomara Castro, the wife of former President Zelaya, was elected as a LIBRE party candidate for the 2013 presidential elections (Reuters 19 Nov. 2012; US 24 July 2013, 8).

The EFE agency, a Spanish press agency, states that Manuel Zelaya is the party's general coordinator (Agencia EFE 28 June 2013). According to an article from the Brazilian newspaper Brasil de Fato, translated into Spanish and posted on the FNRP Internet site, LIBRE has five internal factions; the main faction is the Popular Refoundation Force (Fuerza de Refundación Popular, FRP), and it is under the direction of the FNRP (Brasil de Fato 1 Nov. 2011). Further corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

Furthermore, information on the LIBRE party's membership cards and its recruitment activities could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3. Treatment of Members of the FNRP and LIBRE Who Conduct Recruitment

Information on the treatment of members of the FNRP and LIBRE party who conduct recruitment activities could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. However, the following information may be useful.

According to the Political Handbook of the World, the FNRP stated that at least 30 of its members were killed after Manuel Zelaya was ousted (PHW 2012, 610). Human Rights Watch stated in July 2010 that at least ten members of the FNRP had been killed since President Lobo had come into power on 27 January 2010 (29 July 2010). In 2011, the Associated Press (AP) stated that, according to the FNRP, more than 200 members of the resistance had been killed in Honduras since the coup and that the murders still had not been solved by the authorities (8 Sept. 2011a).

In September 2011, an FNRP activist, described as a [translation] "strong supporter" of Manuel Zelaya, was fatally shot in Tegucigalpa (AP 8 Sept. 2011b; People's Daily Online 8 Sept. 2011). Manuel Zelaya stated that the murder was a political crime (ibid.; AP 8 Sept. 2011b). Also in September 2011, a journalist and regional financial administrator of the FNRP was shot and killed (RSF 10 Sept. 2011; AP 9 Sept. 2011) by unknown individuals in Bijao, 300 kilometres north of the capital (ibid.). According to the Minister of Security, the journalist was killed because of his relationship with a woman who was engaged to another man (ibid.). However, an advisor to Manuel Zelaya stated that the journalist had been killed by hit men (ibid.). Reporters sans frontières (RSF) suggested that his murder was motivated by political reasons, emphasizing that the radio station where he worked supports former President Zelaya and had often been the subject of [translation] "harassment" and raids by the police and the army since the coup (RSF 10 Sept. 2011).

In May 2012, a journalist and defender of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights, who was a member of the FNRP and of the LIBRE party, was murdered (NOTIMEX 16 May 2012; ANSA 7 May 2012). According to one source, the journalist had been running as a candidate for the LIBRE party for the primary elections in November 2012 (AFP 7 May 2012), while another source stated that he had been one of the FNRP delegation's candidates for the internal elections of the LIBRE party (ANSA 7 May 2012). Two sources state that the motive for the crime was unknown (NOTIMEX 16 May 2012; Agencia EFE 14 Mar. 2013). However, the University of New Mexico's news agency, NotiCen, that covers Central America and the Caribbean issues (University of New Mexico n.d.), interviewed a leader of a Central American social movement regarding journalists being murdered in Honduras, who suggested that the murder was a political act (NotiCen 14 June 2012).

In November 2012, a LIBRE party candidate for mayor of the municipality of Morazán, in the department of Yoro, was killed at the party headquarters after returning from a party rally in Yoro that presidential candidate Xiomara Castro attended (El Heraldo 4 Nov. 2012; La Tribuna 4 Nov. 2012). Some LIBRE party leaders stated that the murder was a political crime (ibid.).

In March 2013, a LIBRE party candidate for mayor of Santa María de Real, in the department of Olancho, was fatally shot (Agencia EFE 14 Mar. 2013; Europa Press 14 Mar. 2013). A spokesperson for the police stated that the motive for the crime was unknown (Agencia EFE 14 Mar. 2013).

In April 2013, according to the Agence France-Presse (AFP), a radio journalist was shot at by an unknown individual in a car, but escaped unharmed (8 Apr. 2013). The journalist was of the opinion that the attack had been motivated by her work at the radio station, which supports the LIBRE party (AFP 8 Apr. 2013).

The AFP also stated that, in August 2013, an unknown individual in a car shot at a group of 4,000 people who were participating in an FNRP organized march (ibid. 14 Aug. 2013). Sources stated that no one was hurt (ibid.; FNRP 15 Aug. 2013).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France-Presse (AFP). 14 August 2013. "Honduras : desconocido dispara contra manifestación de organizaciones populares." (Factiva)

_____. 8 April 2013. "Periodista sale ilesa de un ataque con arma de fuego en Honduras." (Factiva)

_____. 7 May 2012. "Matan a otro periodista en Honduras, suman 19 en dos años."(Factiva)

Agencia EFE. 28 June 2013. "Miles de hondureños arropan a Zelaya y su esposa lidera las encuestas; HONDURAS ELECCIONES (Previsión)." (Factiva)

_____. 14 March 2013. "Asesinan en Honduras a un candidato a alcalde de partido liderado por Zelaya; HONDURAS VIOLENCIA." (Factiva)

Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Asociata (ANSA). 7 May 2012. "Honduras : asesinan a periodista, se convierte en el numero 21." (Factiva)

Associated Press (AP). 9 September 2011. Freddy Cuevas. "Asesinan a otro periodista en Honduras." (Factiva)

_____. 8 September 2011a. Freddy Cuevas. "Matan a conocido seguidor de ex presidente honureño." (Factiva)

_____. 8 September 2011b. "Zelaya : asesinato de seguidor es declaración de guerra." (Factiva)

Brasil de Fato [São Paulo]. 1 November 2011. Silvia Álvarez. "Partido Libre es el nuevo instrumento de lucha de la resistencia hondureña." [Accessed 15 Aug. 2013]

Europa Press. 14 March 2013. "Honduras. Asesinan al candidato del partido opositor LIBRE a la Alcaldía de Santa María del Real." (Factiva)

Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular (FNRP). 15 August 2013. "Alerta: Identifican desconocido qui disparó a hondureños del Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular." [Accessed 20 Aug. 2013]

El Heraldo [Tegucigalpa]. 4 November 2012. "Asesinan a precandidato de Libre en el norte de Honduras." [Accessed 20 Aug. 2013]

Human Rights Watch. 29 July 2010. "Honduras: Ongoing Attacks Foster Climate of Intimidation." [Accessed 6 Aug. 2013]

NotiCen. 14 June 2012. George Rodriguez. "Honduran Civil-society Leader Says Murder of Journalists Reflects General Deterioration in Human Rights." (Factiva)

NOTIMEX, Agencia de Noticias del Estado Mexicano. 16 May 2012. "Reprueba Francia asesinato de periodista hondureño." (Factiva)

People's Daily Online [Beijing]. 8 September 2011. "Asesinan a líder de resistencia contra golpe de Estado en Honduras." (Factiva)

Political Handbook of the World (PHW). 2012. "Honduras," pp. 603-611. Edited by Tom Lansford. Washington, DC: CQ Press. [Accessed 9 Aug. 2013]

Rel-UITA. 1 July 2013. Giorgio Trucchi. "Honduras está colapsada y bajo intervención extranjera." [Accessed 15 Aug. 2013]

Reporters sans frontières (RSF). 10 September 2011. "Journalist Who Supported Ousted President Becomes 15th Killed in 18 Months." [Accessed 16 Aug. 2013]

Reuters. 19 November 2012. Gustavo Palencia. "Partido de Zelaya y conservadores eligen candidatos presidencia Honduras." (Factiva)

Tiempo [San Pedro Sula]. 28 June 2013. "Resistencia afirma que castigará en las urnas." [Accessed 9 Aug. 2013]

La Tribuna [Tegucigalpa]. 4 November 2012. "Matan precandidato a alcalde por el MRP del Partido Libre." [Accessed 20 Aug. 2013]

United States (US). 24 July 2013. Congressional Research Service. Peter J. Meyer. Honduras-U.S. Relations. [Accessed 15 Aug. 2013]

_____. 18 June 2010. Congressional Research Service. Peter J. Meyer and Mark P. Sullivan. Honduran-U.S. Relations. [Accessed 15 Aug. 2013]

University of New Mexico. N.d. Latin America Data Base. "About LADB." [Accessed 20 Aug. 2013]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts to contact representatives of the FNRP and the LIBRE party were unsuccessful within the time constraints of this Response.

Internet sites, including: Agencia Pulsar; Center for Constitutional Rights; ecoi.net; FNRP; Honduras Laboral; Latin Dispatch; Libertad y Refundación; Organization of American States.