Honduras: The location of the general staff of General Luis Alonso Discua, former commander of the Armed Forces, the composition of the general staff, the method in which soldiers would be assigned to Discua's security team, the role of the counter-intelligence section of this security team and the human rights abuses attributed to Discua's general staff during the period of 1991 to 1993

According to a professor of political science at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the general staff (estado mayor) is located at the headquarters of the Armed Forces in Comayaguela, a district of the capital city of Tegucigalpa. The general staff is headed by the chief of staff who is considered the second-in-command to the commander of the Armed Forces. The professor is unaware of who occupied this post between 1991 and 1993, and what the composition of the general staff was or is.

In reference to the Discua security team, the professor stated that it would depend on what was meant by "security team." He stated that Discua would handpick the members of his personal security team and these could be enlisted officers of various ranks; usually they would be better-trained officers. In reference to the "counter-intelligence section of the security team," the professor stated again that he was unsure of what was meant by "security team," but stated that under the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces, there was and is a military intelligence unit called the "G-2." IPS reported in December 1993 that the Armed Forces replaced the infamous 3-16 counterinsurgency battalion in 1988 with a counter-intelligence department, which had been headed by Major Jordi Ramon Montanola since March 1989 (ibid.).

The professor was unaware of specific human rights violations attributed to Discua's general staff during 1991 and 1993, and added that this period was a relatively "clean" period for the Armed Forces, and that most of the violations occurred in the early 1980s. No specific information could be found among the souces consulted on human rights violations attributed to Discua's general staff for the period between 1991 and 1993.

However, an IPS and Reuters article reported in December 1993, that Discua was among the names mentioned in a report produced by National Commission for Human Rights exposing the role of the military in kidnappings, disappearances and killings of 184 people in the 1980s (30 Dec. 1993; 29 Dec. 1993). In January 1993, Discua was renewed for an additional three-year term as commander of the Armed Forces (The Economist 3 Apr. 1993).

For additional information on the role, objectives and functions of the Armed Forces' general staff , please consult the attached document taken from Honduras: A Country Study, produced in 1984.

Please consult HND28151.F of 24 October 1997, HND27111.E of 25 June 1997 and HND19339.E of 13 January 1995 for additional information on Discua and battalion 3-16. For additional information on the G-2 military intelligence unit, please consult HND19785.F of 9 March 1995.

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 to refugee status or asylum.

References

The Economist [London]. 3 April 1993. "Honduras; Breeze of Change." (NEXIS)

InterPress Service (IPS). 30 December 1993. Juan Ramon Duran. "Honduras: Human Rights Group Demands Suspension of Army Chief." (NEXIS)

Professor of political science, Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. 23 November 1998. Telephone interview.

Reuters. 29 December 1993. Gustavo Palencia. "Honduras Report Faults U.S. Advisers." (NEXIS)

Attachment

Honduras: A Country Study. 1984. Edited by James D. Rudolph. Washington, DC: United States Department of the Army, pp. 219-220.