Ilse Velasquez was an advocate of human rights and teachers' union leader The People's National Resistance Front declares Porfirio Lobo Sosa is responsable.
March 18, 2011. The 59 years old teacher lost conscience on the street after a tear gas canister fired by the riots police struck her forehead. The cloud of toxic smoke that surrounded her severely affected the respiratory system. Moments after, Mrs. Velasquez was hit by a car that caused severe internal bruising. Although Ilse was assisted by other teachers and demonstrators that took her to a nearby hospital, she died after being cared for in an emergency room. The existing video captured by security cameras shows the car driver losing control due to tear gas exposure.
The Committee of Relatives of Detained and Disappeared in Honduras, COFADEH, organization that Velasquez was a member of for being the sister of Manfredo Velásquez, himself a disappeared, issued a statement to mourn her death, "Ilse and her family were tireless fighters for truth and justice during the enforced disappearances in our country under the doctrine of national security in the eighties. The disappearance of Manfredo Velásquez was the first case of human rights violations known to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in which the State of Honduras was convicted. To present days it has not complied with the resolution to investigate and punish those responsible. "
The People's National Resistance Front, which coordinated the demonstrations against the policies of de facto regime, reported through its coordinator Juan Barahona repression against the working class and blamed the leader of the regime for the murder of the teacher.
Witnesses reported seeing bottles of alcohol used by police and military before attacking demonstrators.
Translated and edited by LA from Red Morazanica de Información
