Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Honduran President has on Thursday sent the armed forces to implement order after seeing mass protests in the nation against his administration that turned violent overnight in several regions of the capital, claiming the lives of two people.

According to Al-Jazeera news reports, after a meeting with senior security officials, speaking at the presidential palace, President Juan Orlando Hernandez said he ordered the armed forces to keep streets open as well in order to protect private property and citizens in the disturbed Central American nation.

“So the armed forces, the national police, and the other defence and security forces are being deployed nationwide and will remain so,” said Hernandez.

Earlier the day, Hernandez has said he had reached an agreement with truck operators – whose strikes against the hike in prices for transporting freight had fueled oil shortages.

On Wednesday evening, the nation saw widespread unrest in Tegucigalpa after policemen of a Honduran riot armed force tasked with imposing the order withdrew to quarters to ratchet up pressure on the government for enhanced benefits.

Protests against the president have been escalating in recent weeks after planned reforms his critics have argued will lead to a privatization of education and public health services.

The civil unrest piled additional pressure over Hernandez since he retained the presidential post for the straight second term in 2017. Though he declared victory in the election, it was widely condemned by international watchers and opponents who impose fraud allegations.

Unrest continued on Thursday with armed forces dispersing demonstrators who had burned tyres and set up barricades on a southern access street to the capital, security ministry spokesman Jair Meza said.

There are around 25,000 members of armed forces, including the military police, security experts say.

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