Press Release (English Translation)

We deeply regret the death of Honduran inmates whose liberty was guarded at the Comayagua Prison Farm, and we sympathize with the pain felt by their families and the nation.

The National Congress supports all measures taken by the President, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, announced on national radio and television, to investigate the causes of the accident, and the provisions for immediate support to the families of the deceased.

The National Congress has instructed for the purchase of burial boxes necessary to quickly support the families of the those deprived of liberty who perished in the incident.

In addition, through the outreach office, Vida Major (Better Life), begins any other personal assistance to the relatives during their forced stay in Tegucigalpa while performing legal formalities to claim the bodies of their deceased relatives.

The Honduran people remember that since the last parliamentary term, the Honorable Members Rodolfo Zelaya, Augusto Cruz Asensio, and Lorena Herrera presented different initiatives for resolving permanently the prison problems in the country, and who have been socializing with all sectors involved.

Some of these projects are the Creation of the Law of the National Penitentiary System, which contains the formation of the Penitentiary Institute and Penitentiary Career. In addition, other initiatives are for improving the criminal investigative system and forensics.

We request the executive branch expedite a report on the economic capacity and infrastructure of the national prison system, and regulate the implementation of the Security Fee, which would generate additional income to improve living conditions of prisoners and provide greater protection for the citizenship.

We reiterate our readiness to support the Minister of Security and the President on any relevant initiative to solve the problems of the country’s prisons.

We also thank the international community for their quick showing of support to help cope with this tragedy that fills the nation with mourning.