– Controversial military strategy –
As soon as he took power Hernandez sent thousands of police and soldiers to areas controlled by gangs and drug traffickers. He blocked cell phone coverage from jails from which criminals operate.
Then he created “Guardians of the Homeland”, a program in which children receive training in values to keep them away from the street gangs.
It aims to educate 100,000 youths in a year but it has been criticized for having an overly militaristic approach.
Several days ago in Tegucigalpa, the UN’s special rapporteur for crimes against children, Najat Maalla M’jid, urged the government to adopt urgent measures.
Sociologist Eugenio Sosa says Hernandez wants to show he is “making an effort” and people are giving him the benefit of the doubt so far.
But, he warned: “The death of children is causing great impact in society.
“The facts make it necessary to review that military strategy, mainly because children and youths are involved,” said Mirna Flores, head of the sociology department at the National University.
Even for a country like Honduras that is so accustomed to bloodshed, she said, “what is happening is very serious.”
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