As set out in Section III.A.ii below, the involvement of state agents in criminal activities and human rights abuses in Honduras is well documented. Even if violence against journalists is not an explicit state policy, the history of state-sanctioned violence and the serious corruption of the security forces gives rise to a common perception among journalists and human rights defenders that the state is a primary source of targeted violence and human rights violations. Bertha Oliva, General Co-ordinator of cofadeh said that state agents commit human rights violations, including the murder of journalists, and then justify these deaths as being products of narcotrafficking and organized crime.126 IN FOCUS: DEADLY ASSIGNMENTS Political Journalists perceived as being supportive of ousted President Zelaya and who may have been killed as a result include: –N ahúm Palacios: killed in March 2010; opposed the 2009 coup and turned his TV station into an openly pro-opposition channel; previously detained by and received threats from the Honduran military.127 –N ery Jeremías Orellana: killed in July 2011; active member of the National Front of Popular Resistance (Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular – fnrp), an organization supporting Zelaya. Jeremías regularly allocated airtime to the fnrp.128 –M edardo Flores: killed in September 2011; regional finance minister of the pro-Zelaya Frente Amplio de Resistencia Popular (Broad Front for Popular Resistance – farp), shot two days after another leading farp member was killed.129 – L uz Marina Paz Villalobos: killed in December 2011; known for outspoken criticism of the 2009 coup (Paz also received threats from organized crime for refusing to pay a “war tax”).130 In addition, Joseph Hernández Ochoa, a journalist for Canal 51, was probably murdered for political reasons. He was killed in March 2010 while driving with journalist Karol Cabrera, likely the actual target of the attack. Cabrera believes that supporters of ousted President Zelaya were responsible for the attack.131 Corruption Several journalists covered stories on state corruption prior to their murder. These include: –D avid Meza: killed in March 2010; had recently criticized local police as corrupt and incompetent; the cpj reports government officials as the suspected source of fire.132 – L uis Arturo Mondragón Morazón: killed in June 2010; reported on government corruption, environmental issues and crime.133 –H éctor Francisco Medina Polanco: killed in May 2011; had reported on corruption in the local mayor’s office and on regional land disputes.134
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