Honduras’ President declares immediate curfew following Night of Violence

In response to a tragic incident in which 13 people were fatally shot at a pool hall, President Xiomara Castro has declared an immediate curfew in the town of Choloma.

The President condemned the attack as a “brutal and ruthless terrorist act” and expressed her commitment to taking swift action against the perpetrators.

The victims, who were attending a birthday party, included 12 men and one woman. Authorities have linked these killings to drug-trafficking gangs operating in the northern Sula Valley region, where additional murders on the same day brought the death toll to at least 20.

To address the escalating violence, the government has implemented a curfew from 21:00 local time (04:00 BST) until 04:00 starting from Sunday, which will remain in effect for a minimum of 15 days. The curfew will also be extended to the nearby city of San Pedro Sula, the country’s second-largest city, beginning on July 4th.

President Castro announced that these measures were being implemented in response to the “brutal and ruthless terrorist attack by hired killers trained and directed by drug lords” in the Sula Valley. In addition to the curfew, the government has dispatched 1,000 additional security officers to the area to combat the violence effectively.

Furthermore, a reward of approximately $33,000 (£26,000) is being offered for any information leading to the identification and capture of those responsible for the pool hall shootings in Choloma.

Honduras has been grappling with escalating warfare and drug-related crimes for several years, and as part of its efforts to confront violent gangs, a partial state of emergency has been in effect in certain areas of the country since December.

Alongside neighboring countries El Salvador and Guatemala, Honduras serves as a significant transit route for cocaine trafficking from South America to the United States.

This tragic shooting incident occurred just a week after a prison riot near the capital city of Tegucigalpa resulted in the deaths of at least 46 women. Survivors have indicated that the riot was fueled by rivalries between two notorious criminal organizations in Central America, namely the 18th Street Gang and MS-13.

As Honduras continues to grapple with these alarming levels of violence, the government remains determined to restore peace and security to the nation.

The implementation of the curfew, along with intensified law enforcement operations, raids, captures, and checkpoints, is a significant step towards countering the prevailing threats posed by criminal networks and drug cartels.