Honduras: Thousands March in Corruption Scandal Protest

Thousands of protesters in a veritable citizens movement took to the streets of Tegucigalpa and other Honduran cities Sunday night to protest the corruption scandal currently engulfing the government of President Juan Orlando Hernandez. About US$250 million was siphoned off the country's social security and health care system, with much of the money used to finance the ruling National Party's 2013 election campaign, with Hernandez as its candidate. According to human rights organizations, 3,000 Hondurans have died due to lack of medicines and medical equipment, as the health sector has been underfunded as a result of the embezzlement. The demonstrations are the largest seen in Honduras since the 2009 coup that overthrew democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya. More protests are planned for the next few days and over the weekend 30 torchlight processions will be held, in which it is expected that 2 million Hondurans will participate, no small number in a country whose population is barely 7 million. Gerardo Torres reports from Tegucigalpa. teleSUR