AP: Gunmen Attack Bus in Honduras; 23 dead

AP ^ | Dec. 23, 2004

[West Coast Conservative]

Gunmen opened fire on a public bus in northern Honduras late Thursday, killing at least 23 passengers and wounding 16 others, police said.

The shooting took place in the northern Atlantic city of Chamelecon, 125 miles north of the capital, Tegucigalpa, said police spokesman, Deputy Commissioner Wilmer Torres.

“It was an unbelievable massacre,” he said in a telephone interview. “We don’t know yet who did it.”

The bus was driving through the heavily populated neighborhood of San Isidro when a car carrying an unknown number of armed attackers cut in front of it and other assailants fired from behind the bus, Torres said. He said officials did not yet know how many people were aboard the bus.

Honduras’ La Prensa newspaper reported on its Web site that the attackers left a written message alluding to the leader of the country’s congress, Rep. Porfirio Lobo.

[ConservativeStatement]

So much for Merry Christmas.

[babygene]

Of late, the only people engaging in things like this have been Muslims...

[steve86]

Or gangs and druggies (or both).

[TFine80]

Well, these Honduran gangs may be working with Al-Qaida, so you're both right.

[timpad]

Hmmm....Don't see the "It's Bush's Fault^TM" angle in the story yet. But the night is young and the AP is predictable...

[centexan]

My family spent a week on a mission trip in Juticalpa, in central Honduras, this year. The people are wonderful, polite and industrious. Prayers to the families and to the country.

[Travis McGee]

It's a beautiful country with wonderful folks. So sad to read this.

[babygene]

"so you're both right"

I was right, my post was that "Of late, the only people engaging in things like this have been Muslims..."

This is true, regardless.

[jordan8]

In the note, the killers present themselves as a revolutionary group that opposes the death penalty

You can't make this stuff up.

[TFine80]

Even it's not Bush's fault, they still tend to blame the gang situation in Central America on California and the US prison system.

So it's the US' fault regardless.

[Destro]

“In the note, the killers present themselves as a revolutionary group that opposes the death penalty,” something Lobo has promoted in political ads, he said.

So they kill innocent people to protest the death penalty?

[Destro]

“In the note, the killers present themselves as a revolutionary group that opposes the death penalty,” something Lobo has promoted in political ads, he said.

So they kill innocent people to protest the death penalty?

I should add to any who don't travel the world or know much about it, Honduras has a huge gang crime problem probably over drug turfs. This note tells me that this gang was afraid of a law and order candidate and sent a message.

Honduras is so poor and exploited that crime gangs become a way of life with gang membership reaching the size of small armies.

[Destro]

Honduras is in the grips of crime gangs - some crime gangs have tens of thousands of members - this gang was sending a message against a law and order candidate.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Gunmen opened fire on a public bus in northern Honduras late Thursday, killing at least 23 passengers and wounding 16 others, police said.

Opening up on passengers on a bus? Killing 23? This nothing short of brutal terrorism to our south now.

[Destro]

"The Mara Salvatrucha gang and another, Mara 18, claim to have more than 100,000 members in Honduras. The gangs are known for extorting “protection” money from residents as well as committing robberies, homicides and other crimes."

That is a low rent army, folks.

[srm913]

So now they will recycle the old cliches about "right wing death squads" and roast the U.S. for our Central American policies in the 80s. Great.

[Destro]

crime gang stuff. Terror against the law and order candidate.

[Destro]

Well there were both right and left wing death squads. This is about law and order not ideology though. If the President of Honduras cracks down on disorder will he be called a Putin like thug?

[Travis McGee]

Horrible. I hope they can tackle the gangs and destroy them.