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Leader called on President Xiomara Castro to use funds allocated for security effectively to protect taxi drivers.
The leader of the collective taxi industry, Saúl Ventura, denounced this Tuesday that up to seven criminal groups operating in the capital of Honduras are paying extortion, and he called on them not to continue killing them.
Ventura’s outcry arose after the murder of taxi driver Luis Torres, who was covering the Kennedy neighborhood and the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), which occurred on Monday, and who on Tuesday had paralyzed services in protest of the violent incident.
“We are in mourning, and we ask our friends (referring to the extortionists) to stop the murders of our colleagues. We are available to dialogue and reach agreements, but do not kill us,” Ventura said.
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“We would like to express our deepest condolences and our Christian feelings of sorrow and resignation to the death of our friend Luis,” added Ventura.
The taxi driver also praised the quick capture of the suspect in Luis’s murder , thanking the Secretary of Security, Gustavo Sánchez, for his efficiency.
However, he called on President Xiomara Castro to ensure that funds allocated for security are used effectively to protect taxi drivers, who feel unprotected and vulnerable.
They ask for more severe penalties
Ventura raised the need for reforms to the Penal Code to ensure that criminals who take the lives of taxi workers receive more severe penalties.
“We want to sit down with our organizations and ask for the consent of the rank and file to see how the criminal process can be reformed. We believe that those who kill our comrades should receive a stronger punishment,” said Ventura.
Regarding the situation of the taxi sector at the national level, Ventura reported that in Tegucigalpa there are 7,300 legal taxis, while at the national level there are around 25,000 registered taxi drivers.
However, he pointed out that more than 15,000 units operate illegally due to the lack of effective regulation. Ventura also mentioned that all legal taxi drivers are subject to extortion, which worsens their situation.
They give in
The leader concluded by calling for calm and dialogue. “We are willing to engage in dialogue and reach agreements, but we demand that the attacks against our colleagues cease. We cannot continue like this,” Ventura stressed.
Saúl Ventura’s statements reflect the growing concern in the taxi sector about violence and insecurity, and the urgent need for an effective response from the authorities.
Luis Torres , a veteran taxi driver who had been operating for more than 30 years, was murdered on Monday morning on the street that connects Centroamérica Boulevard with Suyapa Boulevard, in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras.
