Testimony follows this image by Hector Castillo—one of his incisive "En Honduras, Así Es" series—depicting Oscar Flores with his famous sign, a symbol of the resistance, and calling for his return:
A portion of the attestation of Oscar Flores in CODEH
voselsoberano.com Wednesday, 21 April, 2010 23:13 [11:13 PM]
On the 20th of April, 2010, as usual, I attended the march of the resistance which left the Loarque Plaza headed toward the Isis Obed Plaza. When the march finished, around 3 in the afternoon, I went to the Lomas bus stop. I got off at the Metro Mall to take the bus of the Armed Forces. As the bus crossed Centro América, I get off one stop after Centro América, it being about 3:40 PM.
While I was walking, about 20 meters, after the bus station where I got off, to my surprise I encountered a car which went in the marches. It was a white car, double cabin 4x4 with no plates, with three armed men, jeans pants, boots, black sports T-shirt. The driver was a white T-shirt, well-built appearance. All three with military-style hair, no cap, uncovered. The two who wore black had goatees, with Honduran accents. I can affirm that they were military officials. They intercepted me at about 3:40PM at the stop following that of Colonia Centro América going south to north. They hauled me into the car. They put a handkerchief over my eyes and a cap which they carried in the car.
We traveled without [me] having knowledge where they were taking me. Up to then, they didn’t search me, only intimidating me. One of them who carried a pistol on his waist was telling me that it would help if I would calm down, telling me that where we went was where we would talk. We traveled around two or three hours in the car doing turns. It was about 7PM. They left me in a place accompanied with just one person. I heard the car leave. They left me with this person always blindfolded, advising me to cooperate. The one that was taking care of me told me to cooperate with the person who was going to interrogate me, who was going to come. I was waiting and they didn’t give me water or anything. I only listened to the boy who was giving me advice. After three hours, three more people arrived to make four. Three military-style people came, directed themselves to me, and asked my name, age, and where I worked. I volunteered my name, my age, and my profession, but not where I worked. They removed the blindfold, and I could see them. On a board, they carried a list of people. They looked for my name. They asked one another whether I was or was not on the list. The names were in computer [i.e., typed], not done by hand. The men told me that I should stop, should walk, and should take off my clothes, I assume so that they could make a physical identification. At this point, they had not tortured me. One of them said that if I didn’t cooperate, there would be problems.
While they were asking information, they called another person by cell phone, and I heard where they said that they had made a mistake. Later, another person came to interrogate me. He asked me why I was in the resistance, if I knew the leaders of the unions and of the resistance. Later one guaranteed me that I was part of the university resistance without mentioning the name. Later, they left and they left me with some people and they again blindfolded me. We moved from there around 11PM. We got into the car and I felt we were going to another place. I was fearful because I felt that everything else depended on the interrogation. Among themselves, they said that they had been mistaken, that it wasn’t I, that if I cooperated to tell them where a university leader lived and if I knew anyone in the union. I told them no, that I was cooperating with them and then they asked me who gave us help, how much we were paid for each march to which I responded that this was a patriotic struggle and he told me that no one worked for nothing. One them told me, Stop, we are going to take [or kidnap] you. They again took me to the same house and they sat me on a bench, asking where I was from, how many years I had worked at my place of employment, and with who in the resistance I interacted. I told them, With everyone since were all friendly, at which they persisted asking if I knew the leaders at the university, and they continued saying among themselves, they said that they had been mistaken. They worked with a device for facial recognition. So then when they removed the blindfold they had a computer and looked for me there and I was sitting there watching and they said it wasn’t me.
Around 4AM, they returned with a person, I think a specialist in identifying people. When he arrived, they took off the blindfold and they told me I should shut my eyes, to which the person said it’s not this one and I felt they took photos. Then they left, shut off the light and I remained blindfolded. I felt the cocks were crowing at that time so I think was about 4AM. I had urges to urinate, and I asked the person who was with me to take me to where I could urinate, and he said to urinate there, that it had already failed. When they opened the door, I could see that there were lights and I could discern that it was close to Tamara. I heard shots in the distance. I could hear that they were running and singing, from which I suspected that we were near the battalion.
Today, the 21st of [April] at about 7AM three civilians who were not the those from earlier grabbed me by the hands and told me that they would put me in another car with three different people. It was a tourism car, 4 door. Up till then I couldn’t distinguish the color of the car. There were three people with hats, with glasses. I couldn’t identify the characteristics because I was blindfolded. One of them said We lost [because we were] slow. We have to return to begin. They tuned into a broadcast station HRN and one of them said They are going ahead of us, referring to the death of the journalist about which they were passing the information on the radio. I don’t know exactly where we were going. I estimated we drove for an hour and a half. HRN radio had now finished its news broadcast and they put on music. One of them told me, Look old man try to do things better. If we fail this time, not the other [i.e., next]. I only know they stopped at a gas station because they said give us 300 of gas. It was perhaps 8:40AM, one said to the other Get on it. It’s getting late. We traveled a distance, going at high speed. One of them answered a call and said, We are returning and he had to leave me. One of them squeezed my leg and said, For this time, we forgive you. Next time, we won’t be wrong and he said to the other, We’re going to leave the old man here. He went slowing down. I think that the road was dirt because there were some potholes. I was still blindfolded. Then they were disposed to drive on the dirt road about two or three kilometers. They got me out and told me I should walk and should take the street straight ahead while they did the return trip. The guy told me that I should sit on a stick [or log] and if I removed the blindfold it would go badly for me. I followed the advice. The removed the rag with the advice that I shouldn’t turn to see them. That was about 9:05. They didn’t remove my belongings from me. They only removed the chip from my cell phone, because they were monitoring the calls of the people who called me. They were alert to the calls which they made to me, driving. I exited at the old street which enters Lolo [a suburb].
Finally, CODEH thanks the militant solidarity of the international and national community, of Radio Globo for dedicating its morning and noon programs to press for the release of Oscar Flores.
Parte del documento testifical de Oscar Flores en el CODEHvoselsoberano.com | Miércoles 21 de Abril de 2010 23:13
El día 20 de abril del 2010, como de costumbre asistí a la marcha de la resistencia la cual salía de plaza Loarque hacia la Plaza Isis Obed, al terminar la marcha, alrededor de las 3 de la tarde, me dirigí a la estación de buses de las Lomas, yo me baje en metromoll, para agarrar el bus de las Fuerzas Armadas, al recorrer el bus por la Centro América yo me bajo siendo alrededor de la 3:40 de la tarde, una estación después de la colonia Centro América.
Cuando iba caminando, unos 20 metros, después de la estación de buses donde me bajé, para sorpresa mía me encuentro con un carro que andaba en las marchas, era un carro blanco, doble cabina, 4x4, sin placas, con tres hombres armados pantalones jeans, botas camiseta sport color negra, el motorista era camiseta blanca, aspecto fornido, los tres con el pelo tipo militar, sin gorra, destapado, los dos que andaban de negro, usaban en su barba el candado, con acento hondureño, puedo asegurar que eran oficiales militares, ellos me interceptaron como a las tres con cuarenta minutos en la siguiente parada de la colonia Centro América de sur a norte, me subieron al carro, me pusieron un pañuelo en los ojos y una gorra que ellos andaban en el carro.
Recorrimos sin tener conocimiento para donde me llevaban, hasta ese momento no me registraron, solo me iban intimidando uno de ellos llevaba la pistola en la cintura diciéndome que contribuyera que me calmara, diciéndome que a donde vamos era que íbamos hablar, anduvimos casi alrededor de dos o tres horas en el carro dando vueltas, eran como las 7 de la noche, ellos me dejaron en un lugar acompañado con una sola persona, yo escuche que el carro salió, me dejaron con esa persona siempre vendado, advirtiéndome que colaborara, el que me estaba cuidando me advirtió que colaborara con la persona que me iba a interrogar que ya iba a venir, estuve esperando y no me dieron agua ni nada, solo escuchaba al muchacho que me estaba dando recomendaciones, al cabo de que unas tres horas llegaron tres personas más ya eran 4, entraron tres personas de tipo militar, se dirigieron a mi me preguntaron el nombre, la edad y que donde trabajaba, para contribuir le di mi nombre mi edad y mi profesión no así no donde trabajaba, me quitaron la venda y los pude ver, en un tablero portaban una lista de personas, allí buscaron mi nombre entre ellos se preguntaban si estaba o no estaba en la lista, los nombres estaban en computadora no ha mano, los tres hombres me dijeron que me parara, que caminara y que me quitara la ropa supongo que para hacer un reconocimiento físico hasta ese momento no me habían torturado uno de ellos me decía que si no cooperaba iba atener problemas.
En el momento que me estaban pidiendo información llamaron al celular a otra persona y yo escuche donde decían que se habían equivocado, luego vino otra persona a interrogarme el cual me preguntó que porque yo estaba en la resistencia, que si conocía a los dirigentes de sindicatos y de la resistencia, luego uno me aseguró que yo era parte de la resistencia de la universidad sin mencionar el nombre, luego ellos se marcharon y me dejaron con una gente y me volvieron a vendar, nos movimos de allí como alrededor de la 11 de la noche, nos subimos al carro yo sentí que íbamos a otro lugar iba con miedo porque sentí que del interrogatorio dependía lo demás, entre ellos decían que se habían equivocado que no era yo, que si cooperaba para decirles donde vivía un dirigente de la universidad y que si conocía a alguien del sindicato yo les dije que no, que cooperaba con ellos y luego me preguntan que quien nos da ayuda a nosotros, que cuanto nos pagan por cada marcha a lo que le respondí que esto era una lucha patriótica y el dijo que nadie trabaja por nada, uno de ellos me dijo párate te vamos a llevar de nuevo me llevaron a la misma casa y me sentaron en una banca preguntándome que de donde era yo, cuantos años tenía donde trabajaba y con quienes me relacionaba en la resistencia, a lo que yo les respondía que con todo mundo ya que todos somos amistosos, a lo que insistían preguntado si conocía a los dirigentes de la universidad, y seguían diciendo entre ellos decían que se habían equivocado, ellos trabajan con un aparato de investigar rostros ya que cuando me quitaron la venda tenían una computadora y buscaron allí y me quedaba viendo y decían que no era yo.
Alrededor de las 4 de la mañana regresaron con una persona, creo que era una persona especialista en identificar a personas, cuando llegó él me quitaron la venda y me dijeron que cerrara los ojos, a lo que la persona dijo no es este y sentí que me tomaron fotografías, luego se fueron apagaron la luz y me quede vendado, yo sentía que estaban cantando los gallos a esa hora por lo que creo que eran como las 4 de la mañana, en ese momento sentí deseos de orinar y le dije a la persona que estaba conmigo que me llevara a orinar y dijo que orinara allí, que ya había fallado, cuando abrieron la puerta pude ver que habían luces y pude distinguir que estaba cerca de Tamara, escuché disparos a lo lejos, pude escuchar que corrían y cantaban por lo que pude sospechar que estábamos cerca del batallón.
Hoy 21 de baril del 2010 a eso de la 7 de la mañana ya tres personas civiles quienes no eran las anteriores me agarraron de las manos y me dijeron que me subiera a otro carro con tres personas diferentes, era un carro turismo 4 puertas hasta ese momento no pude distinguir el color del carro, iban tres personas de gorra, con anteojos, no pude identificar las características porque iba vendado, uno de ellos dijo perdimos por lentos tenemos que volver a empezar, sintonizaron una emisora HRN y uno de ellos dijo van más adelante que nosotros, refiriéndose a la muerte del periodista ya que estaban pasando la información por la radio, no se exactamente donde nos dirigíamos cálculo que manejaron por una hora y media, la radio HRN ya había terminado su noticiero y pusieron música, uno de ellos me dijo mira viejo trata de hacer las cosas mejor si esta vez fallamos la otra no, solo se que pararon en una gasolinera porque dijeron danos trescientos de combustible, eran quizás como las 8: 40 a. m, le dijo uno al otro pónele vos que ya se esta haciendo tarde, recorrimos una distancia íbamos alta velocidad, uno de ellos contestó una llamada y dijo ya vamos de regreso y tenia que dejarme, en ese momento uno de ello me apretó la pierna y me dijo por esta ves te perdonamos en la próxima vez no nos equivocamos y le dijo al otro aquí vamos a dejar este viejo así fue bajando la velocidad, creo que la calle era de tierra porque habían unos baches yo todavía iba vendado, pues se dispusieron a caminar sobre la calle de tierra como a dos o tres kilómetros me bajaron y me dijeron que caminara y que tomara la calle recto mientras ellos daban la vuelta de regreso el tipo me dijo que me sentara en un palo que si me quitaba la venda me iba ir mal, yo seguí la recomendación, me quitaron el trapo con la recomendación que no los volteara a ver, ya eran como las 9: 05, no me quitaron las pertenencias, solo le quitaron el chip a mi celular porque estuvieron monitoreando las llamadas de las personas que me llamaban estuvieron atentos a las llamadas que me hacían, caminando Salí a la calle vieja que da al Lolo.
Por último CODEH agradece la solidaridad militante, de la comunidad internacional y nacional, de Radio Globo por dedicar su programe por la mañana y mediodía a presionar para la liberación de Oscar Flores.
Fuentes: quotha.net/node/907 - Vos el soberano
Fue el diputado nacionalista, Rolando Dubón Bueso, quien mediante un proyecto de decreto que presentó ante el pleno de la Cámara Legislativa pide esa medida.
