Margarita Rosa Vargas
A number of situations that have endangered the life of Teacher Margarita Rosa Vargas, lead to establish that in Honduras there is a persecution strategy against Honduran teachers, for their active participation in the People's National Resistance Front. Teacher Margarita Rosa Vargas, workmate of teacher Manuel Flores, who was murdered by gunmen on March 24, works at the San Jose de El Pedregal High School, the place which was the scene of the crime.
The teacher has participated in all the demonstrations called by the Popular National Resistance Front to condemn the coup on June 28, 2009 and to not recognize the current regime of Porfirio Lobo Sosa.
"I've written some essays since the coup d'état through email, containing eminently social and political criticism, where I expressed my position regarding human rights violations," said Vargas.
The teacher added that she has also written "over the deaths of comrades and the latter specifically talks about the trajectory of colleague Manuel Flores, his ideological and intellectual participation in the resistance, and the heinous murder committed against him," she explained.
The death was described by the Honduran teachers as a political crime. Former president of the Association of Teachers of Middle School Education in Honduras (COPEMH), Sergio Rivera, denounced on that occasion, that the characteristics of the crime commited against teacher Flores, " are due to a public execution, which intends to have an exemplary character. They made sure everyone saw the murder and chose recess to murder him in his workplace, at the sight of thousands of children and teachers".
Teacher Margarita Rosa Vargas told defensoresenlinea.com about all situations that have endangered her life and that of her daughters.
Last year, in August, teacher Vargas was renting a house in Colonia Francisco Morazan, block 60, but in December, she moved away because she acquired her own house in the same neighbourhood, which is located in the south of the capital.
The tire of the teacher's vehicle was stabbed
"In December, apparently after I moved, some people went to the house where I lived to cause an uproar, asking neighbors if I lived there, if they knew where I worked. The men were hooded, according to my neighbor, and they have left me messages in my windshield wipers telling me they are going to kill me, "said Vargas.
"They were three hooded men dressed in blue, like the preventive police, who carried their police-issued firearms," added the complainant.
The teacher added that, today (Tuesday, April 5), she returned to her work at Instituto San Jose de El Pedregal, after the terrible murder of Professor Manuel Flores (perpetrated in the same school), the teachers decided to hold a meeting "because all colleagues are in shock, everybody was crying and decided to make a prior meeting. "
"When the meeting ended and I came out of the school, a taxi driver tells me that my car has a flat tire, which was surprising for me, because the tire is new and it worked well all morning ," said Vargas.
"When I called a boy from the tire shop to come and help me, he removed the tire and said, 'this, teacher, was just recently done, come look, the tire has a very big kind of knife stab'. This is really frightening," said the teacher.
She added that in other opportunities, she noticed that the bolts of her tires have been unscrewed to cause a car accident.
When asked about what she is going through, Professor Vargas attributed it "to the repressive apparatus of the government, police, preventive police, the military, DGIC, specifically to Mr. Oscar Alvarez, who since taking control of the security ministry, has been for us a ministry of insecurity. "
"In the specific case of teachers, we are being seriously threatened. I've come to Cofadeh to ask that everything relevant is done to safeguard my life and my daughters'. In a given case, in which I would be very threatened, I would like to take my daughters of the country, "said the teacher.
When inquired on why the teachers have been so threatened, Vargas said that, "we are the strongest association, most solidaire and united, the union that has pushed the cart along with the people, and because we have been the backbone of the resistance."
Margarita Rosa Vargas was a student leader during her high school education. She was the leader of the Student Council of the Instituto Central Higueras (1986-1988). During that time, she was arrested in several occasions by police, for participating in protests to demand the rights of the student community. Teacher Vargas is currently president of the Teachers Association of Middle School in Honduras (COPEMH), in the branch of San José de El Pedregal High School.
During the administration of former President Ricardo Maduro, she was persecuted by soldiers and was tortured by agents of the state. These human rights violations were announced in the media at that time.
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