by Our Foreign Desk

PROTESTERS will march to the United Nations office in Honduras on Friday to demand the president’s resignation for embezzling welfare funds.

President Juan Orlando Hernandez is implicated in an £80 million corruption scandal, with money from the social security fund being siphoned off to finance his right-wing National Party.

The scheme allegedly relied on mark-ups of more than 100 per cent on goods and services such as medicines and pensions, with kickbacks then being paid by businesses that benefited.

The National Party vociferously supported the 2009 coup against then president Manuel Zelaya, whose government had been forging links with the left-wing Alba bloc of Latin American countries, including Cuba and Venezuela.

The protests have grown in recent weeks from a few dozen people at a torchlit vigil to a march of thousands through the capital Tegucigalpa last Friday and similarly large protests in San Pedro Sula, Siguatepeque, Choluteca and Comayagua over the weekend.

Libre party former presidential candidate Xiomara Castro, who is married to Mr Zelaya, prominently attended the weekend demonstrations.

Speaking on Monday, activist Gabriela Blen said: “The social security case is the situation that has exasperated the Honduran people and that funds from social security would be used to finance political campaigns has been the catalyst for this movement.”

She said there was no direct link between the protests in Honduras protests and similar demonstrations in Guatemala but added: “Yes, of course, (they were) an inspiration.”