ABSTRACT
Honduras presents a sort of transition which is different from some of the other cases examined here: transition from a military regime to a civilian regime, followed by attempts at accountability, began in the absence of a strong opposition force, civilian or military. There have been attempts to pursue domestic prosecutions of human rights violations; attempts that have thus far been slowed, but not completely thwarted, by amnesties and significant military intransigence. At the same time, the regime created the office of the national commissioner for human rights, which issued a scathing report addressing past abuses. The military’s strength and political clout remained a significant limiting factor affecting efforts at accountability, but the changing international environment meant that it lost outside support and was subject to external pressure. The results of these myriad pressures were partially successful prosecutions, the report, the separation of the military and the police and the creation of a new civilian police force.
