(PFC/IFEX) – Gaspar Vallecillo, director of Escuela Hospital, has been dismissed following the publication of an editorial column in which he criticised the government. In the column, published in the daily “El Heraldo”, Vallecillo stated that “one cannot be sure that the public’s health is being looked after when hospitals operate without any support. The […]
(PFC/IFEX) – Gaspar Vallecillo, director of Escuela Hospital, has been dismissed following the publication of an editorial column in which he criticised the government.
In the column, published in the daily “El Heraldo”, Vallecillo stated that “one cannot be sure that the public’s health is being looked after when hospitals operate without any support. The Escuela Hospital is in need of almost everything. The Intensive Care Unit has nine beds and three of them operate with serious limitations (a minister who had been in an accident was in one of the beds). One intensive care doctor is on contract for six hours in the morning and there is no one else to cover the other 18 hours.”
According to Vallecillo, after his article was published, Minister of Health Elías Lizardo called him to express his discontent and advise him that “as a government employee he [Vallecillo] should not be making these kinds of statements to the media.” The hospital director was subsequently informed that he was being dismissed from his post, “following an order by President Ricardo Maduro.”
PFC notes that government employees are responsible to the public and not to any political party or the government in power. They are obliged to act in accordance with the law and, like all citizens, have the right to publicly condemn the authorities if they feel that they are acting negligently. Punishing state employees for expressing their opinions is a form of administrative violence. Such a practice promotes a culture of secrecy and inhibits the expression of criticisms and dissent, which are essential to a democratic society.
For further information on the case and Vallecillo’s opinion column, see:
http://probidad.org/regional/perseguidos/2002/022.html
For information on freedom of expression in Honduras, see:
http://probidad.org/honduras/libexp
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
– expressing concern over Vallecillo’s dismissal
– noting that if the dismissal was motivated by the director’s criticisms of the government, this would constitute a violation of the American Convention on Human Rights, specifically Article 13, which refers to freedom of expression
– calling on him to publicly clarify why the hospital director was dismissed and make amends if the decision was aimed at censoring Vallecillo’s criticisms
Appeals To
Ricardo Maduro
President of the Republic
Tel: +504 221 4545 /+504 221 4541
Fax: +504 221 4552
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
