TRADE union leader Felix Vasquez was assassinated on Saturday at his home in Ocotal, La Paz, Honduras.
The Lenca indigenous leader was secretary-general of the Union of Rural Workers and a parliamentary candidate for the Liberty and Refoundation party of former president Manuel Zelaya, who was overthrown in a military coup in 2009.
Mr Zelaya tweeted that he “condemned the murder of Felix Vasquez, indigenous leader, defender of rivers and forest.”
Four men in balaclavas entered his home at 8.30pm on Saturday armed with a pistol and machetes, killing him and “terrorising” his family.
Mr Vasquez had recently joined demonstrations calling for the release of another indigenous leader, Victor Vasquez, who was imprisoned for campaigning against the exploitation of indigenous lands.
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New fund to attract doctors to North and North-West Tasmania
A new $2 million incentive fund to attract doctors to Launceston and across northern Tasmanian communities is being created to help address longstanding GP shortages in northern and north-western Tasmania.
The Coalition Government will establish the General Practice Incentive Fund Tasmania (GPIFT) to attract and retain doctors in Tasmania’s north and north-west by providing a suite of incentives for doctors who relocate to the region.
Improving access to primary care services and addressing workforce issues in rural communities, such as Lilydale in the state’s north east, is a priority for the Australian Government.