Honduran President Porfirio Lobo is promising to crack down on a wave of violence that has gripped his country, including the killing of at least six journalists recently.

Brian Wagner at VOANews.com

Honduran President Porfirio Lobo is promising to crack down on a wave of violence that has gripped his country, including the killing of at least six journalists recently. Human rights concerns have mounted in Honduras since the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya last year.

The latest violence in Honduras occurred last week when a gunman opened fire on Jorge Alberto Orellana, the host of a television program in San Pedro Sula.  Local news reports say the suspect fled after the shooting and remains at large.  Police say they are investigating whether the killing of Orellana was related to his journalistic work or whether he was killed for other reasons.

Human rights groups say it is the latest in a string of recent attacks on journalists.  At least five others have been killed, including two radio reporters who were gunned down while driving in rural Honduras last month.

The violence is putting pressure on the new administration of President Porfirio Lobo.  At a conference hosted this week by the University of Miami, Mr. Lobo said violence must be stopped.

The president said he has named a special human rights advisor to ensure that no government institution is involved in human rights violations.  And he said his administration is seeking outside help to investigate recent incidents.

Human rights experts with the Organization of American States, or OAS, are sending a team of investigators to Honduras to work with local officials.  One of the key objectives of the mission is to learn whether the killings were politically motivated.

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