; one additional person remains forcibly disappeared by state security forces. The great majority of the victims, according to the UN and COFADEH reports, were killed by the Military Police. All these cases remain in impunity. In addition, 3 people accused of crimes while protesting remain in prison awaiting trial under dire, life-threatening conditions and a fourth remains in exile. (13) The Military Police continue to commit serious human rights abuses. On November 30, 2017, Daniel Isaac Varela, age 12, was wounded by members of the military police in Comayagüela during a post-election demonstration while he was purchasing candy with friends and the military opened fire. On December 3, 2017, Manuel de Jesús Bautista Salvador disappeared while held in detention by the Military Police in Cofradía, Cortés, and his whereabouts remain unknown. (14) The Honduran judicial system has been widely documented to be rife with corruption. Judges, prosecutors, and other officials are interconnected with organized crime and drug traffickers, contributing to near-complete impunity. (15) The Department of State in its 2018 Human Rights Report for Honduras reports that Corruption and impunity remained serious problems within the security forces. . It noted that Impunity existed in many cases … as evidenced by lengthy judicial processes, few convictions of perpetrators, and failures to prosecute intellectual authors of crimes. . (16) Overall, the judicial system remains ineffective and corrupt. The Department of State reported for 2017 that it was often ineffective, and subject to intimidation, corruption, politicization and patronage … Powerful special interests, including organized crime groups, exercised influence on the outcome of some court proceedings. . (17) Summarizing the situation, Human Rights Watch reported for 2018 that Judges face interference from the executive branch and others, including private actors with connections in government. . It concludes: Efforts to reform the institutions responsible for providing