E/CN.4/1990/17 page 68 Mrs. Olmeda Ribera Ramirez of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ruben Dario Zepeda Gutierrez, the Attorney-General of the Republic (Procurador General de la Republica) and Chairman of the Inter-Agency Committee on Human Rights, and Mr. Juan Arnaldo Hernandez Espinoza, Prosecutor (Fiscal) of the Supreme Court, who greatly facilitated his contacts with the authorities and kindly accompanied him throughout his visit. 2. Background and legal and institutional framework 222. The history of Honduras is characterized by a series of elected governments alternating with military regimes. With a short interruption from 1971 to 1972, the military have ruled the country from 1954 to 1982. In January 1982 a democratically elected government took office and a new constitution entered into force. General elections were held again in 1985 leading to the present Government of President Jose Azcona Hoyo who will be in office until January 1990. As a result of the elections in November 1989, the President-elect, Rafael Leonardo Callejas, will be the next head of Government. 223. During the first half of the 1980s, armed guerrilla groups were active in some parts of the country. These groups have, however, been destroyed by the armed forces and the Special Rapporteur was informed by the authorities, including the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, that they no longer form a threat to national security. The most important threat at the present moment is considered to be the spreading of communism from neighbouring Nicaragua and the guerrilla movement in El Salvador, another neighbouring country. The fact that armed opposition forces from these two countries (the Nicaraguan counter-revolutionary forces, which are fighting the Sandinista Government, and the Salvadorian National Liberation Front Farabundo Marti) carry out raids from bases in Honduran territory complicates the situation. The country, moreover, is host to great numbers of refugees from all its neighbours (Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala). Their total number was estimated to be about 400,000, which roughly equals 10 per cent of the total population of Honduras. 224. According to national, regional and international non-governmental organizations, violations of basic human rights have taken place on a fairly wide scale during the past decade. Initially, there were quite a number of enforced or involuntary disappearances, whereas, in the second half of the decade, the allegations mainly concerned illegal detentions and the practice of torture during these detentions. A number of these allegations have been received by the Special Rapporteur who, in some cases brought them to the attention of the Government with a request for comment. The replies of the Government of Honduras have been recorded in this and in previous reports. 225. The Constitution of 1985 guarantees to all citizens the respect for their human rights, such as the right to life (art. 65) and the right to physical, psychological and moral integrity (art. 68 (1)). The death penalty is abolished (art. 66) and torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is absolutely forbidden (art. 68 (2)). A person who has been deprived of his liberty must be treated with respect for his inherent dignity (art. 68 (3)).