More and more Hondurans are calling for the return...

More and more Hondurans are calling for the return of the death penalty as one way to stem the crime wave sweeping the country and deter the type of horrific murders that have made headlines in recent weeks.
One lawmaker who believes the death penalty may be adopted is the president of Congress, Porfirio Lobo of the ruling National Party. Lobo said that the legislature was likely to take up a bill to that effect in the aftermath of the murder of three children, their grandfather and a housekeeper, a crime that has shaken Honduran society.
The killing, two weeks ago, of Reginaldo Panting, a businessman, legislator and former economy minister, has also sparked renewed calls for capital punishment. Panting, kidnapped in San Pedro Sula on May 18, was executed by his captors even though his family had paid $121,000.
Former President Gen. Oswaldo Lopez Arellano, who has staged two coups in his life, is a vocal advocate of the death penalty, saying it would stem the tide of violence and criminality.
Chief Supreme Court Justice Vilma Morales said Honduras cannot adopt the death penalty because it would violate international treaties and conventions.