Honduran lawmaker arrested in road rage shooting death

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – A Honduran lawmaker and former journalist has been arrested after allegedly shooting to death a 35-year-old taxi driver and father of three during a roadside argument, the latest violent death in a country with the world’s highest murder rate.

Opposition lawmaker Luis Galdamez, from the Libertad y Refundación Party (LIBRE), was driving the wrong way down a one way street when his path was blocked by a taxi driven by Marvin Sánchez, according to the chief of the highway police.

The men exchanged words and came to blows, at which point Galdamez opened fire with a handgun, killing Sánchez, said Quintin Juárez, the police chief. According to the Honduran daily El Heraldo, citing witnesses, Sánchez’s dying words to his attacker were: “Pucha hermano, voté por vos y me heriste,” or “[Expletive] brother, I voted for you and you hurt me.”

Sánchez was buried on Thursday in the municipality of Cantarranas, east of the capital, El Heraldo reported.

Honduras tops a U.N. list of the world’s most violent countries with a murder rate of 90 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2012.