Fears for Honduras
By Rosanna Wong
Dreaming of true sovereignty, of an equitable society, of human rights… this is what the non-violent resistance in Honduras has been struggling for since June 28, 2009.
On this date a military coup was executed against the Honduran people and President Zelaya, seven months before the completion of his term. Ever since the coup, the resistance has suffered grave and ongoing human rights abuses: suspension of basic civil rights, curfews, rape, torture, more than two dozen assassinations, hundreds beaten up or suffocated by gas, thousands illegally detained, attacks against and closure of alternative media, sedition charges against peaceful protesters, and fully-armed soldiers everywhere.
President Zelaya was a landowner elected from a conservative Liberal Party. For some it came as a surprise when, responding to grassroots demands, he implemented reforms such as the 70 per cent minimum wage increase, consultation on forming a Constituent Assembly, blocking of further mining concessions and the privatisation of telco Hondutel. Honduras is the third poorest country in the region, and several families control most of the wealth.
Thousands have daily taken to the streets with cries of “We are not 5, we are not 100, sold-out press, count us well!” and “Are we tired? NO! Are we scared? No! So? Adelante! Adelante! The struggle is constant!”
They are demanding the reinstatement of their president before the upcoming election, formation of the National Constituent Assembly, punishment for human rights crimes and a boycott of the November 29 elections if Zelaya is not reinstated. One of the regime’s major lies is that the Constituent Assembly is Zelaya’s plan for re-election, that it was illegal, and that is why they illegally removed him.
Zelaya called for a non-binding consultation on November 29, via a 4th voting box, so people could indicate if they want a people’s assembly to reform the constitution. Such an assembly would be formed after the election, and Zelaya is not on the now-closed registered candidates list. It is against the constitution to hold a referendum to move the work of changing the constitution from representative to participative democracy, but Zelaya was not proposing a referendum.
The regime has remained because control of the army allows them to hold on to stolen power and because the US Administration has consented to this coup by not calling for strong sanctions. The latest agreement (now broken) was used by the US to recognise the November election against Honduran grassroots demands – under mass repression, against evidence of fraud, and despite threats of the Honduran army to massacre the resistance, particularly its leaders.
A Sydney forum organised by a coalition of local Latin American and social justice community groups and organisations was held in the Addison Road Community Centre, Marrickville on September 21. Speakers included Santiago, a Honduran who fled persecution in the ‘80s and now lives in Sydney, UNSW lecturer in the School of Latin American Studies Peter Ross, and Rosanna Wong, who went to Honduras in September as an observer. The forum passed a resolution in solidarity with the Honduran people.
We fear for them. Please take action in solidarity, email latinamerica.emergency@gmail.com and we will forward your messages.
