Original post by Carol Hansen, Intern, USLEAP
Honduran unions are helping lead popular resistance to the June 28, 2009 coup when democratically- elected Honduran President Zelaya was dragged out of bed, abducted, and forced to fly to Costa Rica. The union movement immediately called a national strike, joined by, among others, Chiquita banana worker union members who gave up a day’s pay and more to participate. Teachers unions, the largest in the country, continue on strike, shutting down the education system while thousands of workers have joined peaceful protests that have been met with teargas. Also, members of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have refused to load or unload Honduran cargo ships in resistance to the coup.
While mediation by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias has so far yielded little progress, the situation in Honduras continues to worsen with reports of hundreds of human rights violations and four political assassinations, including one trade unionist. The International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) stated in a July 14 press release: “since the coup there has been growing concern at the threat to trade union and popular leaders, and it appears there is a list of leaders who are threatened with detention and whose personal safety is at risk.”
Editorials in the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times last week called on the Obama Administration to do more to support the return of President Manuel Zelaya. A resolution opposing the coup in Honduras has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and needs your support. Take action today to oppose the coup in Honduras and support Honduran unions who are fighting back.
Currently, opponents of the coup in the U.S. should support the Delahunt-McGovern resolution (H.R. 630), which calls for the reinstatement of Manuel Zelaya as President of Honduras and suspension of nonhumanitarian assistance. Take action today to help ensure that the White House uses every means at its disposal to ensure the reinstatement of President Zelaya and the restoration of democracy in Honduras. Urge your representative to condemn the military coup, which has resulted in the reported killing of five people (including a journalist and a trade unionist) and oppression of thousands of peaceful protesters, of whom 180 have been detained and 18 accused of sedition.
One of the biggest backers of the coup has been the Honduran Maquila Association. In the U.S., the American Apparel & Footwear Association joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other industry groups in a July 11 statement opposing efforts to bring U.S. economic pressure to bear on the coup leaders, a position that effectively supports the coup. Leading U.S. apparel firms have so far kept silent on the coup as well as the pro-coup support of the Honduran maquila business sector that produces apparel for brand-name U.S. firms.
The Organization of American States and governments around the world, including the United States, have openly condemned the coup. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the AFL-CIO, SEIU, and U.S. NGOs and faith-based groups, including USLEAP, have respectively issued statements also denouncing the coup. The Obama administration has firmly stated support for democracy in Honduras and the reinstatement of President Zelaya. Both the OAS and the U.S. have put a halt on tens of millions of dollars in aid; the U.S. has primarily suspended military assistance.
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September 8, 2009 at 11:17 am
Virgilio
This issue is split right down the middle. Right down the middle. Based on my friends’ report, those living in Honduras, it was general consent to oust Mel, as he was trying to bypass law to extend his presidency. What happened to Mel, in the eyes of many, meant that no one was above the law, that nobody could manipulate Constitution for their own purposes.
Certainly, Mel gains much of his support from the lower class. He was trying to institute socialist changes that would favor the lower class. When I was growing up there, I thought socialism was exactly what the country needed to develop, to help create a middle class, but this could not come through the elected presidents. These always appeared to come from rich families unable to sympathize with the true needs of the poor. Mel, although from Olancho, as one would say rural Montana, also came from a rich land-owning family.
From what the majority of my friends reported, the anti-Mel protests were peaceful, whereas the Pro-Mel were said to involve violence and explosions. ‘A car-bomb exploded near the airport’, my friend Ana told me.
Well, you have explosives and fires and the endangerment of lives and you cannot expect the police, military, and paramilitary to sit by staring.
My opinion, however, is split down the middle. My so-called friends are ex-classmates from a private school in the capital. They were not poor. Other pro-Mel contacts involve the families and friends who own businesses in Honduras. The one friend who was Pro-Mel did not pertain to the upper class nor owned a business. He was a dj in the small city of Comayagua.
He explained to me Mel’s plans to raise taxes on the rich and raise the minimum wage on the poor. For the longest time I nursed these ideals.
But was it actually a coup? A coup for the most part has involved a military leader rising up against a Constitutional gov’ment and reforming the entire system. The decision that led to the deposition was more oligarchic than military, if anything, and it at least found some excuses in the Constitution. (The newspapers apparently printed out the Constitutional articles that were used against Zelaya soon after the deposition).
Sarah, I can e-mail you the documents I was e-mailed outlining the constitutional violations and requests. You can translate and provide the legal background on the situation for the readers.
It is unclear whether the majority support the ousted President or whether they support the transitional government. I don’t suppose you have any statistics? I recognize there is a military presence and it seems like the poor or the Pro-Mel are being battered. One would have to question whether the poor or the Pro-Mel are the ones inciting violence. (I understand from Hansen’s post she believes the union marches are peaceful). My friend Ana, anti-Mel, said her groups protest were peaceful. both groups want democracy, but it is unclear what is democracy, whether upholding the constitution, or restituting a president that wants to prolong his term beyond those set by constitution.
The truth is the whole mess is affecting my family and is further sinking the country. Unfortunately I have nothing solid but have been informed that the US plans to halt dollar-lempira exchange. This would make all ‘remesas’, all remittances sent by Hondurans working in the US for their families void of value, would lead to inabilities to pay rent, to provide for food, for general suffering. My sister might be unable to graduate this year, which would retard her graduation date to age 19, and who knows, might stifle her entire career. My mother is unable to treat for diabetes at the public hospital, they are closed due to protests. The government protests against Mels, the government workers protest Pro-Mel, but everybody else has to wait till the matter gets resolved. I was hoping they would advance the elections; now here comes Secretary of State stating elections will not be recognized? What kind of oxymoronic decision is to desire a peaceful resolution but bar the one peaceful resolution of holding elections that will restore democratic values?