BARRIO RESISTANCE
On Friday evening (November 13) in "the Kennedy", a large, middle-low income neighbourhood in Tegucigalpa, a group of residents blocked a major road into the barrio. I got out of my taxi, that had to turn around, and walked over to where the people were chanting, “new roads, new roads, new roads.” Signs around the blockade mentioned the group’s struggle against the coup as well as the conditions of the infrastructure in their neighbourhood.
(All photos, Karen Spring. Road blockade. Sign reads “We continue with the struggle and no one listens to us. Onward, the struggle is constant. And the Mayor?”)
(“Our streets – totally destroyed. And the Mayor? And our taxes, where are they?”)MILITARIZATION
After leaving the gathering, four trucks of soldiers and police passed by me within a span of 10 minutes. I saw many military officials and soldiers, some with their faces covered with ski masks, at various major intersections on my way home. This massive presence of soldiers and police is constant.
BOMB
Another incident that adds to the fear and tension in the city happened Wednesday night. At approximately 11:30 pm, I heard a large explosion not far from "the Kennedy". The next day, it was confirmed by Radio Globo that a bomb had gone off close to a shopping plaza in the neighbourhood, La Colonia, Miraflores, a 15 minute walk from where I heard it explode. Although there was no damage and unconfirmed reports say the bomb was set to go off close to or inside a building, it exploded in the air preventing any damage to infrastructure or people near by.
MORE ILLEGAL DETENTIONS
Today, the pro-democracy people’s movement organized a caravan as their daily form of protest. Around 12:00 noon when the caravan was coming to an end, police began arresting participants. One of the people captured was Edwin Espinal, the husband of the young woman Wendy killed in front of the Brazilian Embassy on September 21, the day President Zelaya returned to the country.
See Fault Lines documentary film coverage for detailed story of Edwin and Wendy:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYY4vj9ROC0&feature=fvst
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upMu_oR2YUU&feature=fvst
At the time this article was written, Edwin is still being held at a detention centre in Tegucigalpa. According to COFADEH (Committee of the Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared), the accusations the police are making against Edwin are unclear. At first, the police said he was being detained for spray-painting the walls and sides of buildings during the caravan. Then they accused him of ripping down election propaganda. They have also accused him of stealing a laptop.
U.S. CONGRESS WOMAN VISITS HONDURAS: “SERIOUS DETERIORATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS SINCE COUP”
After a short visit to Honduras, U.S. Democratic Congresswoman, Jane Schakowsky describes the “serious deterioration of human rights in Honduras since the coup” including the “complete violation of the fundamental, democratic principle of freedom of the press.”
Schakowsky visited Honduras from Nov. 10-12th after being invited to Honduras by Bertha Oliva, the General Coordinator of COFADEH (Committee of the Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared).
In a press conference in Tegucigalpa on November 12, Schakowsky describes meeting various victims of human rights abuses:
“A crying mother told me of her son, a student member of the resistance, who has fled the country after being threatened and harassed by officials and she has not spoken with him since.”
“I saw the bullet wound, in a 13 year old by who was shot while returning to the store with his father. The bullet went in his back and came out the front.”
After meeting with representatives from Radio Globo and Channel 36, the main two media stations against the coup, Schakowsky describes the serious violation of the freedom of expression and the shutting down of the anti-coup stations.
“I saw the photos of the military removing the equipment on the morning of June 28th just as the coup was happening. I saw others that were taken on September 28th when their station was again shut down and occupied. And I know that many times their news broadcasts have been disrupted and then once again restored. I met with the head of Radio Globo and heard the same stories. Lapped signals and equipment ruined or taken.”
Schakowsky describes these acts as a “complete violation of the fundamental, democratic principle of freedom of the press.”
Schakowsky also mentioned the Executive Decrees issued by the illegal regime that prevented media outlets from speaking against the coup government in the name of protecting public order and national security, saying that “he definition of National Security and public order seems to be defined as anything against the coup.”
While visiting President Zelaya and the Brazilian Embassy, Schakowsky heard recordings of the “unbearable sounds” used by the military to try and force Zelaya and his supporters out of the embassy even indicating that she was “personally filmed as I left by a uniformed soldier wearing a ski mask.”
The violations described by the Schakowsky continue to occur nation-wide as the elections are scheduled to take place in 2 weeks.
The atmosphere in the capital is indeed very tense. Uncertainty, fear and anticipation for the upcoming elections characterize the mood in Tegucigalpa. The bomb, increased military presence, check points on the streets, not to mention the various rumours that circulate amongst the resistance movement and in the media, have created a state of fear and great uncertainty.
* * *
ACTION NEEDED
TO DONATE FUNDS
Please continue to financially support the pro-democracy, anti-coup movement in Honduras. This extraordinary struggle, to defeat the oligarchic-military regime and to remake their constitution and country, will continue well into 2010. Make your tax-deductible check to “rights action” and mail to:
UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
CANADA: 552-351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS: http://rightsaction.org/contributions.htm
For foundations and institutional donors, Rights Action can (upon request) provide a full proposal of which organizations and people we are channeling funds to and supporting.
HUMAN RIGHTS DELEGATION TO HONDURAS, November 24–December 1, 2009
Consider joining a Rights Action human rights observation delegation to Honduras. For information: Grahame Russell, info@rightsaction.org, 1-860-352-2448
TELL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON, SENATOR, THE WHITE HOUSE & THE STATE DEPARTMENT NOT TO RECOGNIZE THE HONDURAN COUP REGIME & THE NOVEMBER 29TH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
The U.S. government announced it will recognize the results of the November 29 presidential “elections” in Honduras with or without democratically-elected President Zelaya back in office and power.
From the Honduran people’s pro-democracy movement and the National Front Against the Coup, to governments across the Americas, to the Organization of American States, everyone and institution recognizes there are no conditions whatsoever in Honduras – under the control of an illegal and repressive military-oligarchic regime - to hold free and fair elections.
Since the June 28 coup, the regime has killed some 2 dozen Hondurans, illegally jailed over 3000 people, tortured (including rape) hundreds of people in illegal detention, and wounded hundreds in protests (due to rubber and live bullets, tear-gas and beatings). It is in the context of this on-going repression that the illegal regime aims to hold elections as their way of legitimizing and justifying the un-legitimizable and unjustifiable coup.
We urge U.S. citizens to contact your member of congress, senator, the white house and state department, to demand:
- The unconditional return of President Zelaya and his government to full constitutional power and authority
- No recognition of the November 29 elections
- Justice for the plotters and perpetrators of the military coup, and
- Reparations for the victims of the regime repression
STATE DEPARTMENT, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Assistant Secretary Thomas Shannon: 202-647-4000
WHITE HOUSE, President Barack Obama and Dan Restrepo (Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs): 202-456-1111, 202-456-1414
VIEW The Real News:
“Nothing resolved in Honduras: Widely-celebrated, US-brokered agreement looks to have strengthened coup instead of reversing it”: http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=4431
WATCH A 2-PART “FAULT LINES” NEWS REPORT ABOUT HONDURAS:
FOR INTERVIEWS & MORE INFORMATION
In Honduras, Karen Spring, 011-504-9507-3835, spring.kj@gmail.com
In USA, Grahame Russell, 860-352-2448, info@rightsaction.org
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