Resiste Honduras: URGENT: Gunmen burst into the headquarters of STIBYS in San Pedro Sula, one person injured

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

URGENT: Gunmen burst into the headquarters of STIBYS in San Pedro Sula, one person injured

voselsoberano.com | Tuesday May 25, 2010 21:11

URGENT ALERT

The Committee of Relatives of Detained and Disappeared in Honduras, COFADEH, urgently warns the national and international community about the serious events occurred this afternoon against the Union of Industry Workers of Soft Drinks and Similars, STIBYS:

COFADEH received a report that at about 4:30 pm this Tuesday May 25, 2010, gunmen stormed the STIBYS, dressed in white shirts, caps, and black pants and immediately fired at Douglas Gomez, who was taken to the Seguro Social in San Pedro Sula to undergo surgery.
The action is conducted in synchrony with the blocking of the telephone lines, which did not work when the people inside the union who were four including Douglas, wanted to raise the alarm to seek help from outside. The strangers did not take anything from STIBYS.
COFADEH is concerned about this new repressive action against STIBYS and its leaders, namely Carlos H. Reyes, and Porfirio Ponce, who since the coup, have been the victims of constant attacks, surveillance and militarization of the organization by the repressive state forces. On July 26, 2009, at 12: 00 noon, a grenade exploded inside the premises. A member of the resistance who left the premises that day was attacked with rubber bullets. In August unidentified assailants opened fire on the building. Three shots struck the windows of the meeting room. On August 11 the main entrances to the Union were militarized, a contingent of soldiers into commandos and tanks were stationed at four in the afternoon until August 12, preventing the caravans of the resistance, which was concentrated in Tegucigalpa from arriving to this site that was being used as accommodation center. Three people who came inside the building were arrested and charged with theft and aggravated arson. On November 28 the army re-militarized the premises and a military tank provided with a long-range cannon were stationed at its main gate.
We denounce the lack of accountability of the Public Ministry by failing to carry out the necessary investigations regarding the repression previously mentioned despite taking the appropiate actions of complaint to this institution, for which we blame its authorities for any attempt to jeopardize the life of STIBYS' leaders.
This event against the organization of workers is carried out almost a month after the first anniversary of the coup, when important activities will be undertaken such as the installation of the Truth Commission, an initiative of the Platform for Human Rights and the culmination of the process of collecting signatures for the Sovereign Declaration to demand the National Constituent Assembly and the return of President Manuel Zelaya Rosales. Besides the atmosphere of terror renovated since the arrival of the current regime.
We condemn this new action which conveys the purpose to silence the voices of both organized labor and of all the Honduran people that are heading towards a National Constituent Assembly despite all the failed attempts of the oligarchy responsible for the coup and the repressive forces who use the peoples' money to repress.
COFADEH urgently calls upon the national and international community to speak out against this act, with appeals to the regime to stop the repression against the organized people. Besides demanding that this despicable act will not go unpunished.