HONDURAS UPDATE AUGUST 8 2009

HONDURAS UPDATE AUGUST 8 2009

1. MASS MARCHES CONVERGE ON SAN PEDRO SULA, TEGUCIGALPA. The Honduran resistance to the coup is increasing the pressure and activity on the eve of a visit of regional foreign ministers on Tuesday. The delegation of ministers, headed by OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza is going to Tegulcigalpa in a last ditch effort to get the Micheletti coup regime to see reason and accept the proposals for a settlement presented by Oscar Arias, President of Costa Rica. Large numbers of workers, farmers, students etc. are converging on Honduras’ two largest cities from all corners of the country.

2. HONDURAN RESISTANCE GROUPS REFUSE TO GIVE UP ON REFERENDUM IDEA. Resistance organizations are distancing themselves from the position of President Zelaya and criticizing the idea in the Arias proposals that the referendum to ask whether voters want to vote in November on a constitutional convention to be held in 2010 be abandoned. The efforts by Zelaya and his allies to carry out such a referendum were a major factor in setting off the coup on June 28, when the referendum was supposed to take place. Honduran peasant leader Rafael Alegria, of Via Campesina, told the Mexico City daily “La Jornada” that “We are not in agreement that in San Jose [Costa Rica] the giving up of a national constituent assembly be given up”. Labor leader Juan Barahona has on several occasions pointed out that the idea of an referendum and a mass assembly to re-do the constitutions came from the mass base, not Zelaya.

3. H RES 630: WHO TO GO AFTER TO GET MORE SIGN ONS. I have been saying that H RES 630 so far has attracted cosponsors mostly from the Progressive, Black and Hispanic Congressional caucuses, and that there is an urgent need to broaden this out. Actually a great many members of those three caucuses have not yet signed on, and certainly should be lobbied to do so. Here are some of them; please do all you can to contact them right away to ask them to become cosponsors. Congress is in recess so your best bet may be to try to reach them in their districts. Go to www.thomas.loc.gov for contact information.

Alabama: Arthur Davis

Arizona: Ed Pastor

California: Pete Stark, Henry Waxman, Xavier Becerra, Judy Chu, Dianne Watson, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Laura Richardson, Linda Sanchez, Joe Baca, Xavier Becerra, Jim Costa, Dennis Cardoza, Grace Napolitano, Mell Watt

Colorado: Jared Polis, John Salazar

Florida: Corrine Brown, Alan Grayson, Robert Wexler, Kenrick Meeks,

Georgia: Hank Johnson, David Scott

Illinois: Phil Hare

Indiana: Andre Carson

Iowa: Dave Loebsack

Maryland: Elijah Cummings

Minnesota: Keith Ellison

Mississippi: Bennie Thompson

Missouri: William Clay, Emmanuel Cleaver

New Jersey: Donald Payne
Frank Pallone

New Mexico: Ben Lujan

New York: Jerry Nadler, Yvette Clarke, Nydia Velazquez, Carolyn Maloney, Charles Rangel, John Hall, Louise Slaughter, Gregory Meeks,

North Carolina: Mel Watt, G.K. Butterfield, Edolphus Towns,

Ohio: Dennis Kucinich, Marcia Fudge

Oregon: Peter DeFazio

Tennessee: Steve Cohen

Texas: Eddie Bernice Johnson, Charles Gonzalez, Ruben Hinjosa, Henry Cuellar, Solomon Ortiz, Silvestre Reyes.

Vermont: Peter Welch

Virginia: Bobby Scott

Washington: Jim McDermott

Wisconson: Gwen Moore

Non voting: Donna Christensen, Eleanor Homes-Norton

Swiftboating Amy Goodman on Democracy Now

This transcript is like reading something out of these pro-corporate mob town hall meetings. The lobbyist for Honduran business interests constantly interrupts, makes sweeping accusations and nonsense charges and attacks the show's host, Amy Goodman. Kudos to Goodman who handled the attacks and insanity well. I guess this is what the movement for change should expect now. How to counter such aggressive -- and at its essence anti-democratic. even 'brown shirt'-- tactics so to win over people who may not have a position say on health care or other issues will be a challenge.

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/7/honduras

HONDURAS UPDATE AUGUST 7 2009

HONDURAS UPDATE FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 7 2009

By Emile Schepers

There are important new developments.

1. SEN. KERRY IS WORRIED THAT OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S POSITION ON HONDURAS IS WEAKENING. The New York Times is reporting in tomorrow’s edition that U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA), the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is being critical of a letter that was sent by the U.S. Department of State to U.S. Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) last week. Lugar, who supports the coup, had asked the State Department to clarify the U.S. position on Honduras, and the State Department’s response stated, among other things, that the U.S. is not supporting any one individual in the Honduras imbroglio, just a negotiated solution. The Lugar letter had threatened to hold up appointments of Obama administration appointees to State Department positions if the response was not satisfactory. The New York Times article paraphrases the State Department letter as criticizing Mr. Zelaya for “provocative actions”, presumably meaning his threats to cross the border from Nicaragua into Honduras.

2. OBAMA STATEMENT ON HONDURAS. Today president Obama referred to the Honduras situation, complaining that the same people who criticize the United States for interfering in Latin America are now demanding the U.S. interfere in Honduras. He says he does not have some sort of a button to push which will bring Zelaya back to power. (For the record, nobody has asked the U.S. to interfere in Honduras, e.g. to send in troops or anything like that, but only to conform to the decisions of the OAS in terms of not supporting the coup regime with material aid. There has been massive U.S. interference in Honduras heretofore via aid to the Honduran military, training of Honduran officers at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, support to the coup plotters and supporters by the International Republican Institute etc etc; what is being asked is that this STOP).

3. LATIN AMERICAN FOREIGN MINISTERS TO TEGUCIGALPA. A group of Hemispheric foreign ministers will be going to Tegucigalpa on Tuesday August 11 to meet with the de-facto regime of Roberto Micheletti, with the assignment of trying to persuade him to accept the plan promoted by Costa Rican president Oscar Arias. The delegation will be headed by OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, and will include the foreign ministers of Canada, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Mexico. Except for Argentina, all of the foreign ministers are from countries with relatively right wing governments at present. Even though all the member states of the OAS denounced the coup and called for Zelaya’s return, some of the countries whose foreign ministers are in the delegation have disagreements with Zelaya, again with the exception of Argentina which has a left-leaning government but is not in ALBA. The government of Jamaica, for example, is critical of ALBA for, in its opinion, undermining CARICOM by including the Anglo-Caribbean states of Antigua and St. Vincent. The Mexican, Costa Rican and Dominican governments have been supportive of the neo-liberal “Washington Consensus” which Honduran President Manuel Zelaya had denounced and rejected while affiliating Honduras with ALBA. When the idea of sending a delegation of foreign ministers to Tegucigalpa was first promoted, coup leader Micheletti said he would meet with them but that he would not accept any visiting foreign ministers from the ALBA countries as part of the delegation. So it appears the delegation was structured to satisfy Mr. Micheletti on that score. The ALBA countries are Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras (as far as Zelaya’s supporters are concerned), Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

4. MAJOR RALLIES PLANNED IN HONDURAS, SOA WATCH ASKS FOR SUPPORT IN U.S.. There have been demonstrations against the coup in Honduras every day since it happened, but there are really big new ones planned for this coming week. In particular TUESDAY AUGUST 11, which coincides with the visit of the foreign ministers, will be called A GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION FOR HONDURAS. While the National Front for Resistance in Honduras is increasing the marches, while demonstrations, sit ins, strikes and other actions, and the three major trade union federations in Honduras are calling an “indefinite general strike”, i.e. not just time delimited work stoppages. The School of the Americas Watch is calling for local actions throughout the United States. Go to their website (www.soaw.org) for details.

5. AMY GOODMAN INTERVIEWS LANNY DAVIS, GREG GRANDIN ON HONDURAS. There was an excellent Democracy Now! Episode in which Amy Goodman interviewed Lanny Davis, a lobbyist with Clinton connections who is lobbying in favor of the coup regime on Capitol Hill, and Greg Grandin, a NYU professor who has been opposing the coup and writing in support of Zelaya. You can read the transcript at http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/7/honduras. I highly recommend it!

There are no new sign ons on H RES 630.

All for now, more tomorrow.

HONDURAS UPDATE AUG 6 2009

By Emile Schepers

There is not much that is really new today. In Honduras, the struggle goes on in the streets. The Micheletti coup regime has said that the group of foreign ministers organized at the initiative of OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza can come to Tegucigalpa but it can not include foreign ministers of any of the ALBA countries (Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I do not have info on how Dr. Insulza has reacted to that, if he has as yet.

On Aug 9-10 there will be a summit of the leaders of the NAFTA countries in Guadalajara, Mexico: Mexican President Felipe Calderon, U.S. President Barack Obama, and Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper. The main purpose of the meeting is to discuss trade and related matters, but the issue of Honduras is likely to come up. Though Calderon has made a strong statement on Honduras, Harper has been one of the weakest, related either to his ultra-right ideology or perhaps heavy Canadian investment in the Honduran mining sector. There will be demonstrations.

There is no progress on getting more co-sponsors onto H RES 630, which denounces the coup and calls for Zelaya’s restoration. It is stuck at 44 cosponsors, while the opposing resolution, H RES 619, which applauds the coup and calls for Zelaya’s restoration, is at 41. The problem on 630 is that almost every cosponsor is a member of the Progressive, Hispanic or Black caucuses, which don’t form a majority in the House of Representatives by a long shot. We have to start getting others on board. I wrote to both my senators asking them to support restoration of Zelaya. I got back a response from one of them (Jim Webb, D-VA) which is so “balanced” in its language one can absolutely not tell what side of the issue he would come down on if there were some sort of Senate vote. It was a form letter of course. I have not received a response from my other senator, Mark Warner. This suggests to me that the lobbying work on Capitol Hill which is being paid for by the coup regime and its Honduran and US business backers is really having an effect. We have only our energy to oppose to this, so let’s get cracking.

To see the list of who is on the two resolutions, go to www.thomas.loc.gov and type in “Honduras” in the search engine.

HONDURAS UPDATE AUGUST 5 2009

By Emile Schepers

Here is the latest on the Honduras issue, in no particular order.

1. VIOLENCE AGAINST STUDENTS, STAFF OF UNIVERSITY. This afternoon there was a sharp clash between students and staff of the National Autonomous University and coup security/insecurity forces. Al Jazeera, Telesur and others report that a large number of students (Telesur says 3,000) gathered at the entryway to the university. Telesur says that security police entered the University precincts and assaulted the students with tear gas grenades and water cannon. The rector of the University, Julieta Castellanos, was evidently roughed up and pushed to the ground when she tried to interpose herself between the police and the students. The students had come out of the University grounds to protest, and the police had tried to follow them into the University when they went back in. In most Latin American countries, it is considered by be a horrifying abuse when police or the military try to enter university campuses, which have a very high degree of autonomy.

2. FOREIGN MINISTERS TO TEGUCIGALPA NEXT WEEK. The programmed meeting among regional leaders today, headed by OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, has decided to send a delegation of hemispheric foreign ministers to Tegucigalpa next week to try to get the illegitimate coup government headed by Roberto Micheletti to see reason and accept the proposals for a settlement crafted by Costa Rican president Oscar Arias. The coup regime has so far refused to concede the key element of returning president Manuel Zelaya to power. The identities of the 5 foreign ministers had not been revealed at the time I wrote this.

3. PROTESTS TO BE CARRIED OUT IN MEXICO OVER HONDURAS. On August 9-10, there will be a summit meeting of North American leaders in Guadalajara, Mexico. Mexican president Felipe Calderon will be hosting US president Barack Obama and Canadian prime minister Steven Harper for talks about economics, trade, immigration, security and other things. The Honduras crisis is likely to be on the agenda also. Although Mexico has made strong statements about the Honduras issue, the Canadian position is the weakest, perhaps related to the right-wing orientation of Harper’s conservative government and also the influence of Canadian-owned mining interests in Honduras. The left in Mexico is working to organize demonstrations related to the summit, which will include demands for the restoral of Zelaya to the presidency of Honduras.

4. MASSIVE DEMONSTRATIONS IN TEGUCIGALPA AUGUST 10. Leaders of the protests demanding the return of president Zelaya have announced that there will be columns of demonstrators converging on Tegucigalpa on Monday, Aug 10, for a massive protest.

5. NURSES STRIKE IN HONDURAS. There is an announcement that Honduran nurses are going on strike demanding the ouster of the coup regime and the return of president Zelaya. Teachers and others have been on strike in spite of threats of repression and the murder of two teachers by the coup regime. I will try to get more details on the nurses’ strike which should get support from unionized nurses in the US and worldwide. About 15,000 health care workers are said to be involved in the strike, according to various sources.

6. REVIVING OF 1980S DEATH SQUADS. Honduran peasant leader Rafael Alegria today accused the Micheletti coup regime of trying to revive the death squads of the 1980s, specifically battalion 316 which was responsible for many deaths and disappearances in that period. A number of military figures in the coup regime have connections with that unit.

7. WEAK CLINTON LETTER TO LUGAR. Earlier today AP released info on a letter sent by the State Department to GOP Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) who had written to State to ask for explanations as to why the Obama administration is supporting Zelaya. The text of the letter was phrased in such a way as to make many conclude that the Obama administration is now backing off its support for Zelaya’s restoration. However, later in the day another State Dept. spokesperson denied that there is any change in the U.S. stance.

8. NO NEW SIGN ONS ON RESOLUTION. There are no new co-sponsors signed on to H RES 630, the House of Representatives resolution denouncing the coup and calling for Zelaya’s return. Please push this with your congresspersons.

Court Challenges of Arpaio in Maricopa County, AZ‏

The public gallery at the Maricopa County Superior Court with Judge Armando Gandarilla will be filled again this Friday, August 7. Last week in a similar case, nearly 50 viewed the Evidentiary Hearing of activist Orlando Arenas who had charges of criminal trespassing dismissed with prejudice and monetary sanctions imposed on the Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The trial on Friday is the "criminal trespass" charge from September 29 of last year against lead organizer of the Maricopa Citizens for Safety and Accountability (MCSA), Randy Parraz. Randy was grabbed by Maricopa County Sheriff Office (MCSO) deputies for standing in a public area outside the County Board of Supervisors building. Randy was singled out of a small crowd of people standing next to him, but only he was accused of trespassing -- little more than political retribution for Randy's tireless criticism of the MCSO.

The incident calls to mind the arrest of the ACLU of Arizona's legal director Dan Pochoda on a bogus trespassing charge last year. Pochoda recently beat that rap, and is suing the County for $400K. So far, every one arrested on bogus charges has beaten the MCSO combined with the County Attorney regime in the courts. Guess who pays when someone is wrongfully arrested by the MCSO? Taxpayers.

See the link:
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2008/09/county_supes_critic_randy_parr.php

Also on August 7th, children, teens and families come out to march against the injustices that are affecting the victims of Arpaio's raids. We will start at 11am at the 4th Ave County jail (4th Ave & Madison) and walk to Joe Arpaio's office (Wells Fargo Tower 100 W Washington). We will finish at 1pm.

HONDURAS UPDATE AUGUST 4 2009

By Emile Schepers, August 4 2009

Here is today’s update on the Honduras struggle.

1. ZELAYA IN MEXICO, DEMANDS STRONGER ACTION BY THE UNITED STATES. President Manuel Zelaya was in Mexico today, meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon. In spite of Calderon’s decidedly right-wing orientation, he has been among those who have denounced the coup, and Zelaya thanked him for Mexico’s solidarity. Speaking to the press in Mexico, Zelaya reiterated his call for stronger pressure by the United States on the coup government headed by Roberto Micheletti. Zelaya said that if the United States would apply more economic pressure on the coup government, the coup would be over in “five minutes” due to the fact that Honduras is 70 or 80 per cent dependent on the US economically. Zelaya said he is willing to accept the original plan to resolve the Honduras situation which had been presented by Costa Rican president Oscar Arias, and denounced coup leader Micheletti for sabotaging it. Zelaya heads to Brazil next.

2. FOREIGN MINISTER RODAS CALLS FOR CUTOFF OF U.S. AND CANADIAN AID TO HONDURAS. The Honduran foreign minister, Patricia Rodas, today called on the U.S. and Canadian governments to suspend military aid to Honduras, “because while they have oxygen from power forces represented in the U.S. government, the military coup is going to also have a way to breathe”. Rodas, who accompanied Zelaya to Mexico City, said that they had asked president Calderon to put pressure on the United States to take real and forceful measures to cut off aid to the coup regime. She said they also asked for Mexican support in the campaign to make sure that no elections carried out under the Micheletti regime are recognized as valid internationally.

Note that Canada has big mining interests in Honduras and that the right wing Canadian government of Prime Minister Harper has also been reluctant to apply sanctions to the coup regime.

3. HONDURAN GENERALS GO ON TV TO EXPLAIN THAT THE MILITARY COUP THEY CARRIED OUT IS NOT A MILITARY COUP. The New York Times and others are reporting that the 5 generals, who appeared in camouflage uniforms on Honduran TV, said that their action in ousting President Zelaya does not constitute a military coup d’etat, but rather a constitutional transition, because they got authorization from civilian authorities first (but not from the president, or head of state, obviously). The NYT reporter, Ginger Thompson, pointed out that if they intended to send the message that the military is not running the government, all that brass appearing on TV together (dressed for battle) was probably not the best way to do it.

4. REPRESSION IN SAN PEDRO SULA. There are reports of military/police repression against anti-coup marchers in San Pedro Sula today, with about 42 injuries and arrests. Soldiers and police evidently assaulted a caravan of vehicles that was organized to demand the return of President Zelaya, using tear gas, clubs and live ammo.

5. INDEPENDENT PRESS IN HONDURAS MENACED. The coup authorities have filed charges with the National Telecommunications Commission (similar to our FCC) against Radio Globo in Honduras, one of the few pro-Zelaya, anti coup media outlets now functioning. They are being charged with using the airwaves to promote violence because they have been quoting on air an article in the Honduran constitution which asserts the right of the people to rebel against a usurper government “the people have the right of insurrection in defense of the constitutional order”. (Thanks to Jose Cruz for this info)

6. NO NEW SIGN ONS FOR H RES 630 (GOOD RESOLUTION) OR H. RES 619 (BAD RESOLUTION) TODAY. THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS RECESSED SO GO WITH DELEGATIONS TO TALK TO YOUR CONGRESSPERSONS.