Letter from Honduras
After the coup, a Canadian student visits a scene of resistance.
Ousted Zelaya: 'I will return.'
On Tuesday in Honduras, two days after a military coup forced President Jose Manuel "Mel" Zelaya from office, I am headed down towards a rural village where protest is gathering strength.
The people in the car with me switch from one radio station to another, each announcer declaring that Tegucigalpa, the capital, is swamped with anti-Mel, pro-military demonstrations.
My colleague shakes his head, saying soldiers are standing outside of radio stations. The military is running the communications all over the country now, he sighs. Independent broadcasters, and Channel 8, which supports Mel, have been taken off the air.
As electricity flickers, the only way to know exactly what is going on is to be in the eye of the storm. We arrive at the protest. My colleague tells me that it is probably best if I stay in the car. Foreign journalists were taken hostage yesterday and threatened with violence by the military government in the capital. I scout out the situation and decide it is safe to get a closer look. About two hundred people wave their fists in the air chanting "The village, united, will never be defeated."
"This was a coup. This is not democracy!" yells one of the six men energizing the growing crowd from the stage. The people clap and cheer.
And then, women, children, elderly, families and complete strangers, all raise their hands in the air as they proudly sing the Honduran national anthem.
How did I, a Canadian student, get here? And more to the point, how did Honduras arrive at this point?
Return visitor
In 2007, I spent four months living in rural Honduras as a participant in a Canada World Youth, an international exchange program. I lived with a local family and volunteered at a local micro-credit development organization. During my experience in Honduras, I was exposed to many new things: culture, food, climate, mountains, poverty, privatization, exploitation, struggle, hope, activism and resistance.
In Honduras, 70 per cent of the population lives in poverty. It was a visit to one of the many Canadian owned mining operations in Honduras that led me back to this country today, where I am volunteering with a Honduran network of non-governmental organizations and investigating local resistance to Canadian mining companies as part of my Masters thesis at York University.
I am not yet comfortable taking a side on the issue of Sunday's coup, but simply wish to share a snapshot of what is happening here, given that the military government has blocked the anti-military news television channels and radio stations, is frequently cutting the electricity so as to limit online and telephone communications, and has been denying access to major highways, limiting mobilization.
Zelaya's referendum
President Zelaya was forced out of the country by the military for proposing a referendum vote on the Cuarta Urna, or changes to the current Honduran constitution.
Included in the proposed reform is the condition that Mel can run again for another electoral term.
Many people, however, are most concerned about other changes to this constitution of over 300 articles that was drafted decades ago more or less by the United States. Mel offered a referendum, which promised something like participatory democracy to a largely poor nation. The professors, the campesinos, the NGOs, the activists, at least the ones that I spoke with, were all voting yes to the Cuarta Urna. They said they were voting for change.
But the referendum was not supported by the courts, the legislature and the military, thus making it illegal. Sunday afternoon, the Honduran National Congress read a letter supposedly written by Mel the previous week stepping down from the Presidency. Within hours, Roberto Micheletti, former head of the Congress, was declared the new President of Honduras.
Moments later, a CNN interview with Mel "live from Costa Rica" aired, in which Mel declared that he never wrote a letter of resignation.
But it was too late, Micheletti was in, and Mel was ousted.
What a startling reversal of political momentum. Many people had eagerly anticipated Sunday, the day to vote on the Cuarta Urna. If Obama could win the presidency of the United States, we can change this constitution, we can save Honduras, people were saying. Fists rose in the air.
Everyone knew the situation Sunday would be tense. I was told: You better stay in Santa Rosa this weekend, Ashley, just to be safe. A week prior to the vote, the organization I work with decided that staff could not be driving past 9 p.m. Police checkpoints dotted the country. My office held a four hour meeting to weigh the risks, and prepare. Perhaps the referendum will be cancelled. They may take your names down if you vote, or the results may be rigged.
People considered the possibilities. I heard no one suggest that a coup would happen. Yet, after Mel fired the military chief, and opposition exploded both within and outside of his own party, he was taken out of his house at gunpoint by masked militia, guided onto a plane and sent to San Jose.
Mel, and the thousands of supporters who took to the streets in Tegucigalpa, called this an act of terrorism, an illegal coup planned by the powerful economic elites in Honduras.
The military claim they are preserving democracy.
Yesterday, from exile in Nicaragua, Zelaya vowed to return to Honduras on Thursday to regain his presidency.
Post-coup: an early, uneasy quiet
On Sunday after news of the coup had broken, in a small city called Santa Rosa de Copan eight hours from the capital, all was quiet. Four militia guarded the central park. Everything was closed. Thanks to the oversensationalized morning CNN broadcast that warned the "situation escalates in Honduras", I feared that my office would be locked down. Not even close.
The streets were busy as usual. The office parking lot was full. Everyone met upstairs. We spent the first four hours of the morning, praying, discussing, sharing, crying, laughing, hoping for safety and stability in Honduras. A prolonged attempt at uniting in some institutional response to the coup failed. We all believe in the same God, many of us are from the same families, but we just cannot come together on the Cuarta Urna. This isn't even about the Cuarta Urna, one man yelled, it is about human rights. We have the right to be consulted. The people debated and discuss their versions of the coup.
What bothers me, one man declared, is that in a few hours, the National Congress decided on a new president. Never are laws passed so quickly. This makes us suspicious. The military has ousted the president, under the premise that his will to present a vote to change the constitution was undemocratic. Then, they declared a new president and new head of the national congress without asking the people what they wanted. This is not democratic.
Another colleague speaks: The military have established a curfew. They are blocking the highways and the pro-Mel media. This is repression. This is not democratic.
At my organization, a network of 15 non-governmental organizations, we argue that what happened is simply illegal. This is an unjust military coup, and Honduras must return to the democratic system by reinstituting Mel as the President.
Quenching thirst
Two days later, on Tuesday, here I am with my colleagues driving to witness the gathering of teachers, union members, villagers and members of various organizations who have gathered peacefully to force a highway blockade in Gracias Lempira.
We are bringing the Honduran flag, and seven hundred bags of water for the demonstrators. During our 20-minute drive to the demonstration, we successfully bypass Santa Rosa's two army battalions, the prison and a police check. By 9 a.m., approximately one hundred pro-Zelaya activists have gathered at Gracias Lempira. Dressed in jeans, white t-shirts and red Cuarta Urna Si t-shirts, they declare the coup a violation of citizen rights and a shame for the people of Honduras. They have been forced to stage their own protests in places like this, outside of the city, due to major highway blockades by soldiers.
A small brigade of soldiers and police watch nearby. A protestor shakes hands with a police officer. These pro-Mel protestors are much more peaceful than the international and national media have been suggesting.
The only moment of intensity arises when journalists from the television channels attempt to document the event. The demonstrators run in a frenzy frantically waving their hands gesturing for the media to leave. They would rather have no media presence here than one that falsely represents their interests.
The journalists leave and the people gather in a meeting, pooling their resources to plan a trip to the capital tomorrow, where their voices will be heard by the people in power. The protestors do not want a military government. They do not want repression. They are calling for peace and democracy. As we drive off, I hear the chanting continue: "El pueblo, unido, jamás será vencido."
Related Tyee stories:
- Mining Gold, and Outrage, in Guatemala
Vancouver-registered firm pushes big project. - Turning Down a Gold Mine
In Guatemala, angry locals vote no, but BC firm presses on. - Iran: Whose Side Are We Really On?
Growing revolt should topple some easy assumptions here.
![[Tyee]](http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ui/img/ico_fishie.png){kind=small}
ME2
01-07-2009
The same old game.
When I first heard of the Military coup in Honduras, my first thought was of the notorious US' "School of the Americas".
For those unaware of it, it's worth an eye-opening hour or so of Googling.
asp
01-07-2009
wrong question
"Do you agree that, during the general elections of November 2009 there should be a fourth ballot to decide whether to hold a Constituent National Assembly that will approve a new political constitution?"
That is the question the poll asked. There was no mention of extending term limits.
Here is the original spanish:
Está de acuerdo que en las elecciones generales de 2009 se instale una cuarta urna en la cual el pueblo decida la convocatoria a una asamblea nacional constituyente?
Sí.......ó...........No.
Ashholly
01-07-2009
Wrong question
This comment is correct... thank you for clarifying this, as this has become a key issue here - the ambiguity of the proposed constitutional change.
What does it mean to vote for constitutional change? Many people believe that one of Mel's intentions for hosting this referendum was to extend his term in office. But in reality, there is nothing in writing to support.
asp
01-07-2009
Imposible to extend current term
If the military had not intervened, what might have happened?
1) On June 28, the people of Honduras might have approved the 4th ballot.
2) In the November elections, the people of Honduras might have approved a Constituent National Assembly. They would also elect a new president at that time. Zelaya would/could not be running for re-election.
3) At some time afterwards, the new government would get around to setting up that assembly to look at revising the constitution. These kinds of things normally take years to setup and make any recommendations.
4) Perhaps during the next federal elections, there might be a referendum on the new constitution, which the Honduran people might or might not approve.
and the saga continues: US suspends military activities with Honduras: Pentagon
Given the apparent paranoia of the Honduran military, this seems to be a good idea.
Skywalker
01-07-2009
Sounds like Chile all over again.
I can't understand why countries which the U.S considers as having some economic interest for them must subscribe to term limits for Presidents. All it allows for is the protection of some kind of U.S favored status quo. It is great for the U.S as no one is ever around long enough to change a country and drastically improve things. It sounds like a CIA gimmick. We don't have term limits for Prime Ministers in Canada. It is no big deal but when Venezuela tried constitutional reform all the propaganda media used language that sounded like a dictatorship was in store. Even the CBC fell into the trap and was complicit in the spreading of false information.
Now it is Honduras' turn. This is reminds me of Chile. So Zelaya was suppose to be moving more to the left. You mean he was going to favor the ordinary folks in his policies and the privileged rich were worried so the CIA decided to back the military leaders of the coup. Enter PInochet II.
vane2778
01-07-2009
Opinion from a honduran citizen
I am a honduran citizen, and i am not part of an elite, my parents have both worked very hard to keep a small private business afloat, and they have always taught us to respect the law but to stay away from politics. Since Mr. Zelaya raised the minimum salary my parents were forced to fire 60% of their employees and they are hardly keeping it together. Most of these employees had worked with my parents for a very long time, and are now unemployed.
Fortunately my brothers and I are older, because my parents business is on the verge of bankruptcy, this is progres? This is fighting for the small business and the people that work hard? On the other hand the honduran constitution has been change before, but the articles refering to a presidents time in power a petrous. And our law states that it is congress (who we also choose in free elections) the one who calls for referendum. Mr. Zelaya says this was just a question (venezuela or bolivia anyone?), there had been massive peaceful rallies against this "question", oh and why did the ballots come in venezuelan airplanes? I do not earn much, and I do know my people suffer, but i am a hard worker wich is what this country needs. Not a mas trying to perpetuate himself in power with lies about progress and support for the poor. I am sorry if this sounds harsh but HE HAD TO LEAVE!!! And i can say that it is a minority that wants him back. I was lucky i had hardworking parents, and if i have children i wish to teach them the same, in a non regime. I know in other countries these things can be done legally but here this smelled of Chavez all the way. I hope you understand our position. WE SUPPORT THE OTHER PART OF OUR ELECTED GOVERNMENT (CONGRESS AND THE SUPREME COURT) as well as our armed forces. I can say I know have hope in my country, but i cannot say the same for the international community, they have condemned us without giving us a chancse to explain (again i say, chavez anyone?).
Skywalker
01-07-2009
One question vane2778
How is this democracy? Deny citizens the right to decide. Overthrow a democratically elected government. Install a puppet of the military and the CIA. All this because it smells of Chavez, who is very popular with the people in another country. Now you have hope but does the average Honduran? How presumptuous!
ME2
01-07-2009
A sad tale indeed.
Geez, Zelaya actually dared to raise the minimum wage! Seems to me I've heard many variants on that theme before. Clearly "HE HAD TO LEAVE" before commonism - or anything even looking like it - should rear its ugly head in unsuspecting, helpless Honduras.
Even sadder is that very likely most of us here would otherwise find much to admire in vane2778.
Skywalker
01-07-2009
Again.
People who enjoy a competitive advantage in the marketplace based only on cheaper labour to make their product have no business being in business. Nothing is said about what the minimum wage was before Zelaya raised it nor what the poverty wage in Honduras would be. A military coup by someone who graduated from the School of the Americas is suspect. The guy has no respect for democracy.
vane2778
02-07-2009
Average citizens are glad he is out
Did I mention minimum wage was not raised 20 or 30%, wich a lot of companies could have afforted, it was raised 70%.
Yes the average citizen is in favor of the removal of Honduras, there have been massive peaceful rallies all over honduras begging the international community to respect us and keep him out, why is this not seen?
Costitution has been changed before in Honduras, but it is Congress (as the law states) that has to call for referendum. Goverment here has 3 parts, if one of them is going megalomaniac on us, wouldn´t the other 2 have the duty to answer for the people. Let me ask u, just because he is the president is he above the law of OUR country?
Skywalker
02-07-2009
vane2778
I guess that is why it is necessary to shut down the media that is sympathetic to Zelaya. You can't have accurate reporting when the military is in control. These days the news does get through in spite of the fascists. No part of any government should have the right to be judge, jury and executioner and have the military do its bidding. What strange brand of democracy is that? How convenient. Just exile someone in the dead of night so they have no recourse and are not around to defend themselves. Sounds like Pinochet. You just send them away and make them powerless instead of making them dissappear. Shame on you apologists for a military dictatorship!
Colleen Fuller
02-07-2009
Who Supports the Coup?
There have been a number of web postings about the pharmaceutical industry's support for the military coup in Honduras, but this hasn't been reported in the mainstream press (what a surprise). Honduras joined the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), a regional trade group. It also negotiated, through ALBA, a deal with Cuba to supply generic medicines. Oops, that certainly upset Big Pharma, which supplies 80% of all drugs in Honduras, at the usual rip off prices (thereby draining needed health care dollars). The world oil monopolies also didn't like the deal with Venezuela since that broke their monopoly within Honduras. For more information visit this website (Renegade Eye): http://advant.blogspot.com/.
A South Going P...
02-07-2009
Please be informed before you decide
If you read Gwyn Dyer
http://www.straight.com/article-237652/gwynne-dyer-hugo-chavezs-threats-honduras-will-fade-away?#
or look at wikipedia and read about the form of governance and who is elected at present you might get a different picture of this. The Honduras of today is not the same place as we saw in the 80's. Try to update your views.
anarcho
02-07-2009
Mr "non-elite" Honduran
Mr "non-elite" Honduran citizen. Only 4% of Hondurans have Internet access. Shows how "non-elite" you are. And as someone else mentioned you will not get a bit of sympathy from us as you cry and moan about raising the minimum wage.
anarcho
02-07-2009
I am also surprised to see
I am also surprised to see Gwynn Dyer, of all people, taking a reactionary stance on this issue. Obviously if Zelaya is so unpopular, he would not win his "vote to have a vote". So there would be nothing for the Oligarchs to worry about why the coup?
A South Going P...
03-07-2009
Hondura elections are in november
Why would you quote from an self admitted Marxist blog? As left wing as I see myself and I will certainly read their literature with interest I would not be quoting from them. I hope that the rhetoric from the Honduran crisis can be toned down until after the November elections. Presently Zelaya is a lame duck. He is lower than 30% in the popular poles and he has been tossed out by his own party. The ruling Liberal party with 62 of 128 seats in congress is still in charge of the country. Zelaya is doing what a politician does best, try to rally support. I think that his request that people take to the streets is inflammatory and could be unfortunate for the people. This unfortunate crisis is roughly equivalent to the Liberal party of BC finding Gordon C. Guilty of corruption and getting the RCMP to fly him to Edmonton ... Oh but I dare to dream.
Skywalker
03-07-2009
Muzzling the media for waht purpose
You might want to ask why the military feels it necessary to muzzle the media before you put so much faith in elections in November. Then there is the convenient exiling of one of the players. I have not heard the western media dispute anything carried on the "self admitted left-wing blog" so maybe it is A South Going P.. who should be a bit more cautious.
G West
03-07-2009
Ummm!
There are two sides to every coin and I really don't have much knowledge of local Honduran Politics.
Interestingly though, I doubt Gwynn Dyer does either...in fact his diatribe seems more directed at Hugo Chavez than Zelaya and there's little or nothing in the Dyer piece about what's actually happening on the ground in Tegucigalpa.
Dyer writes from London, he's primarily a military historian and he tends to view things from a pretty pragmatic point of view.
I think I'll wait a bit before I take up Dyer's point of view. Read some more from the Spanish language press and see what happens in the next couple of weeks.
It may be true that Zelaya isn’t polling very well – but in Latin America, even today, I’m not sure that says much about his popularity.
And, there’s an interesting nugget in Dyer’s piece too. That line about why Zelaya, who’d been a conservative, turned into a leftist radical once he came to power.
Maybe, just maybe he decided the power of the conservative elites and the military were a little too much for his stomach. You never know.
Fact is, the military overthrew an elected president. That's pretty much the same thing that happened a few years ago in Venezuela and we all know what's happened in Caracas since then.
I think the right wingers who really didn't want ANY chance that Zelaya might get another term have overstepped themselves very badly...
Time will tell. For the moment, as a Canadian, I think I'll take the word of Ashley Holly, who actually 'knows' something of the country and who has lived and is living there, over Gwynne Dyer - a guy who has to ‘throw off’ 700 or 800 words about 'something' every week or so and who scribbles his 'dispatches' from a flat in Kensington.
That column was not much of a keeper.
Perhaps though, if Ashley is keeping an eye on these comments, we might get some thoughts from her about the involvement of a certain María Martha Díaz Velásquez and a so-called NGO closely related to the US military in this coup.
doggone
03-07-2009
From a Latin Amaerican point of view
Raoul Castro's speech at Managua:
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/english/news/art0022.html
mikev
03-07-2009
Honduras
I would compare this to what happened in Haiti when Aristide was hung out to dry. In Honduras the elected president is getting some international support, so I would question if he is really a people's man at heart - even though his history seems to suggest he is. It's hard to sweep away the layers of propaganda and see who has the moral higher ground, coming from thousands of miles away with no real local background knowledge. I do appreciate the just the facts viewpoint of the article.
For real news on anything south of the Rio Grande, try NarcoNews:
(they call it "authentic journalism" - I wonder if The Tyee should try to build some sort of community with other like minded news organizations? Congrats on the Murrow award by the way!)
http://www.narconews.com/
Skywalker
03-07-2009
It is reall quite simple.
When you exile your opponent at night, suppress free speech and use the military, you cannot ever have the high ground of protecting democracy. It is just not possible. History has proven that over and over again.
ME2
04-07-2009
A crossroads for the US?
As I recall, the principal subject taught at the School of the Americas was "destabilisation", to be brought about through a variety of methods ranging from paramilitary Death Squads to demonstrations.
It has never mattered who was to be supported or employed - even criminals - remember Ollie North's activities? - just as long as enough discord was sown to ensure that the oligarchies would look to the US for support.
I remember reading dispatches from Haiti during Aristides time which noted that the US would not lift a finger to help Haiti's people or it's gov't. Some even accused the US of financially supporting dissidents.
This one will be Obama's acid test, I think.
It will also be an acid test for the US Right, for they've never been too discriminating with their assassinations.
Chuck Dickens
04-07-2009
Honduras
Skywalker and asp;
What I find truly disheartening and disturbing about all of this were the articles by Gwynn Dyer and Jonathon Manthorpe, both of whom are Journalists I have always respected, both parroting the coupsters lines about Zelaya's illegal attempt to extend his mandate. Manthorpe went so far as to state that Zelaya together with a mob of his supporters broke into a warehouse where the ballots were stored and STOLE them for later distribution. Excuse Me...?!! A five minute google search would let you know that you were on very thin ice with such ridiculous assertions.
Whatever happened to our Canadian reputation for fair and unbiased reporting of international news? Is this the pointy edge of the Corporate Multi-National Media Empire's wedge finding its way into
Canada? Why else then the constant reminders of the neocon/neoliberal boogie man Hugo Chavez from two fine Journalists?
This is really bad news for Canada.
ME2
05-07-2009
Chuck Dickens
If you are dependant upon neocon employers for a living, you have to give at least the appearance that your reports are "balanced".
Otherwise, all this time I've been reading Dyer wrongly, and if THAT is so, I don't know WHAT to think......
The column of Dyer's that is referenced here is so far over the top in its misinformed anti-Leftist bias that from here on in I'll be sure to add a "liberal" pinch of salt to anything of his that I read.
Skywalker
05-07-2009
Dyer is tiresome.
I have always thought that Dyer writes from a perspective that the world unfolds as it will. He accepts certain forces, not because they are on the side of truth and justice, but because the are the predominant forces. Dyer sees no need to provoke people into a search for truth and justice. He is a passive observer of the world. If the world is going to hell then there is really nothing he can do.
I have always found that view sterile and unworthy of a caring human being. You have to feel something when you see injustice and oppression, otherwise we simply perpetuate all that is wrong with the world. There should be nothing but contempt for military dictatorships who protect the wealthy elites in a position of power or a convoluted governance structure which makes the U.S. corporate interests comfortable. All the current suffering because of the economic meltdown is the failure of the corporate interest and their influence on government. How anyone like Dyer can ignore that is beyond me. One would be better off to read journalist John Pilger .
ME2
05-07-2009
The unfolding
And now they won't let Zelaya's plane land. If "the poeple" don't want him back - as they claim - who are they afraid of?
Could it be that with Obama around, they won't be able to rely upon US financed "Contras" to give them a hand?
Skywalker
05-07-2009
ME2
Strangely I'm not sure that Obama will have any impact on the Honduran crisis. He may express concern about the military but he will be distracted by all those domestic problems at home. He is not ready to tackle the CIA which operates unencumbered by democratic principles or control of elected representatives. I hope I am wrong>.
A South Going P...
06-07-2009
Zelayas has been tossed by
Zelayas has been tossed by his own party, the majority elected ruling Liberal party of Honduras (62 out of 128 seats) and other members of the congress. These are the people who are in control of the army, not the other way around.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_of_Honduras
I have never claimed that these actions were correct. I do however, say that Honduras should have a chance to resolve this crisis without involving yet another US style intervention.
A South Going P...
06-07-2009
Zalaya has not published a
Zalaya has not published a budget for two years, people want to know where their money has gone. He wanted the army to distribute the referendum, men with guns asking for public opinion, the head of the army refused and Zelaya fired him. He was thrown out of power by his own party, has no chance for reelection. What we call a Lame duck president.
What happens when a small man with no political support is returned to Honduras and his only tool is that he will be in charge of the army?