A gathering was held in Halifax Nova Scotia recently, on Latin American politics. The Honduran coup came up often, among many other interesting things!

http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/photo/1949

As a canadian citizen currently working in Honduras I am hard pressed to plead for your attention and collaboration to the current Human Rights Violations in Honduras by state security forces, namely the military and police, in the aftermath of the military coup against President Manuel Zelaya.

Though after 32 days of heroic resistance by Hondurans the issue is no longer in the headlines around the world, I want to assure you that there is a fierce battle in the streets of all cities and towns, one in which thousands of people in peaceful disobedience face the weapons of the military and police who shoot to kill, under orders from the criminals General Romeo Vásquez, head of the Armed Forces, Saul Bueso, head of the Police, and dictator Roberto Micheletti, along with their puppets.

As I am writing this the people of Tegucigalpa have been attacked by the military and police, and there is TV footage of these criminals shooting to kill, not to disperse people, with real ammunition plus tear gas and rubber/wood bullets.

More than 10 social leaders have been assasinated during night hours, and hundreds remain disappeared after being violently arrested by security forces loyal to the criminal regime.

Hundreds of women and their children have been left to die in the streets after tear gas attacks, since security forces shoot at the sight of medical crews trying to assist and transport them to hospitals and medical centers.

It is from within the enormous suffering of the heroic Honduran people that I request your help to let many others know what we are facing, which is nothing short from the beginnings of an holocaust.

Already the Department (province) of El Paraíso has been turned into a giant prison where more than 10,000 persons are now facing death by deprivation of food, water, and medical attention as intended by the criminal actions of the heads of security forces of the regime, who aim to destroy the social movement by trapping people between dozens of checkpoints, and them allowing them to die from thirst, hunger, and exposure to elements. This estimate does not take into account the hundreds of thousands of people now condemned to be imprisoned into their own houses, without allowing them go out for fear of being killed by the police and the military.

The situation is dire and catastrophic, as a few U.N. representatives have barely started to supervise the current tragedy there.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Surely much more than you think!

Do what Canadians do when facing Human Rights tragedies around the world:

WRITE, CALL, MANIFEST!

Write and call your friends, and let them know that Hondurans are being assasinated, and that corporate media won't let the world know it.

Write and call your friends to let them know that corporate media is lying to the world when announcing that the country is at peace, since this is far from the truth.

Tell your friends that corporate media also lies when they write that the current tragedy was initiated by President Zelaya's desire to get reelected and approve other democratic reforms.

That is a lie!

The root of the current tragedy in Honduras is President Zelaya's request that the United States allowed the Palmerola / Soto Cano Military Base to be used as a mixed military/civilian airport, so that it could serve in the economic and touristic development of the impoverished region where it sits, instead of being used only as a U.S. military base, where the U.S. maintains more than 1,000 soldiers under purposes of continuing the strategic domination of Central America.

President Zelaya approached the U.S. requesting that the giant military airfield be used also as a small civilian airport, without diminishing in any way its military capabilities, so that it could serve as an eventual replacement of Tegucigalpa's small and dangerous Toncontín airport, after the fatal crash of Taca's Airbus weeks before.

It was this respectful request that angered the gangster aspect of the U.S. government, triggering a plan to bring instability and the military removal of a democratically elected President in Honduras.

Write and call to your local representatives, senators, authorities, and your government to let them know that Hondurans are by no means retreating and surrendering, since their resistance only grows day after day, even when facing the war weapons of the military and police!

Write and call the Canadian Embassy in Guatemala requesting that the situation in Honduras be monitored closely.

Write and call the Embassies of other countries in Canada requesting that their governments monitor the situation in Honduras closely.

Write and call all Human Rights organizations around the world requesting that their representatives and contacts monitor the situation in Honduras closely, in order to bring the criminals to the International Criminal Court in Rome for Crimes Against Humanity.

Urge all European governments to pressure the United States Government to reign into their political and military puppets, so that they stop the killing and harrasment of the Honduran people, and avoid the escalation of the current crisis into a full scale civil war.

Hondurans are known as a peaceful, patient, and resilient people, which is why after 32 days of civil resistance not a single weapon has been found in the peaceful marches of the people demanding a rightful restitution of the constitutional state.

This does not mean, however, that Hondurans will forever allow the security forces to keep their campaing of assasination and intimidation.

Rumors of insurgent weapons on the borders abound, and given that Hondurans are not fearful of the military and police, the situation could in a matter of days escalate into a full scale civil war, with unprecedented consequences for Central and Latin America.

Canadian brothers and sisters, Hondurans need your voice!

Honduran Coup Regime Hires US Lobbyists with Clinton Ties

Meanwhile, new details are being revealed about American lobbyists that have been hired to support the coup. The New York Times reports the coup government has hired a public relations specialist with ties to former President Bill Clinton. The specialist, Bennet Ratcliff, was part of the delegation that met in Costa Rica last Thursday. According to the New York Times, the delegation, including the installed Honduran president Roberto Micheletti, “rarely made a move without consulting” Ratcliff. An official close to the talks said Ratcliff wrote or approved every proposal that was submitted at the meeting. Meanwhile, the Honduran branch of an influential Latin American business group has hired Lanny Davis, the former White House special counsel to President Clinton. Davis is leading a lobbying effort to muster up support for the coup on Capitol Hill.

This was sent out by email as part of the Canadian section of the Hands of Venezuela campaign....
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Canadian imperialism stands back and watches coup unfold in Honduras

By Camilo Cahis in Toronto
http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/canadian_imperialism_watches_coup_hondu...
Friday, 10 July 2009

The world is currently witnessing another reactionary coup d'etat in Latin America, unfortunately the latest in a long line of coups that have deposed popularly elected governments in the hemisphere. Honduras' president, Manuel Zelaya, was kidnapped in the dead of the night and exiled by the country's military on 28th June and the reactionary Roberto Micheletti put into power. Governments around the world, including a half-hearted US government, said that they would not recognize Micheletti's regime and called for the return of Mr. Zelaya. Canada, on the other hand, has stood almost alone on the international stage, going so far as to say that Zelaya should not return back to Honduras. This should not come as a huge shock for Canadians as the Canadian state has been pursuing an increasingly interventionist role in Latin American affairs for a while now.
Peter Kent, Canada's secretary of state for the Americas, is “emphatically” opposed to Zelaya's return to Honduras.

Manuel Zelaya had planned to return to Honduras on Sunday 5th July, a day after the Organization of American States (OAS) had voted to suspend Honduras' membership and issued a resolution stating they had a “deep concern about the worsening of the current political crisis” in Honduras. Most OAS countries had also supported a resolution calling for the immediate return of Zelaya, but this resolution was defeated largely by the arguments presented by the United States and Canada. The US and Canada also opposed any mention of placing sanctions on the illegal government in Honduras, preferring that countries simply “reflect” on their countries' relations with Honduras.

In an article published in the New York Times, the most vocal opponent to re-instating Mr. Zelaya appears to have been Canada's secretary of state for the Americas, Peter Kent. In this article from 5th July, Kent states that he is “emphatically” opposed to Zelaya's return to Honduras because “it is far from clear that the current conditions could guarantee his safety upon return.” Kent was also opposed to sanctions or any other harsh measures imposed on the new Honduran dictatorship, stressing that the OAS needed to “maintain diplomatic initiatives” which “directly [engage] the interim government to help end the crisis.” Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Hondurans are out on the streets demanding a return of Manuel Zelaya and the end of this military dictatorship. The Micheletti dictatorship has responded with the arrests of hundreds of workers and activists, and even killing some of them. In spite of this, there has not been even a peep from the Canadian government.

Canada's shameful role in Honduras should not be a surprise, though. Too many Canadians have been brought up with the idea that Canada is a peacekeeping nation and that unlike the United States, it does not invade or interfere in other countries' affairs. We would argue that Canada has always been an imperialist country but it is true that in the last decade, we have seen a hardening in Canada's foreign policy, with Canadian imperialism becoming much more naked and overt. Canada's continued occupation of Afghanistan is the most evident example, but Canadian imperialism has played an increasingly important role in Latin America. And, with the election of the Obama administration, the spirit of George Bush's foreign policy seems to have migrated north to Ottawa.

With US imperialism having being bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan, there has been an opening for Canadian interests to come to the fore in Latin America in the meantime. Moreover, considering the significant interests that Canadian banks have in the US, it is very much in their interests to defend and represent US interests in the hemisphere, too.

A lot of people do not know, for example, the pernicious role that Canada has been playing in Venezuela. During the 2004 recall referendum where the Venezuelan oligarchy attempted to recall Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, the Canadian embassy in Caracas was funnelling funds to Sumáte, the opposition group looking to get rid of President Chávez. (It is also important to note that the Liberals were in government then, meaning that this imperialist role in Latin America is not simply a result of the Conservatives currently being in government.) Since then, the Canadian embassy in Caracas, coupled with Focal, a supposedly non-partisan arm of CIDA (the Canadian International Development Agency), have been repeatedly caught giving funds to groups that are tied to various opposition groups in Venezuela. During Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 2006, the Venezuelan government expelled the Israeli ambassador; Israel simply opened up their diplomatic offices from within the Canadian embassy. Peter Munk, the chairman of Barrick Gold, the world's largest gold mining operation, publicly denounced the governments of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela and of Evo Morales in Bolivia, declaring that he would prefer to work with the Taliban than revolutionary governments in Latin America! Numerous Canadian media outlets, including the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the National Post, and Maclean's magazine, have launched what can only be described as a vicious smear campaign against the radical governments of Latin America. Tim Harper, the former Americas bureau chief for the Toronto Star, was finally censured by the Ontario Press Council after a campaign by the Bolivarian Circle “Louis Riel” proved that Harper had written a series of maliciously one-sided articles trashing Chávez and the Venezuelan government.

According to noted journalist, Yves Engler, Canada is the second largest investor in Honduras. Canadian mining companies Breakwater Resources, Goldcorp, and Yamana Gold all have significant operations in Honduras. President Zelaya had previously announced a moratorium on new mining concessions, undoubtedly angering these Canadian mining interests. Furthermore, Montreal-based clothing giant Gildan produces over half of all their t-shirts in Honduras, and would not have benefited from Zelaya's policies that attempted to lift millions of Hondurans out of poverty with better wages.

As much as Peter Kent and the Canadian government's response (or lack thereof) to the coup d'etat in Honduras is deplorable and needs to be protested, it isn't simply due to the Conservatives being in power. Canadian interference in Latin America has been going on since before Stephen Harper took power. Canada has strong economic and political interests in Latin America and it will do its utmost to defend them, even if it trumps the democratic will of the people of Central and South America. Canadian imperialist interference will continue as long as Canadian economic interests continue to profit from the exploitation of working people around the world.

Along with protests aimed at Peter Kent and the Conservative government, the Honduran solidarity movement needs to demand an end to Canadian imperialist activity throughout the hemisphere—hands off Latin America! We need to attack the state and corporations at home that make imperialist intervention possible. Canadian workers and students need to be brought into the same struggles as those being fought by their Honduran counterparts. The best way to defend the revolutionary movements of Latin America is to build the conditions for revolution at home.

Proroguing and Pistols - all part of Democracy?

An interesting question in the days following the not too distant activities in Canada and recent events in Honduras. It is a strange juxtaposition, with a not so obvious correlation. We Canadians must move quickly and surely in support of democracy. If not in our national actions, then surely in our hearts and minds.

Honduras seems on first blush, to have taken an appalling approach in what it claims to be a defense and support of democracy. Further examination, proves it to be exactly that. A dramatic move in preservation of democracy and the right to self determination. These are concepts we, as Canadians, understand and do not question. We are born to it, deserve and expect it, and profess a willingness to support others who aspire to acquire, maintain, or progress in this direction.

What we often overlook, is our assumption of reasonable transparency, and understanding that that with varying nuances, most of the players are essentially, in agreement on what democracy is, the laws and processes that support it, and that they will be followed. We do not have to defend these concepts with force, only at the ballot box.

This is exactly the crux of the problem in understanding the current events in Honduras. They operate in a different climate, where transparencey and respect for the constitution are not necessarily ingrained in politics. In removing the elected president at the point of a pistol, our Canadian minds filter this information as an affront to democratic process, and we are wont to offer quick support for this president in his hour of desperation. Surely, the government of Honduras acted inappropriately.

The truth is, things are not transparent in Honduras, and there is a very good argument in support of removing President Z.. There is, sadly, a history of gross governmental abuse, in administration and in delivery of services that benefit of the peoples within the nation of Honduras. It is not a situation we can easily process through our Canadian experience, it is a situation that requires deliberation and a determination to dig to find the truth, and to follow that truth in whatever direction it may lead. The first step is for us Canadians to identify fundamental agreements in support of democracy. I suggest the starting point is respect for a country's Constitution and laws with the understanding that the process must be respected and change affected within the democratic process. This is the route to effect peaceful change.

Canada, over the past twenty years, has experienced succeeding governments that, some would say, appear to be moving toward a more patriarchal philosophy. I believe this results in a lack of strong citizen participation, which is apparent at voting time. Recently, the proroguing of parliament here in Canada, seemed to negate the fundamental tenant of our Constitution, that our leaders must enjoy the confidence of the elected Representatives in the House of Commons, as they, together, represent the majority of Canada.

In choosing to prorogue Parliament, I believe there was a devolution of process that could land us at some point into a very confused situation, and that it has set a troubling precedent. I believe that this mainly confused the Canadian sense of right and wrong in resolving governmental conflict, and undermined our sense of political autonomy and expectation at the very highest level of government and introduced corrosion to our Parliamentary process. However, it was legal.

So, let us look at what is going on in Honduras, and try to understand it for what it is, and not as it is filtered through our Canadian assumptions and sensibilities. And let us not be afraid.

As unlikely as it would seem at first examination, I believe that the removal of President Z. from his post was done in the defense of Honduras' democracy. Recently in Canada, PM Harper moved to prorogue Parliament as he had lost the confidence of the majority of the members of Parliament. The catalyst was the proposed budget presented by Prime Minister H., and resulted in the formation of a coalition of the Members of Parliament against the proposed government and it's budget. It was a very interesting time for Canadians, and it was a series of events that were provocative and yet perfectly legal under our Constitution. Whether you agree or found it palatable or not is beside the question.

Following the formation of the coalition, Prime Minister H. understood that his government was in peril. He requested and received an appointment with our Governor General with the intention of asking her to prorogue parliament, which she did. The result of this is that the tenuous and contentious session of Parliament was dissolved, and Mr. H. was able to begin a new session of Parliament which permitted the introduction of a new, and more acceptable budget, among other things. In proroguing Parliament, Mr. H. was able to retain the post of Prime Minister and remains at the head of government to this date.

There was great controversy in his asking the Governor General to prorogue Parliament, and many did not like this move, and some felt that the move actually undermined the general will of the people. All this is beside the question, it was a legal option, and it did not violate our Constitution.

There will be efforts to address the events around the proroguing of Parliament, and changes will be explored and effected within the framework of the Parliamentary process under certain conditions. This will only happen if this turns out to be an issue worthy of the work involved and if there is interest from voters. The point here is that we have mechanisms in place to address difficult situations that arise in the process of government, and we, and our elected leaders, agree to follow them. We may not agree, or even like the situation, but we demonstrate respect for the process.

The government of Honduras has followed the laws of the land in its attention to President Z. and his quest to further his term in office, contrary to existing laws. The legislature and the Supreme Court of the country have deliberated in addressing his request to allow changes to the Constitution, and they decided to support the Constitution and the laws as they presently exist and to deny President Z. permission to arbitrarily proceed to change the country's Constitution in order to support his personal vision of governance.

In ignoring the decision of the Honduran legislature and the Supreme Court, President Z. chose to ignore the laws of the land, the Constitution of the country, and the will of the people, and forced a reluctant government to remove him from his position, at gunpoint, out of the country.

To give context for us Canadian readers, it would be tantamount to seeing the briefly lived coalition deciding to ignore the decision of the Governor General, and proceed to go around the Constitution and laws of the land to force their vision upon Parliament and the people. It is not something we considered happening, not for a minute. We must remember this and give due consideration in the coming days in respect to the situation the government has found itself in in Honduras, and we must present support for that country within the context of our enjoyment of peaceful and respectful governance. That whether we agree with the results of various events and decisions, we do not as a nation, or as individuals, proceed to usurp the laws of the land. Honduras would like to enjoy the same.

I can guarantee that the events surrounding the proroguing of Parliament here in Canada will not be left unexamined, and that changes will be forwarded to address the appropriateness of the decision, both for and against. But for now, we understand that there was no illegal activity, and that the processes available under the law were actioned faithfully, if not satisfactorily for all. This is how democracy works.

Honduras is attempting to maintain and follow a democratic process as we here in Canada understand it to be. It is not easy for us to separate process from personality from progress at times when examining the events in other nations, let alone at home. For some in Honduras, the evolution and/or process may not be comfortable or familiar in the desire to effect change, and may move too slowly for others, but respect for the process is the way forward. I believe that Honduras has a right to defend its Constitution without threat or coercion from outside interests. A patriarchal approach is not appropriate for a people who have worked very hard to identify and promote their destiny within a constitutional framework. We as Canadians would not tolerate such an approach and it would be unfair to ask another to do so.

If laws need to change in Honduras, there is a process to do that, and like us, the process of examination and change must be effected within the framework of the Constitution and the laws of the land. The alternative is not something we have experience with here in Canada an it is something Honduras should not have to contemplate at this stage in their history.

Katie Campbell is a Canadian Citizen, and an armchair philosopher who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia via Sydney and Ottawa. She has chosen not to use full names in this article to underline the point that the issues are not about personality but about process. No disrespect is intended.

Dear All,

Social Movements are organizing a Rapid International Action to support the Honduran People and their elected President. Everyone need to walk next Saturday July 4th with the elected President of Honduras into Tegucigalpa.

People need to fly into Managua this Friday 3rd. In Managua, the Social Leaders are organizing for international representatives accommodations and the flights to Tegucigalpa. People will fly with the Mel Zelaya and the Intertional Committee who will enter into the Capital on Saturday.

Please connect as many people as possible, and spread the word. Please we need US people and Europeans. You can contact faustino.torrez@gmail.com.