domingo, 12 de julio de 2009

¨The State of Honduras¨

The State of Honduras

Various views of people who lived Events


Ramon D. Rivas
I woke up on Sunday, at seven o'clock, the noise of helicopters and aircraft overflying Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. Helicopter gunships circled were very close to the hotel. I stayed just a few blocks from Casa Presidential. I turned on the TV and only one local channel reported that President Manuel Zelaya Rosales was no longer in the country, which was captured by a special command of the army during the morning and taken abroad. I called reception to ask about what was happening, to which the receptionist says, "There seems to be coup, sir."

Speaking by telephone reception I am going when the electric light. From the window on the fourth floor of the Hotel, I see armed soldiers walking towards the Presidential Palace, and then I spend about eight armored vehicles in the form of army tanks. Humareda is huge money at the distance.

Demonstrators who were already in support to President Zelaya, had come to burn tires and shout slogans in different side adjacent to Casa Presidential. The atmosphere was tense. This was the morning of Sunday June 28, 2009, in Tegucigalpa, there was no electricity, drinking water, much less media report. The city was militarized, and no one knew what was happening inside the country. The country had been held incommunicado. It is the political and social crisis which sooner or later had to break out there.

Has become clear that given the events that inundate us every time news is now that the civil power to the military used to do the dirty job of kidnapping the President legitimately elected by the people and out of the country. This is a condemnable and should not be justified in any way. Those who planned this event, now in disbelief at the attitude of the world complaining that such an action.

And I'm sure the president Zelaya, he was surprised with joy but the international response, and this, when Honduras in recent months has been discussed and will be discussed between social polarization and that there is no doubt. In my view, the country needs a president Micheletti de facto, or in case the military came to take full control of the country, or a Manuel Zelaya to return in the coming days.

The country urgently a national dialogue sponsored by international agencies like the UN and OAS, and prepare the way for immediate elections and in the meantime, install a transitional government. The country is totally divided and even the traditional parties are victims of it. And in Honduras, in the last three years, the political party that led the president to power, the Liberal Party is divided.

His former deputy same, Elvin Santos, former formula, that of President Zelaya was, last Saturday called the President Zelaya, a day before the coup, to return to the party that had led him to power. The Honduran military, for many decades, retreated into their barracks, now used for an evil act and has, in the eyes of the world as the worst in the film.

Yes, I must emphasize that the coup on Sunday and I too found the first few hours, to the discontent of those who supported the deposed president and those who celebrated with joy what happened, just watched the army order. Two days ago, the head of the Joint Chiefs, General Romeo Vasquez Velasquez was dismissed by President Zelaya and had publicly sneered him. The same had been Foreign Minister Patricia Rhodes. The next day, the president dismissed Gen. Zelaya returned.

In another era, the day of the coup, with the magnitude of such events, the repression of the military had been excessive, and even perhaps with many human losses to mourn. Everything seems to assume that, in Honduras, until the day of the coup, had some sort of agreement between the military and civil authority to prevent, if it was the case for toppling the president to tarnish the image of the armed forces.

This seems to have happened until Sunday, but now the situation may change as the latest news and inform us of excessive acts by the army and the police. In addition, (yesterday, Tuesday but unconfirmed) news reported that three brigades of the army just to join the protests in favor of the deposed president, 105 of the Cortes, La Ceiba and the Catacamas.

It also reports that in San Pedro Sula, an army battalion had been declared in default. If so, did not last long drive of the Honduran armed forces? But I consider it necessary to ask what has happened in Honduras to get to this situation? In this country, there has been a conflict between the three branches of government, namely the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.

The latter, according to sources, well informed, is a weak power to the other two powers, since they have always manipulated. It is a power that is always spoken for the other two powers. In Honduras, the Judiciary is known as "8 to 7" as the majority party sets the 8 and the party remains in opposition puts 7 judges.

The other parties have no participation. Honduras is a bipartisan; the National Party and the Liberal Party have always been forces in contention. Liberals identify the "cachurecos" as the National Party and the latter, the National Party-the-identify "red" as the Liberal Party. The president Manuel Zelaya, deposed today but recognized by the governments of the world as the Executive is fully devoted to work, since early this year, the much fabled "fourth ballot box."

The campaign has been intense. The institutions that are part of the executive branch, were full-time at the helm of this project diverting their time on the subject of the fourth ballot box ", a project of popular consultation scheduled for Sunday June 28, the day on which gives the coup.

The consultation was to ask the country if he agreed that the next November 28, election day was generally placed a fourth ballot box "next to the presidential box, the box of deputies and mayors.

In the fourth box, "would vote" if the people wanted, "for a new Constitution, through a National Constitutional Assembly. This is precisely what divided and polarized the country around a "no" or a "yes."

The country is divided to such an extent that ever was third alternative. Following this, there are two movements: those in favor of the new constitution and those against. For example, the wing led the movement to defend the current constitution, dating from 1982 and the traditional left and the executive are barricaded themselves in favor of the new Constitution.

Dr. Marvin Barahona, Honduras historian renowned academic, told me that "the two sides have been wrong perception on the one hand, to defend the current constitution states that it is not perfect and that urgent changes and it is said that the problem lies with the men who apply. Among the characters who say this is the National Commissioner for Human Rights, Dr. Ramón Custodio, and a renowned human rights defender, who has been persecuted and hated by the military in the 80 macabre. On the other hand, are those who say it is needed because the current Constitution is outdated and no longer meets the requirements of today'slife?

These, to dare to say absurdities in the sense of asserting that the Constitution is old. “The same Dr. Custodio said in an interview Friday, referring to President Zelaya: "When I looked last night on a national network, I became convinced that we had the absurd in absurd and takes full advantage when he created ... more confrontation." Moreover, the people said, referring to the query: "not going to play the role of clowns."

Private enterprise also has objected to the consultation and the auxiliary bishop of Tegucigalpa, Monsignor Darwin Andino, said: "Mel Zelaya has been used to advertise and want to gain power." Some analysts here and there right from the far left and the traditional are of the opinion that the political move is that by winning the "yes" the executive would take the power, since the initiative was them to form the Assembly. Should be clear that the coup of last Sunday 28 June in Honduras, is a detestable, because not only relive the past but which, in turn, may well leave the door open so that the history of these experienced bad events are repeated and this should not happen.

An important detail to understand the complicated nature of the act, is to see the trap in which he allegedly said that the letter of resignation of President Zelaya, he read the day of the coup counsel Saavedra, Secretary of the Congress is serious and this is false because would unmask the evil of political drama in that country. While we read the letter, the President Manuel Zelaya, in Costa Rica, accompanied by the representative of that country, alleged that masked the military violently removed from Honduras and he has not written or signed any letter. This shows how the way we planned the failed political maneuver by the deputies who deposed. Deposition of President Zelaya and maneuvering was done by the Congress, is a clear insult to the intelligence of Hondurans and Central Americans.

Because, if so, the National Congress of Honduras was in possession of the famous letter of resignation of President Zelaya, the question that anyone can do is: Why make airplanes, helicopters and all that war materials to the streets, cutting electricity, water, phone, put the chain on TV and radio, if it was the alleged letter of resignation of the president. None of this makes sense is something inherently irrational. Yes, I am of the opinion that the reflection should lead us to consider and take into account that we are political events at the continental level, seeking to turn the power and political life of society around covered warlords in power executive.

I too believe that any citizen or consequential thinking has the duty and right to ask: How to design, from the social sciences and policy, and the current reality, the presence of these new leaders? And beware...! Not only is caudillos populist political alternatives right and left. There are warlords who, under the religion, they want to undo and historical processes. Social scientists have an obligation to analyze what is happening in society and make us such questions.

What happened and happens in Honduras should lead us to look at the role they should play, today, political parties and politicians themselves, assuming that society is demanding an urgent work in areas as needed to live as education, health, employment generation, environment, infrastructure construction, counter social inequalities and fighting crime, among others.

And is that the warlords are emerging and they are right and left, and the question is: Who justifies whom? In today's world, political parties must not serve only to raise slogans or make political figures, political parties, and particularly in Central America, must have a democratic legitimacy from functionality and this is achieved by promoting laws in which we all feel identified. Events in Honduras should lead to reflection of all societies in Central America and the rest of the continent.
(Jesus Riojano)
A few months ago, for the month of February, we talked about in our blog a Salesian Spanish, Eduardo Martin, who performed an admirable job in favor of street children in Tegucigalpa. Today we have extended its vision of what is happening these days in Honduras. After more than 16 years working with the class of the capital of Honduras, we believe that their opinion is no more. Here we:
"I've been in Honduras 16 years working with the poorest and Mel that I have not seen each other. Yes I knew that his father Mel Zelaya killed on June 25, 1975 two priests, Casimiro and Ivan, and 13 other people, the mere fact of asking for land tilling peasants. It was in Los Horcones farm owned by his father and in view of the entire family ...
I'm not political, but I care about the quality of life of these people. Here is the politicians walk each day among people of good.
We had an earthquake a month ago where there were 7 deaths and damaged many roads and bridges. In two months have been discovered 16 light aircraft with drugs coming from Venezuela. We do not know how many more have arrived at their destination without crashing or being caught ... The University takes two months with no classes. Influenza H1N1 disease abounds freely in our country. Roads are falling ... Mareros the escape from prison and are killing every day ... Our former president Mel and his entourage of ministers were involved in only 4 urn, which was intended to change the Constitution in order to remain in power ...
There was no military coup. Under the Constitution of the Republic of Honduras, Article 4 says the president can be removed for 3 reasons, one of them insane. Nobody wants war, no blood, but if you sow wind harvested STORMS ... Told hundreds of times and did not want to meet ...
It is not quite as they appear on CNN. People want peace and not confrontation.
A prayer and a hug, Edu.

Events in Honduras by: Rafael Bulacio
Bad influence of Hugo Chávez, infecting her with authoritarianism and a bad example that should be democratic governments has created the first large-scale conflict in the region.

The Honduran Armed Forces have been involved in a military coup backed by the removal by Congress of the Central American country, President Manuel Zelaya, and the appointment as his replacement for Roberto Micheletti, fogueado conservative, activist in the Liberal party of the President.

The coup has attracted as never before, the unanimous condemnation of the entire continent. Both the OAS, including the U.S., as all individual countries and the European Union, has joined the repudiation. Is that the long list of military coups in Latin America that endured the past is a terrible memory and no one wants repeated?
Zelaya had been criticized for the strong bond that had developed with Hugo Chávez, and tried to reform the Constitution, calling for a Constituent Assembly, with the same sense of other agents Chavistas, remain in power. Dismissed the Chief of the Armed Forces for refusing to participate in the process and the power exercised by limiting the rights and civil liberties.
In this context is the institutional coup now analyzed? But the blow is undoubtedly the worst way to restore the institutions it claims, because it causes exactly the opposite. Micheletti A strong censorship of information and called the army and police to suppress the proponents of Zelaya who have mobilized to demand the return and restitution in the office of the legitimate president. The new President, the oath before Congress, said that the process of removal of Zelaya was "absolutely legal" and has not been a coup d'etat, a very personal, indeed.
Honduras is one of the most inequitable of America. 63% of its population is poor and 50% of children between 3 and 5 years suffer from malnutrition. USA is the largest buyer of its products, bananas, coffee, seafood, wood and others, absorbing 70% of its exports and is the supplier of half of its imports. The money that migrants from Honduras, sent from abroad accounted for 20% of GDP. Relations between the U.S. and Honduras have been very painful in the past. In the early decades of the twentieth century, the U.S. invaded the country temporarily, in support of the United Fruit Company; sent warships on several occasions and participated actively in its domestic policy, supporting coups and installing dictatorships. Honduras during those years he earned the nickname of painful "banana country".
Probably due to the weight of guilt on that ignominious past, Barack Obama stated that the impeachment of President Manuel Zelaya, was not legal. "It would be a terrible precedent if we start back again to an era in which we have seen military coups and political transition, instead of democratic elections," the American President. But the strong position of Obama is also a very modern political meaning; to prevent Chavez will use this opportunity to extend their power and influence in Central America.
What can happen now, after the universal condemnation of the coup? ¿Give back? This is hardly the way for the opposition of Congress and the Army desandar course. What Micheletti complete the presidential term? This could happen if the country is reassuring and not harden the position of the U.S. and the OAS. What is an early election? This could be a start, if some moderate regional leaders are actively involved in the conflict. The worst scenario would be that Chavez is interrupted, as it has threatened, in support of the followers of Zelaya, and motor disturbances and clashes continue in the Venezuelan caudillo.
The universal condemnation of the events in Honduras, you indicate clearly that the world, especially the region, rejects outright any institutional or military coup.

On July 1st, 2009, Venezuela said:
THIS IS THE TRAP OF ELECTORAL CHÁVEZ which Zelaya, almost nobody wants it in Honduras, not even his own party, and only very few naive and rates, and with Chavez and his electoral material APAN what was going to win. The authorities in Honduras should consider carefully this election materials sent in by Chávez and the Venezuelan aircraft. To unravel once the accomplice, media, and false democracy of Venezuela, the U.S., the OAS and UN, and many others, presidents of the right and left, and submissive puppets, only the interests of global corporations and the creation of chaos in their own countries, on behalf of an alleged nationalism. Confessed conspiracy by President Kennedy, before the days of his limo driver or the CIA executed by the state that would reveal this plot to the world; conspiracy that aims to destroy all the national productive apparatus so that through a total ruin "the benevolent" corporations "help" every American appropriating all right and give way to the market monopoly or new world order in America. ARRIBA HONDURAS!!!!! And that is the name June 28: DAY OF THE CONSTITUTION.

On July 6th, 2009, Venezuela said:
More specifically.... THIS IS THE TRAP OF ELECTORAL CHÁVEZ which Zelaya, who just want relatively few naive and priced in Honduras, not even his own party, and Chavez with his miraculous election material, it could make to win. Honduran authorities should thoroughly investigate this election materials sent by Chavez in the Venezuelan aircraft and confidential documents of Zelaya. To unravel once the accomplice and media false democracy of Venezuela, U.S., OAS, EU and UN and its revealing and unprecedented unanimity today against Honduras.
The truth of all these presidents left and right is that one faction, puppet and subservient to the interests of global corporations and their mission is to create chaos in their own countries, on behalf of an alleged political pole. Conspiracy unveiled by President Kennedy 10 days prior to the driver of their limousine or the CIA is executed, for stating publicly that he was going to reveal this plot to the world.
Conspiracy that aims to destroy all the national productive apparatus Americans, so that through a total collapse or demolition, as happened in the world wars, after the benevolent corporations to come and help rebuild everything, that is, appropriating all property Collapsed and giving way to its market monopoly or new world order in America as in Europe is now almost. ARRIBA HONDURAS!!!!! And that is the name June 28: DAY OF THE CONSTITUTION.

July 2009
Compiled and Edited by AGS

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