5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Help Honduras Fight for Justice

Cindy Von Quednow

5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Help Honduras Fight for Justice

In a throwback to the political upheaval and unrest of the 1980s, the democratically elected president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, was ousted by the military and flown to Costa Rica on Sunday. Coverage of Iran’s rigged election has dominated the airwaves for weeks, but western MSM has been largely silent about the Honduras coup — strange, since both countries have had long histories of U.S. intervention, and protestors in both countries face lethal force at the hands of a government military with extensive U.S. ties and questionable legitimacy.

So whose responsibility is it to get the struggles of our southern neighbors in the headlines? Ours, of course.

Here are five things you can do right now, to get educated and make a difference.

1. Educate yourself on the long history of United States relations with Honduras. While Obama has denounced the coup and has so far taken a stance of non-intervention, the U.S.’s involvement in Honduras dates back decades. In the last 80 years, the U.S. has set up shop in Honduras to cultivate banana plantations and exploit its workers, funneled money to train Nicaraguan counterinsurgency troops during the Iran Contra scandal, and, after the passing of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, continues to exploit poor workers throughout the country in the form of maquilas. Although the U.S. government has denied having any role in the upheaval in Honduras, the U.S. has a sordid history of imperialism, colonialism and violating the sovereignty rights of countries where people of color live that would lead some to believe otherwise. In the case of Central America the U.S. as invaded and/or instigated civil wars in Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama in the name of fighting communism.

2. Read Roberto Lovato’s analysis comparing and contrasting the Honduran coup to the Iranian elections, and his argument about how President Obama should deal with the overthrow.

The differences between Iran and Honduras are marked and clear in important ways: the M-16’s pointing at this very moment at the thousands of peaceful protesters are paid for with U.S. tax dollars and still carry a “Made in America” label; the military airplane in which they kidnapped and exiled President Zelaya was purchased with the hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. military aid the Honduran government has been the benefactor of since the Cold War military build-up that began in 1980’s; the leader of the coup, General Romeo Vasquez, and many other military leaders repressing the populace received “counterinsurgency” training at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly known as the infamous “School of the Americas,” responsible for training those who perpetrated the greatest atrocities in the Americas.

3. Catch up with what has been going on in the Central American country in the past few days. Also check out this photostream coming out of Honduras to get a view from the ground.

The very short version: Zelaya was attempting to pass a constitutional amendment that would allow him to run for another term in the upcoming November elections. The military answered with a violent overthrow, in the process illustrating who really rules the country. As the Brookings Institution wrote:

Now the Honduran military have responded in kind: an illegal referendum has met an illegal military intervention, with the avowed intention of protecting the constitution. Moreover, as has been so often the case, this intervention has been called for and celebrated by Zelaya’s civilian opponents. For the past week, the Honduran Congress has waxed lyrical about the armed forces as the guarantors of the constitution, a disturbing notion in Latin America. When we hear that, we can expect the worst. And the worst has happened. At the very least, we are witnessing in Honduras the return of the sad role of the military as the ultimate referee in the political conflicts amongst the civilian leadership, a huge step back in the consolidation of democracy.

During the turmoil, the capital of Tegucigalpa was on lock down, as electricity and water were shut off from homes. When The New York Times reported that it was the first military coup to take place in Central America since the end of the cold war, it sent chills down my spine to think that “left leaning, socialist” leaders will continue to be harassed and labeled as communists in a cold war mentality that dates back decades.

4. Join Latin America Solidarity Coalition's campaign to stop U.S. foreign intervention in Honduras until Zelaya returns to the country, and to call for an investigation into the sanctions against the president.

5. Talk to your friends and educate others on how the politics of Honduras and Latin America are inextricably intertwined in the fortunes of the United States. Keep the story alive and continue following the limited news coming out of Honduras. The BBC and Democracy Now are two excellent English-language sources for up-to-date coverage.

Posted at 2:41 PM, Jul 01, 2009 in Featured | Global Issues | Permalink | View Comments

Comments

If this is the way you want others to help us, then please don't. Please, please, I beg of you. 80% of Hondurans do not want Zelaya back, please, understand this.

I am very irate to hear this guy's Roberto Lovato "Analysis" actually called the peaceful protest against Zelaya "paid for by US Tax dollars". How can you say this!? How can you actually think this?! My friends went there, some of my family went there. No one was forced, or offered any kind of compensation for going, except everyone's wish to have a peaceful nation, freed of a criminal, Chavez allied ex-president, fighting against the world for them to understand.

As I told you, you are not helping Hondurans with this post, you are only showing that you are not getting your facts right.

Posted by: Rodrigo Lopez | July 2, 2009 10:03 AM

I *wholeheartedly* disagree with the previous comment. Even *if* (big if) the poster is correct that 80% of Hondurans wants Zelaya out there are (were?) constitutional means to do so that would not involve the military. Zelaya would be impeached, and there is a civilian (and civil) process for that.

It is not a stretch to see that after years of US intervention and right-wing dictatorial rule, leftist Zelaya's attempt to restructure an old, corrupt governmental system would be found unconstitutional by that same old corrupt governmental system.

Accepting this coup would have a chilling effect on countries throughout the region where popular and electoral support is behind change, yet an old corrupt right wing establishment is willing to use what ever means necessary, including military force, to ensure the survival of its privilege and power.

Ultimately this is about democratic principles. Do you believe in Zelaya? Either way, the more important question is do you believe in democracy? Because if you do, there is no way you could support this coup.

Posted by: Joel Tena | July 2, 2009 1:34 PM

Just a quibble about this part: "Zelaya was attempting to pass a constitutional amendment that would allow him to run for another term."

That's what's been reported in mainstream press, and while it's arguable whether it was his aim, the actual process that was being undertaken and became the focal point of the political crisis was a popular referendum on whether the November elections should include a vote on holding a constitutional assembly.

Otherwise, thanks for the good post. Your suggestions will be important to countering the misinformation being used to excuse the coup. If the first commenter was accurate about 80% of Hondurans not wanting Zelaya back, why did the elites not just let his referendum fail?

Posted by: Carlos | July 2, 2009 5:20 PM

Thanks for the ideas and I plan to do the exact opposite at our Tea Party on Independence Day. This article is full of lies and half-truths. You leftists all love dictators: Chavez, Lula, Kerchners, Ahamdinijad, Kim, etc.

Posted by: ExZonie | July 2, 2009 11:13 PM

I am a US citizen staying in Tegucigalpa for awhile(got here June 1st). My sister married a Honduran citizen over 30 years ago and has lived here for over 25 years. My brother-in-law is a hard working business owner with several employees. I have a lot of contact with Honduran citizens and none of them want Zelaya back. They were all relieved when he was taken away on Sunday. Look into the heightened corruption and drug traffic in Honduras. Zelaya was bound and determined to proceed with illegal actions despite rulings by the Supreme Court and Congress. His removal was perhaps extreme, yet the circumstances were also extreme.

Posted by: Lucretia | July 3, 2009 12:18 PM

As an American living in Honduras right now, I´d like to comment that the censorship of the press had become blatant (if it wasn´t before) in the last few days. When Spanish CNN reports on Zelaya, the signal is cut. Certain radio stations are completely off the air. There doesn´t seem to be a forum for anyone who would like to question whether the removal of the president and the current government have followed democratic processes, whether or not they agree with the reinstatement of Zelaya or the new government. Press censorship, nationwide curfews, and road blocks imposed by a government do not seem to be part of the democratic processes which allow peace (not oppression). My sincerest hopes that the international community finds a democratic way to hear the voice of Honduras.

Posted by: maggie | July 3, 2009 12:21 PM

Posted by: diana ayala | July 3, 2009 2:06 PM

Posted by: diana ayala | July 3, 2009 2:17 PM

It is BECAUSE us Hondurans WANT democracy that we (the majority), AGREE with Zelaya's ousting. PLEASE keep your ethnocentric opinions to yourself UNLESS you are Honduran. Then you would know taht ousting Zelaya is in defense of the democratic values you so speak about. HE broke the law, was acting against Congress AND the Constitution. How dare anyone even compare this to Iran? It is ridiculous and misinformed. I am tired of the terrible reporting this has received. The international community needs to inform itself before casting their opinions. I am very concerned about the international community's response to the ousting of Honduran president Zelaya. As a Honduran, I can honestly say I am dismayed and disappointed about the misrepresentation and lack of information that is pandered by mainstream media. People on the internet are claiming that we are losing our democratic values due to the "coup." But it is BECAUSE us Hondurans WANT democracy that we (the majority), AGREE with Zelaya's ousting. . I wholeheartedly am asking this because if Zelaya gets reinstituted as president, we will end up like Venezuela. Ousting Zelaya is in defense of the democratic values people speak about. HE broke the law, was acting against Congress AND the Constitution. . Moreover, the situation in Honduras is CALM, the few pics you see of protesters are in fact VENEZUELANS sent by Chavez to stir up trouble. Most marches are in SUPPORT of ousting Zelaya. I am tired of the terrible reporting this has received. The international community needs to inform itself before casting their opinions. Please.

Posted by: diana ayala | July 3, 2009 2:31 PM

ya, in actuality it was a non-binding opinion poll about whether to later have a legal referendum on constitutional reform. Zelaya is not running in elections in November (and is not allowed to), so even if everyone just decides to hold that constitutional assembly after the november elections, Zelaya would be gone already anyway.

the thing that was declared "illegal" by the supreme court was the non-binding opinion poll, that's it. that's how ridiculous the charges were.

Posted by: doviende | July 3, 2009 2:45 PM

So to the above comment from doviende. Does this mean that laws should only be followed when we think they are fair? I have so much to say but I'll keep it to the point. What I plead to everyone reading this post is to realize that being against the way in which Zelaya was removed, being against the current government censorship DOES NOT mean you have to be in favor of Zelaya's return to the presidency. Please make your position clear. Zelaya feels he is above the law, he doesn't respect decisions made by the other branches of government, there is no impeachment process in our constitution, please don't leave these facts out. The forced removal of a citizen against his will is unacceptable. Ask that he be returned, so he can stand trial. Ask that we change our constitution and use this to define an impeachment process. Ask for the end of censorship by ALL present and future governments. Ask for our elections to be moved forward to July from November...but Please, PLEASE don't fight for a man who is defiant of the law unless you are aware of his actions in the past week and in the past 3 and half years and are ready to stand behind it all.

Posted by: Veronica | July 5, 2009 6:36 AM

It is always amusing to me to see the well-off and propertied pretending to represent the majority in Honduras and in countries with a similar economic structure.

The fact that Rodrigo, Veronica et al. are even posting on-line indicates that they're fairly prosperous, and that they represent someone other than the majority. Nice try, though. I especially like the image of Venezuelans smuggled across several borders by Hugo Chavez courtesy of Diana above--yes, there are Reds under every bed these days.

A coup is a coup. Rank-and-file Hondurans know this, because they've had to deal with an out-of-control military before. Well-off Hondurans remain insulated from that reality.

Posted by: DocAmazing | July 5, 2009 4:38 PM

Posted by: DocAmazing | July 5, 2009 4:54 PM

just for you to know. I'm absolutely proud to be a BANANA PLANTATION CHILD,if you, have never been there and have never been informed about all the benefits we had growing up in there , then do not, do not write anything about exploitation or other inuendos related to the plantation life style. When you people (idealists?) are going to understand that, we needed it , we didn't have other sources of income and they provided poor laborers with a decent housing , school, even food all paid for? I grew up to be a smart , well mannered person that appreciate everything in life,like being able to choose the type of goverment we want. The country had spoken, loudly I'll say. We want DEMCRACY,FREEDOM !!!

Posted by: gloria Denman | July 5, 2009 4:56 PM