Alive in Honduras

[Editor's Note: Thanks to Maggie Von Vogt for this translation. The original Spanish is here.]

Getting Closer to the Crisis

This Sunday a forewarned coup d’état occurred in Honduras.  This was after Manuel Zelaya, went against all the relevant organisms (Congress, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, and Supreme Court) in following his project of the “Fourth ballot box”.  It was being promoted as a “non binding democratic poll” that would serve- according to him- to define if a fourth ballot box would be created for the November elections that would decide if The Constitution would be changed to “make it more flexible” and at the same time permit his continuance in the government.

During the days preceding the “Opinion Poll” Zelaya began to lose control, first dismissing the Chief of Armed Forces Romero Vazquez Velasquez for not complying with the order to logistically support his project.  This was later overturned by Congress.  No one was stopping his fourth ballot box.

On June 28th, the day that the election was planned for, Zelaya was expelled from the country before concluding the Congresses Special Investigations Commission.  The commission revealed that the previous Sunday, as they received the first results of the poll, that he would dissolve Congress and install a new Constitutional Assembly to change the Constitutional Articles 239, 240, 373, 374, 375 (Artículos Pétreos) and immediately “tie himself” to power.

Once out of the country, Zelaya played the role of international victim.  International media only heard his version without first investigating the real reasons for his dismissal:

1. Abuse of power in dismissing the Chief of Armed Forces

2.  Not presenting the 2009 annual budget, which had to be presented September 2008.

3.  Convoking a “poll”, the fourth ballot box, which was not approved by any relevant organism, such as the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

4.  Zelaya had already confronted all the powers of the state, his own party, and the Armed Forces, leaving the country under instable.

Citing Mario Campos, “It seems that the whole world is anxious that Manuel Zelaya goes back to power.  Everyone, minus Hondurans.”

Yozafath Norori – Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

[Editor's Note: Thanks to Maria Hoisington for this English translation]

Armed Forces repress Hondurans upon showing their support for President Zelaya in his desire to enter Honduras

Three were injured and more than thirty detained on Friday during a large march that was bound for the border of Honduras and Nicaragua to receive the overthrown President Manuel Zelaya Rosales, according to the Center of Investigation and Promotion of Human Rights (CIPRODEH).

Despite the fact that the groups that renounce the coup and sympathize with President Zelaya mobilized peacefully, on at least two occasions the police and the Honduran army fired tear gas at a group of citizens that were protesting at a control point 17 kilometers from the border post in the department of El Paraíso, where the overthrown president ventured and in which a well-armed contingent of police formed a barrier.

According to testimonies spread by Radio Globo, at one of the sites where there were gunshots from the police, three protesters were injured, of which only one was attended to in the eastern regional hospital upon being grazed in the ear with a bullet.

The citizens that headed for the border ran into numerous military and police patrols and obstacles on the highways, placed in order to prevent them from arriving at the border with Nicaragua. Dozens of them have remained trapped on the road without being able to return to their homes because the police themselves are preventing them from doing so.

Another method the de facto goverment used in order to prevent the march and protests that would occur at the border was the decision to order an 18-hour curfew to begin Friday at midday in the eastern region of the country.

On Friday, the overthrown President Zeyala walked across the border and entered his country in a new attempt to recover the post that he was removed from more than a month ago after the military sent him into exile.

[Editor's Note: Original Spanish]

Cuerpo armado reprime a hondureños al solidarizarse con el Presidente Zelaya en su deseo de ingresar a Honduras

Unos tres heridos y más de treinta detenidos se produjeron en la numerosa marcha de personas que se dirigían este viernes hacia la frontera de Honduras con Nicaragua a recibir al derrocado Presidente Manuel Zelaya Rosales, según se informó al Centro de Investigación y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos, CIPRODEH.

A pesar de lo pacifico en que se movilizaban los grupos que recriminan el golpe de Estado y los que simpatizan con el mandatario Zelaya, al menos en dos oportunidades la policía y ejército hondureño dispersaron con bombas lacrimógenas a un conjunto de ciudadanos que se manifestaban en un punto de control a unos 17 kilómetros del puesto fronterizo de el departamento de El Paraíso, por donde el presidente derrocado incursionó y en el cual un nutrido contingente de policías formó una barrera.

Según testimonios difundidos por radio Globo en uno de los sitios donde hubo disparos de fusil por parte de la policía se produjeron unos tres heridos entre los manifestantes, de los cuales solo uno se atendió en el hospital regional de oriente al ser rozado con un proyectil en la oreja.

Los ciudadanos que se enfilaban rumbo a la frontera se toparon con numerosos retenes militares y policiales y obstáculos en las carreteras para impedirles llegar hasta la frontera con Nicaragua, decenas de ellos han quedado atrapados en el camino sin poder regresar a sus hogares porque la misma policía se los impide.

Otra forma que utilizó el gobierno de facto para impedir la manifestación fue la decisión de decretar desde el viernes a mediodía un toque de queda de 18 horas solo para esa zona de occidente del país en previsión de las movilizaciones que ocurrieron en la frontera.

El presidente depuesto de Honduras Zelaya caminó el viernes a través de la línea fronteriza hasta ingresar a su país, en un nuevo intento de recuperar el cargo del que fue removido hace un mes después de que el ejército lo enviara al exilio.

[Editor's Note: Thank you very much to Alexandria Soleil for this translation]

PRESS RELEASE FROM CIVIL SOCIETY AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS OF HONDURAS

International Alert in favor of the Diplomatic Mission agents from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

The bellow signed organizations, worried by the accelerated worsening of the conditions of violations of human rights in Honduras as a consequence of the coup d’état that has instated a repressive regime since June 28, made worse by the defenselessness and politicization of state institutions who protect fundamental rights, and that today, July 24 has come to make vulnerable the personnel of the Diplomatic Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela accredited in our country; this is why we denounce:

1. That around mid day police forces posted themselves 20 meters from the residence of the Venezuelan Embassy at the hour determined by the de facto government that the agents of the diplomatic mission would have to abandon the country.

2.      That hours later a larger contingency of hooded police agents surrounded the residence of the Diplomatic Mission in an act that made evident the intention of the de facto government to carry out a forced expulsion, in clear violation of International Conventions of Diplomatic Relations, besides Human Rights treaties related to the inviolability of residence.

3.     That the Vienna Convention about Diplomatic Relations of 1961 establishes that the obligation to protect and respect the immunity of diplomatic agents; the inviolability of residence, places and files of them, even in the case of armed conflict or rupture of diplomatic relations.

4. That outside of the residence of the embassy of Venezuela there were hundreds of Hondurans that express their solidarity to the diplomatic mission, that is why we call attention to the risk that they face of any attack by the repressive bodies of the State.

5. That the OAS and United Nations have said about the conflict in Honduras that they do not recognize the de facto government, that is why we denounce that any action against the diplomatic agents and their residences would be illegal and a rupture or suspension of diplomatic relations only proceed from governments legitimately constituted and recognized by the international community.

For these reasons we demand an urgent international alert to protect life, personal integrity, the inviolability of residence and other rights, equally for the diplomatic agents that remain in their headquarters and the Hondurans that have resisted this.

Tegucigalpa, July 24, 2009.

Center for Prevention and Treatment of Victims of Torture and their Families

Center for Investigation and Promotion of Human Rights

Committee for the Defense of Human Rights

Center for Women’s Rights

Feminists in Resistance

Movement of Socialist Women “Dolores Caballero”

CLADEM-Honduras

[Editor's Note: Original Spanish]
COMUNICADO DE LAS ORGANIZACIONES  DE LA SOCIEDAD CIVIL Y DE DERECHOS
HUMANOS DE HONDURAS

Alerta Internacional a favor de los agentes de la Misión Diplomática de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela

Las Organizaciones abajo firmantes, preocupadas por el deterioro acelerado de la situación de violaciones a derechos humanos en Honduras como consecuencia del golpe de Estado que desde el 28 de junio ha instaurado un régimen represivo que se agrava por la indefensión y politización de las instituciones estatales de protección de los derechos fundamentales, y que el día de hoy 24 de julio ha llegado incluso a vulnerabilizar al personal de la Misión Diplomática de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela acreditada en nuestro país; por lo que Denunciamos:

1.      Que en horas del medio día efectivos policiales se apostaron a unos veinte metros de la Residencia de la Embajada de Venezuela a la hora que se venció el plazo establecido por el gobierno de facto para que los agentes de la misión diplomática abandonaran el país.

2.      Que horas más tarde un contingente mayor de agentes policiales encapuchados rondaron la Residencia de la Misión Diplomática en un acto que evidencia  la intención del gobierno de facto de realizar una expulsión forzada, en una clara violación a Convenios Internacionales sobre Relaciones Diplomáticas, además de tratados de Derechos Humanos relativos a inviolabilidad del domicilio.

3.      Que la Convención de Viena sobre Relaciones Diplomáticas de 1961 establece la obligación de proteger y respetar la inmunidad de los agentes diplomáticos; la inviolabilidad del domicilio, locales y archivos de las mismas, aún en caso de conflicto armado o ruptura de relaciones diplomáticas.

4.      Que afuera de la Residencia de la embajada de Venezuela se hayan cientos de hondureños/as que expresan su solidaridad a la misión diplomática, por lo que llamamos la atención del riesgo que viven ante cualquier ataque de los cuerpos represivos del Estado.

5.      Que la OEA y Naciones Unidas se han pronunciado sobre el conflicto en Honduras  no reconociendo al gobierno de facto, por lo que Denunciamos que cualquier acción contra los agentes diplomáticos y sus residencias sería ilegal pues la ruptura o suspensión de las relaciones diplomáticas solo emanan de gobiernos legítimamente constituidos y reconocidos por la comunidad internacional.

Por lo tanto demandamos una alerta internacional Urgente para proteger la vida, la integridad personal, la inviolabilidad del domicilio y demás derechos, tanto de los agentes diplomáticos que permanecen en su
Sede, como de los hondureños y hondureñas que se hallan resistiendo frente a la misma.

Tegucigalpa, 24 de julio de 2009.

Centro de Prevención y Tratamiento de las Victimas de la Tortura y sus
Familiares, CPTRT

Centro de Investigación y Promoción de Derechos Humanos, CIPRODEH

Comité para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos, CODEH

Centro de Derechos de Mujeres, CDM

Feministas en Resistencia

Movimiento Mujeres Socialistas “Dolores Caballero”

CLADEM-Honduras

[Editor's Note: Thanks to Pancho for the translation]

Colleagues:

Today, early in the morning, Ms Maria Marta Diaz was appointed to the INAM [Women National Institute] by the Military Coup regime as the minister of this institution. She entered the facilities with a group of riot police. Around 10AM, another riot police group (this time was bigger) came to the facilities when we, the women, were just by ourselves and our voices.

There were many tense moments, the first one was when one of the members of the riot police encouraged several employees to enter the facilities. We told them that we were occupying the building [as protest against the military coup] that it was not possible to enter. No one listen to the riot police call but but one woman: Antonieta Bustamente, the representative of Interamerican Comission of Women, did. We told her that we were not accepting nobody, not even visits, but she didn’t listen and she try to enter. The riot police beat two of our women colleagues and made a “cordon police” so that this woman could enter.

Later, around 11AM, the technical director of the Institute, a feminist colleague, answered a call from an unidentified number. They [the people who called her] told her that they knew that she had children, that they knew who were her children and that if she continued with that posture [against the Military Coup] her children will be in danger. Kenia started crying, she didn’t say anything, she was only crying. We asked her to explain to us what was going on. Crying, she confessed. Then we call the media that was around and she told them what happened. She did it to both, national and international media.

Around 12, our colleagues in resistance arrived: indigenous people, the OFRANEH (afro-descendents) who supported us in the pacific occupation. Because of it, more police riot groups arrived too.

Then around 1PM all the movement in resistance arrived, I don’t know how many thousands, and it caused even more repression. Two military trucks and then another bigger one (the kind of bunker-like), those that through water and that orange liquid, started to approach us and the people of the movement. Those were very intense moments, the military got on “attack position” and the soldiers that were behind [the building] shoot bullets, I guess they were rubber bullets because they sounded different, while on the front of the building, the contingent was marching towards us. Some of them started to through rocks but we tried to calm them.

We evacuated the building and everyone marched towards the Congress.

I came to write this, to charge the battery of my cellular phone and to download the pictures of my camera. We are with our colleague, the technical director of the INAM, to help her to denounce the threat to the tribunal, so that, at least, it is documented. She called her family to take care of her children, they were to a more secure place. I’ll tell you more about it later.

There is footage from TeleSur, from Le Monde Diplomatique, the Discovery Chanel, History (I can’t remember), there were a lot of more media around. Perhaps on Youtube there will be more information, many of us took some videos.

The people who is covering most of the repression are from Channel 36 of Honduras.

Greetings

[original Spanish]

Compañeras:

Hoy en la mañana muy temprano entrò al INAM la señora Maria Marta Dìaznombrada por el règimen defacto como ministra del INAM acuerpada por un grupo de policìas antimotines. Como a las 10 de las mañana llegò otro escuadròn mayor cuando solo nos encontràbamos nosotras, las mujeres con nuestras voces.

Hubieron varios momentos de tensiòn, el primero cuando la policìa antimotines saliò de las instalaciones y uno de ellos dijo a las empleadas que entraran. Nosotras les decìamos que era una toma y que no podìan entrar. Ninguna de ellas/os las/os que estaban ahì, contestò al llamado. Solo lo hizo una: la señora Antonieta Bustamante, representante de la Comisiòn Interamericana de Mujeres. Ella se acercò a nosotras e insistiò en entrar, le dijimos que no aceptàbamos ni siquiera visitas. Los antimotines hicieron un cordòn para que la señora entrara y golpearon a dos compañeras nuestras.

Posteriormente, como a las 11 del dìa la directora tècnica del INAM, compañera feminista, llamò una llamada de un telèfono desconocido (no aparecìa nùmero) y le dijeron que ella tenìa hijos, que sabìan quienes eran sus hijos y que si ella continuaba en esa postura (de oposiciòn) que sus hijos corrìan peligro. Ke`nia comenzò a llorar, no decìa nada, solo lloraba. Le insistimos que nos dijera que pasaba y llorando nos lo dijo. LLamamos a los medios que estaban ahì y ella relatò lo sucedido. Lo hico a medios nacionales e internacionales

Posteriormente como a las 12 del dìa llegaron compañeras en resistencia,los/as indìgenas y los/as de OFRANEH (afrodescendientes) quienes nos apoyaron en nuestra toma pacìfica. Eso hizo que vinieran màs antimotines.

Luego como a la 1 de la tarde llego el todo el movimiento de resistencia, no se cuantos miles, y eso desatò màs represiòn. Un contingente de antomotines en dos camiones militares y luego un camiòn, tipo bunker, de esos que lanzan agua y un lìquido anaranjado y fueron caminando hacia nosotras y los del movimiento. fueron momentos de tensiòn, los antimotines se pusieron en posiciòn de ataque, los que estaban por la parte detràs tiraron balas, supongo que de goma, porque sonaban diferente, y por la parte de frente caminaba el contingente hacia nosotras. algunos comenzaron a tirar ppiedras y tratabamos de calmar a la gente. Desalojamos el lugar y todos se fueron en la marcha hacia el congreso. Vine a escribir esto y a cargar mi celular y descargar mi càmara. Trajimos  ala directora tècnica del inam para llevar a poner la denuncia a la fiscalia, al menos para que quede documentada. Tambièn ella llamò a su  familia para saccar a sus hijos de su casa y llevarlos a un lugar seguro. les seguire contanto.

Hay tomas de telesur, andaban de le monde diplomatique, de discovery chanel,o de history, no recuerdo, andaban muchos mas. quiza màs tarde hayan cosas en you tube, de aca cubrieron varios, pero el que esta pasando màs la
represion son los del canal 36 de honduras

saludos