tagged w/ Honduras
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Military shuts down all anti-coup radio and TV, silencing all reporting on the resistance movementMilitary shuts down all anti-coup radio and TV, silencing all reporting on the... more
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The coup-installed president of Honduras backed down Monday from an escalating standoff with protesters and suggested he would restore civil liberties and reopen dissident television and radio stations by the end of the week.The coup-installed president of Honduras backed down Monday from an escalating... more
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The de facto government that's in power in Honduras closed down television and radio stations Monday morning that are aligned with ousted President Manuel Zelaya.
Zelaya condemned the action in a brief statement and called on foreign governments to show their displeasure.
"The government is nervous," Carlos Montoya, formerly a senior member of Zelaya's government, said in an interview. "We don't want violence. We're asking for dialogue."
The moves by interim President Roberto Micheletti came hours after the government announced a decree suspending constitutional civil liberties, an attempt to keep supporters of Zelaya off the streets Monday.
Zelaya, who's been holed up at the Brazilian Embassy for the past seven days with about 70 supporters and journalists after his clandestine return to Honduras, had called on his supporters to launch "a final offensive" Monday.
It's not clear whether Zelaya meant this as a show of support or an effort to cause the Micheletti government to buckle and allow him to return to power.
Either way, the moves signal a hardening line by the Micheletti government and seem likely to provoke a strong reaction from leaders throughout the world who deem him to be holding power illegally after he took office June 28.
More @ LinkThe de facto government that's in power in Honduras closed down television and... more
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Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya remains cooped up in the Brazilian Embassy in the capital of Tegucigalpa. The Associated Press reports on his conditions saying:
"Honduras’ deposed leader is sleeping on an air mattress. His “roommates” have not bathed, shaved or changed their clothes in three days. Tap water is scarce and dinner is limited to dry biscuits or rice and beans."
We posted a video of protests earlier in the week, and Current.com user Juas, claiming he had recently been in Honduras reported:
“I was there.
We are going towards a civil war. Please keep your eyes on us.
Police are murdering people as I speak right now. We have lost all our constitutional warranties. We have 48 hours or curfew, people are hungry.
The president is in danger.
Please keep your eyes on us.”
At least one person has died in clashes with the police thus far and with Zelaya refusing to give himself up and the Honduran military agreeing not to storm the Brazilian embassy, the siege looks likely to drag on.
If you, like Juas, have a local perspective, let us know over here on Current News.Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya remains cooped up in the Brazilian Embassy in... more
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Now that President Zelaya has returned to Honduras, the coup government - after first denying that he was there - has unleashed a wave of repression to prevent people from gathering support for their elected president. This is how U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the first phase of this new repression last night in a press conference:
"I think that the government imposed a curfew, we just learned, to try to get people off the streets so that there couldn't be unforeseen developments."
But the developments that this dictatorship is trying to repress are very much foreseen. A completely peaceful crowd of thousands surrounded the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa, where Zelaya has taken refuge, to greet their president. The military then used the curfew as an excuse to tear-gas, beat, and arrest the crowd until there was nothing left. There are reports of scores wounded and three dead. The dictatorship has cut off electricity and water to the embassy, and cut electricity to what little is left of the independent media, as well as some neighborhoods. This is how the dictatorship has been operating. It has a very brutal but simple strategy.
The strategy goes like this: they control the national media, which has been deployed to convince about 30-40 percent of the population that their elected President is an agent of a foreign government and seeks to turn the country into a socialist prison. However, that still leaves the majority who have managed to find access to other information.
The strategy for dealing with them has been to try to render them powerless: through thousands of arrests, beatings, and even some selective killings. This has been documented, reported, and denounced by major human rights organizations throughout the world: Amnesty International, the Center for Justice and International Law, Human Rights Watch, the Inter American Commission on Human Rights and others.
One important actor, the only major country to maintain an ambassador in Honduras throughout the dictatorship, has maintained a deafening silence about this repression: that is the United States government. The Obama administration has not uttered one word about the massive human rights violations in Honduras. This silence by itself tells you all that you need to know about what this administration has really been trying to accomplish in the 87 days since the Honduran military squelched democracy. The Obama team understands exactly how the coup government is maintaining its grip on power through violence and repression. And President Obama, along with his Secretary of State, has shown no intention to undermine this strategy.
In fact, President Zelaya has been to Washington six times since he was overthrown, but not once did he get a meeting with President Obama...These signals are important because the Honduran dictatorship is digging in its heels on the bet that they don't have to take any pressure from Washington seriously. They have billions of dollars of assets in the United States, which could be frozen or seized. But the dictatorship, for now, trusts that the Obama team is not going to do anything to hurt their allies.
Luz Mejias, the head of the Organisation of American States' Inter-American Human Rights Commission, had a different view of the dictatorship's curfew from that of Hillary Clinton. She called it "a clear violation of human rights and legal norms" and said that those who ordered these measures should be charged under international criminal law.
On 11 August, 16 members of the US Congress sent a letter to Obama urging him to "publicly denounce the use of violence and repression of peaceful protesters, the murder of peaceful political organisers and all forms of censorship and intimidation directed at media outlets."...
What a horrible, ugly message the Obama administration is sending to the democracies of Latin America, and to people that aspire to democracy everywhere.
quoted from article by "Mark Weisbrot"Now that President Zelaya has returned to Honduras, the coup government - after first... more
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Ousted president makes surprise return to the capital, coup government responds with vicious crackdownOusted president makes surprise return to the capital, coup government responds with... more
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Oscar Estrada: Oligarchy's attempt to save their neo-liberal project may initiate fall of entire regimeOscar Estrada: Oligarchy's attempt to save their neo-liberal project may initiate... more
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60 days of anti-coup protests show persistence in civil disobedience and little faith in int'l community60 days of anti-coup protests show persistence in civil disobedience and little faith... more
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Guests of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya the night before his millitary removal from office recount the political corruption and human rights violations of this Honduran coup d'etat and its aftermath.Guests of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya the night before his millitary removal from... more
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U.S. President Barack Obama is "lost in the Andromeda" galaxy on Latin American policy, his chief critic in the region, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, said on Sunday, while demanding the closure of U.S. military bases.
Last week Obama said critics of U.S. involvement in Latin America who are now asking Washington to do more to restore the ousted president of Honduras "can't have it both ways."U.S. President Barack Obama is "lost in the Andromeda" galaxy on Latin... more
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Here is John Perkins' "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" take on this story:
Earlier in the year Chiquita Brands International Inc. (formerly United Fruit) and Dole Food Co had severely criticized Zelaya for advocating an increase of 60% in Honduras’s minimum wage, claiming that the policy would cut into corporate profits. They were joined by a coalition of textile manufacturers and exporters, companies that rely on cheap labor to work in their sweatshops.
Memories are short in the US, but not in Central America. I kept hearing people who claimed that it was a matter of record that Chiquita (United Fruit) and the CIA had toppled Guatemala’s democratically-elected president Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 and that International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT), Henry Kissinger, and the CIA had brought down Chile’s Salvador Allende in 1973. These people were certain that Haiti’s president Jean-Bertrand Aristide had been ousted by the CIA in 2004 because he proposed a minimum wage increase, like Zelaya’s.
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The Los Angeles Times went to the heart of this matter when it concluded:
What happened in Honduras is a classic Latin American coup in another sense: Gen. Romeo Vasquez, who led it, is an alumnus of the United States' School of the Americas (renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation). The school is best known for producing Latin American officers who have committed major human rights abuses, including military coups. (5)
All of this leads us once again to the inevitable conclusion: you and I must change the system. The president – whether Democrat or Republican – needs us to speak out.
Chiquita, Dole and all your representatives need to hear from you. Zelaya must be reinstated.
Footnotes
(1) “Who's in charge of US foreign policy? The coup in Honduras has exposed divisions between Barack Obama and his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton” by Mark Weisbrot
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jul/16/honduras-coup-obama-clinton (July 23, 2009)
(2) http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/21/from_arbenz_to_zelaya_chiquita_in (July 23, 2009)
(3) “Chiquita admits to paying Colombia terrorists: Banana company agrees to $25 million fine for paying AUC for protection” MSNBC March 15, 2007 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17615143/ (July 24, 2009)
(4) Fore more information: http://aconstantineblacklist.blogspot.com/2009/07/eric-holder-and-chaquita-covington.html (July 23, 2009)
(5) “The high-powered hidden support for Honduras' coup: The country's rightful president was ousted by a military leadership that takes many of its cues from Washington insiders.” by Mark Weisbrot, Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2009
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-weisbrot23-2009jul23,0,7566740.story (July 23, 2009)Here is John Perkins' "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" take on this... more
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Honduras reversed course Monday, saying it will allow a delegation from the Organization of American States to visit the country -- on the condition that the organization's head attends only as an observer.Honduras reversed course Monday, saying it will allow a delegation from the... more
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My Father in Law (H. Paul Benham Sr.) started this mission years ago..(Now 82 yrs old)
The number of wells for the Honduras people they put in they stopped counting after 600 several years ago.......
The site is under reconstruction at the time.. But you can still see old news letters, and some photos..
My husband, and his father have recently returned from there.. helping to build an upper building on the local church he started.
They should be uploading the photos he took soon..
"When the poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst,I, the Lord of Israel will not forsake them" Isaiah 41:17My Father in Law (H. Paul Benham Sr.) started this mission years ago..(Now 82 yrs old)... more
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News from Honduras has been in short supply even though the standoff between ousted leader Manuel Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti continues. July 30 marked one of the bloodiest days since the military coup and efforts to achieve some kind of power sharing agreement between the two parties and ensure Zelaya’s return have failed. So what’s happening on the ground? And why aren’t we hearing about it?
Rick Rowley, independent journalist and founder of Big Noise Films has just returned from Honduras and Sandra Cuffe, a correspondent for The Dominion in Honduras, discuss recent political developments in the country.News from Honduras has been in short supply even though the standoff between ousted... more
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GRITtv
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Politics
Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez accused the US Department of State of being behind the coup against Honduras President Manuel Zelaya at the end of June.
"This coup was perpetrated by the US Department of State. I have no doubt at all. Those Honduras militaries could not take a step without the approval of the militaries deployed in the US base which is in Honduras and without the consent of the Department of State," said Chávez.
The president, who is on visit to Bolivia for the commemoration of the bicentennial of that nation, thinks that US President Barack Obama was not apprised of the action and he does not trust "in the empire which is behind Obama."
"The empire is the empire, and the CIA is the CIA and all the mechanisms of the Department of State. There is not doubt about it. The United States has dipped its fingers in all the coups in this hemisphere for 200 years. Obama is the one who should answer to it, not me."
Carolina Contreras A.
EL UNIVERSAL
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End Of ArticlePolitics
Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez accused the US Department of... more
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MOSCOW, July 14 (RIA Novosti) - Bolivian President Evo Morales has accused the United States of being behind the military coup in Honduras, Latin American media reported on Tuesday.
The military arrested Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and flew him to Costa Rica on June 28, the day polls were due to open for a nonbinding referendum on extending the president's nonrenewable four-year term of office. The United States has repeatedly condemned the coup.
"I have first-hand information that the empire, through the U.S. Southern Command, is behind the coup d'etat in Honduras," Morales said during his visit to Uruguay's capital, Montevideo.
"Maybe I do not know Obama, but the imperial structure remains in force," he went on, accusing Washington of inciting civil violence in Bolivia and plotting his assassination.
Diplomatic relations between Bolivia and the United States have been strained since Morales took office in 2006. Last September, Morales expelled the U.S. ambassador, declaring him persona non grata for allegedly assisting separatists.
Morales and his Uruguayan counterpart, Tabare Vazquez, have adopted a joint statement, saying they would not recognize any authority in Honduras, other than "the legitimate government of President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales."
No country has formally recognized the interim government of Honduras, led by former parliamentary speaker Roberto Micheletti.
The first round of talks to resolve the political crisis in Honduras, was held in the Costa Rican capital, San Jose, on July 9 and July 10, and produced no results. Zelaya and Micheletti have so far refused to hold one-on-one talks but had separate meetings with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. The next round could be held in Costa Rica next week.
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End Of ArticleMOSCOW, July 14 (RIA Novosti) - Bolivian President Evo Morales has accused the United... more
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Tensions are high as ousted Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya attempts to return. Crowds of Hondurans, some walking for miles, headed toward the country's southern border to receive the ousted President, but well-armed soldiers and police have blocked their way.
This video is from last week, when Zelaya's first attempt to cross was stopped by government troops. This is what he and his supporters will need to get past in order to even get into the country, much less retake the Presidency.Tensions are high as ousted Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya attempts to return.... more
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Hey everyone - A few stories we're watching here at Current News this morning. With US Secretary of Defense in Israel, a report that the number of Israeli settlers has topped 300K. Ousted President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras has a new tactic: camping on the Nicaraguan border. And the NY Times has a fascinating story about Chinese students who blame corrupt local officials for stealing their academic records, and thus their futures.
As always, we're looking to bring you the stories you're not hearing about anywhere else. If you find a story out there we haven't heard of, let us know!Hey everyone - A few stories we're watching here at Current News this morning.... more
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LAS MANOS, Nicaragua (CNN) -- Ousted Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya walked under a border chain Friday and returned to his country nearly a month after being removed by a military-led coup.
"I am not afraid when I work for a just and noble cause," Zelaya said to someone on a cell phone moments after crossing the border, surrounded by television cameras and scores of cheering supporters.
Zelaya alternated between taking calls on his cell phone said answering reporters' questions. He told the crowd he was waiting for his wife and daughter to arrive before going further.
Honduran troops had been blocking the border but did not stop him from fulfilling his vow to return after being removed by a military-led coup in JuneLAS MANOS, Nicaragua (CNN) -- Ousted Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya walked... more
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nkeg87
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In a move that he said would lead to a return to power, Honduras' deposed president set up base near his country's border, urging soldiers to ignore an arrest order against him and shrugging off warnings that his homecoming could provoke violence.
Manuel Zelaya drove a jeep to Esteli, a town 25 miles south of the Honduran border, where he shut himself inside a hotel Thursday night to plan a strategy for reclaiming the presidency from the interim government that sent him into exile.
He said he would make a second bid to return home as early as Saturday, saying U.S.-backed mediation efforts had broken down. The interim government vows to arrest the president if he sets foot in Honduras, and imposed a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew along border areas.
The 56-year-old ousted leader, wearing his trademark white cowboy hat, was accompanied by the foreign minister of Venezuela, whose leftist President Hugo Chavez has been the most vociferous critic of the June 28 coup.In a move that he said would lead to a return to power, Honduras' deposed... more
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