ACTION ALERT: Honduras Military Coup

[CISPES National Office]

*ACTION ALERT!

**CISPES joins the Alliance for Global Justice, **SOA Watch, **and other 
members of the Latin America Solidarity Coalition in denouncing today's 
coup in Honduras.  CISPES committees are joining rallies at consulates 
around the country to demand the reinstatement of the democratically 
elected Honduran president.*
**
*Call the State Department and the White House!

Demand that they call for the immediate reinstatement of Honduran 
President Zelaya.

State Department: 202-647-4000 or 1-800-877-8339
White House: Comments: 202-456-1111, Switchboard: 202-456-1414

/Here are statements by other members of the Organization of American 
States: 
/**http://americasmexico.blogspot.com/2009/06/oas-countries-back-zelaya-calls-for.html

**/Below are updates from Rights Action.  More information coming soon.
/
*

*ALERT  #2 -- Military Coup in Honduras
*June 28, 2009

*DESPITE THE MILITARY COUP THE HONDURAN PEOPLE ARE DEFENDING THEIR DEMOCRACY
THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM POLL CONTINUES*

Democracy in Honduras was violated by a military coup this morning, but 
the people of Honduras have come to the defense constitutional order and 
democracy in Honduras.

Though the President was forced into exile in Costa Rica, the goal of 
stopping the public opinion poll has not been successful.

Civil society leaders report that more then 25,000 Honduras are 
protesting in front of the National Palace in support of the president, 
despite reports that the entry and exits to some towns have been blocked 
by the military to prevent public protests.

Though it is reported that in some areas the ballot boxes have been 
captured by the military, promoters of the poll have establish mobile 
polling stations to defend the ballot boxes.  The military has not been 
able to occupy all of the country, and some towns have declared that 
they will not recognize the authority of the military imposed government.

Though the President of the Congress, Roberto Michelletti, read a letter 
of resignation allegedly signed by President Zelaya and his cabinet, 
Zelaya from Costa Rica has denied signing the letter, as have his 
cabinet members.

The Congress the proceeded to name Roberto Michelletti, a strong 
opponent of Zelaya, as president de facto.

Governments around the world, particularly in Latin America, have 
declared that they will not recognize any not elected by the population 
of Honduras.

The Chancellor of Honduras, Patricia Rodas, has been kidnapped by the 
military, in front of member of the diplomatic corps, and the 
ambassadors of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua were kidnapped with her but 
later released.  The whereabouts of Patricia Rodas are unknown.

* * *

*CONTACT YOUR OWN MEDIA, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, SENATORS, MEMBERS OF 
PARLIAMENT, TO DEMAND:*

    * a return of the constitutional government
    * no recognition, whatsoever, of this military coup and the
      Congressional appointed 'de facto' government of Roberto Michelletti
    * respect for safety and human rights of all Hondurans


------------

ALERT - Military Coup in Honduras
June 28, 2009, 2pm

[CONTACT: In Guatemala, Annie Bird (Rights Action co-director, 
annie at rightsaction.org <mailto:annie at rightsaction.org>, 
011-502-5005-1530); in North America, Grahame Russell (Rights Action 
co-director, 1-860-751-4285, info at rightsaction.org 
<mailto:info at rightsaction.org>)]

On the Day of the National Survey for Constitutional Reform, the 
Honduran President Was Captured by the Military

According to reports from national human rights organizations, at 
approximately 1am the president of Honduras, Mel Zelaya and his family 
were captured by the military.  He was taken to a military airport.  He 
denounced the military coup and his capture to TeleSur over the 
telephone from Costa Rica.

It is also reported that other members of the government, particularly 
the ministers, are being arrested, and that cars with diplomatic license 
plates are being stopped and searched to facilitate the detentions.

Robert Michelletti, one of the strongest opponents of the president and 
president of the Congress, is rumored to be backed by the military to 
assume the presidency.

Communications have been interrupted.  The national press, all strongly 
opposed to the president, is silent.  Channel 8, established by 
President Zelaya after years of press censorship, and was shut down.  
Community radios have been cut off.

Nationally the national telephone system was shut down, and the national 
energy grid has been shut down in many areas.

The national telephone system was temporarily cut off, and in some areas 
cellular phones are not longer operating.

The military is occupying the entire county, and has established 
checkpoints in the entry and exits of towns, presumably to restrict 
protesters and possibly to facilitate detentions.

Despite the military occupation there are protests throughout the 
country and repression is being report.

We are extremely concerned for the safety of the human rights 
organizations that have supported the President and the efforts for 
Constitutional Reform.

Currently there are reports of the military pursuing civil society 
leaders in the street.  COPINH, the National Council of Indigenous 
Peoples has strongly backed the constitutional reform effort. The home 
of Bertha Caceres, a leader of COPINH, has been under military and 
police surveillance for several days. Today leaders of COPINH have been 
pursued by the military in the street, and are in hiding.

On Tuesday of last week Fabio Ochoa, the regional coordinator promoting 
the Constitutional reform consultations, was shot five times when 
leaving a television station after promoting the constitutional reform.  
He is in intensive care.

The proposal to draft a new constitution is the culmination of a series 
of controversial measures undertaken in his presidency, which include a 
significant raise in the minimum wage, measures to re- nationalize 
energy generation plants and the telephone system, signing a bill that 
vastly improves labor conditions for teachers, joining the Venezuelan 
Petrocaribe program which provides soft loans for development 
initiatives via petroleum sales, delaying recognition of the new US 
ambassador after the Bolivian government implicated the US embassy in 
supporting fascist paramilitary groups destabilizing Bolivia, and others.

* * *

1-  please re-distribute this information to media and your politicians
2-  demand respect for safety and human rights of all Hondurans
3-  demand a return of the constitutional government

Funds are needed for emergency response and legal defense work.  Make 
TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS to Rights Action and mail to:

* UNITED STATES:  Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
* CANADA:  552 - 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8

CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS: http://rightsaction.org/contributions.htm

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Please re-distribute this info all around.

 

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