Fotos Verano 09

Honduras Para Todos

For analysis, statements, and updates on the military coup in Honduras and the resistance movement inside and outside of the country visit hondurasparatodos.wordpress.com

Two Weeks Notice: A Latin American Politics Blog: Honduras and the OAS

Two Weeks Notice: A Latin American Politics Blog: Honduras and the OAS

Open letter from Jorge Varela, Honduran Enviromental Activist

COUP D’ETAT DISGUISED AS “SUCCESSION”

Jorge Varela Márquez / International Goldman Prize 1999

A glimmer of hope for redeeming the extremely poor and humble people of Honduras is dying out. I write from a strictly personal view and assuming responsibility for my opinion on what has happened in Honduras. First some history:

The constitution of a country is a document prepared by members of congress to regulate the life of a people. It is something that is considered sacred and afforded the utmost respect, protection and obedience on the part of all citizens. But this noble document has been tarnished by those same Congress members who developed it, leading one of them to say "the Constitution is pure babosada (babosada = silly, stupid ...)” and another: "The constitution can be violated as often as necessary." And in keeping with these statements, a few groups who have enriched themselves by applying bits and pieces of rhetoric to their own convenience, have seized the country's political and government system for their own benefit.

Groups of businessmen and bourgeoisie govern the actions of the two traditional powerful political parties of the country. These groups name, finance or facilitate the ascension of their cronies into Congress, who once established act under the dictates of business interests serving as their sources of power. Using this Congress, they introduce laws, decrees, agreements, treaties, contracts ... and block any provision that goes against their own interests. Also significantly, they appoint the members of the Supreme Court and the Attorney General's Office, and the National Commissioner for Human Rights. If these appointees wish to remain in office, they need to be in good terms with Congress and of course to tacitly submit to those groups in power. In addition, these "factual" groups as the president, now out of power, Don Manuel Zelaya calls them, have lawyers who "advise" the Armed Forces exerting a conservative influence over them, to the extent that most or almost all the coups d'etat that have occurred in Honduras, have been initiated or encouraged by those power groups operating in the shadows. What is worse, these groups have realized that there is a "fourth estate" and have also taken over the mainstream media, thus keeping the population under a strict and daily indoctrination against any opinion that could damage the status quo, hence the systematic criminalization of any person or idea that questions the current system.

And that was the mortal sin of President Zelaya, against whom all the infrastructure referred to above has been launched with all the fury of a wounded hyena. Zelaya wanted a "public consultation" aimed at asking the people if they agree with the current Constitution. Such consultation was attacked from the start by the groups in power, who with surprising speed convinced the Attorney General, the Supreme Court, The National Commissioner of Human Rights, the Voting Comission (formed by the main political parties), the National Congress and others to declare the initiative illegal, although it was not binding, ie it was only a poll of public opinion.

It was at this moment that many of us decided to exercise our right to say whether or not we agree with the constitutional change. We had not done so before because the poll was non-binding so we felt it unnecessary to invest much time and thought in this discussion. As things were, the media did not believe in the President’s campaign, although it was supported by grassroot groups. But when we realized that powerful groups along with the church were launching a furious attack against an administration that had rebelled against them, we decided to voluntarily and freely give our opinion on the "consultation." But the Armed Forces, under pressure from the "factual" groups, by the power structure under them, and by the intense media campaign aimed at derailing the President, prevented the exercise of the constitutional right of the people to be consulted, and with the force of the weapons that the people themselves have given them, carried out an unequivocal "coup d’etat" and not a shameless "succession" based on a false letter of resignation attributed to President Zelaya.

Now, why the terror of those groups to the above consultation? ... Maybe because some members of congress could be found responsible of passing unconstitutional laws such as the Mining Act to name a case? Perhaps because from the presidency of Congress they have attacked fundamental constitutional articles that today they defend with their lives such as art. 107 to name one case? Perhaps from that position they have defended a corrupt Attoney General’s Office accused of corruption by its own attorneys? Perhaps because they have coerced the Supreme Court to "interpret" the "constitution" in their favor, such as the prohibition that the President of Congress (Micheletti, who was overwhelmingly punished by voters in primary elections) or a Vice President of the Republic (Elvin Santos) run for president?...

Why are they terrified of public consultation? ... Perhaps because the degree of disgrace they have brought to the Constitution and the institutions they now claim to defend makes them vulnerable to a genuine popular consultation, and exposes them to a true change from the "representative power " of themselves, their families and lackeys, to the participative power of organized groups of civil society who have seen dashed their hopes to participate in state institutions that decide the destinies of the people?

While at other times we have defended the Constitution in the streets and in those times we have succeeded, the groups in power have always cleverly turned things in their favor. In the face of that reality, I have felt old and have stayed away from those types of actions. But even at the expense of my well-being and personal safety and that of my family and friends, even knowing that I expose myself to personal vilification false and induced, today I’m sending my personal public protest to the world for an act so vile and despicable perpetrated against the people by the groups in power and the bourgeoisie. Today, they subjugate us using the traditional instruments of domination. Today I join in solidarity with my Honduran brothers and sisters who expose their lives in protest because a glimmer of hope is dying out.

Military Coup in Honduras

The military has overthrown the president of Honduras. Ask your representatives that democracy be restored in Honduras. See the sample letter below.

Sample letter to your representative

Honorable -----

We respectfully ask the US government to oppose the removal of the democratically elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya. Mr. Zelaya was ousted from power by the Honduran military on June 28, 2009.

The US Government must push for the return to democracy and abstain from accepting the illegal ouster of President Zelaya. The US Government must demand the return of democracy to Honduras. The Honduran military gave up political power in 1982 due to pressure from the United States. It is time again for the US to be a partner for democracy in Honduras.

Sincerely,

Rain in L.A.

We had an unusual summer rain today together with thunder. My mom says the weather in L.A. has been strange the last few years. I guess climate change is happening here like everywhere else. Things are becoming a bit unpredictable though some researchers are saying we're in for a drier climate overall in the southwestern U.S., certainly not something which would lead me to expect rain in the summer.

Vimos a mi tia Vicky ayer. Se ve muy bien, rejuvenecida. Le digo que eso se lo tenemos que agradecer a Fidel y a la revolucion.

The kids have been a bit sick with fever. They did better today, but both went to bed early--must've really been tired and needing to recover from days of travelling and not sleeping regular hours.

We saw the movie "Up" today. A tender though sometimes violent movie (paradoxically?). I think the improbable plot was well thought out and the parts seemed to fit together well. Overall a pleasant experience though it can be scary at times for kids.

She made it!

Stephanie made it! She's now a newly-minted PhD. Nos sentimos muy orgullosos de ella. Cheers, Dr. Moore!

Dissertation rush

Wow, we haven't posted anything since 2006! But well, it's never too late to restart a blog. Everything is crazy around here because Stephanie is trying to finish her dissertation like a mad woman. This morning she had the formatting blues as anyone who has written one knows, the formatting of the dissertation is the final form of hazing that graduate schools make people go through before they can be called "doctors." Stephanie's taxi will pick her up at 4:30 am tomorrow morning as she heads out to San Diego. We'll catch up with her on Saturday. I have to think of ways to keep the kids entertained while she's away. Ixchel already said that she won't let her mom leave without her. Fortunately, she'll be asleep at that time. Last time Stephanie went on a trip by herself, Ixchel blocked the door trying to physically stop her from leaving, and then begged her on her knees to take her with her. I didn't elicit such a reaction when I went on a trip, but of course, her mom is her mom. Anyway, Stephanie defends the day after tomorrow and after that we'll be living in paradise (at least for some time).

Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and the Badlands

We visited the sights of western South Dakota today. The sculptures at Mt. Rushmore are truly impressive. It's amazing how rock at that scale can be carved mostly by using dynamite. We also visited the ongoing super-giant sculpture of Crazy Horse being carved out of a mountain of granite only 17 miles from Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills. The finished sculpture will consist of the torso of the native Amrerican chief Crazy Horse mounted on his horse. At this time only the face has been finished. We had to see this one from pretty far away because we didn't have time to take the bus that takes you to the base of the mountain. But we enjoyed visiting the exhibits in the museum of Native American culture. We rounded up the day by visiting Badlands National Park. Before going in, Stephanie thought they were called Badlands because they were boring, but she changed here mind when she saw them. They are called Badlands because they were extremely difficult to traverse by the early French explorers and besides, they could not be used to produce anything. They are an eerie landscape of eroded formations: buttes, canyons, cliffs, etc. with beautiful earth tones.
Ixchel has been holding up pretty well, but we can tell we're reaching the end of her tolerance for riding in a car. Now she says she wants to walk everywhere instead of going by car. Fortunately, we only have a couple of days left before we get to Illinois where will take an 11-day break.