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VIOLENCE IN HONDURAS: THE ORCS ATTACK!
Last night at the end of KPFA's broadcast on Honduras, the announcer said that during the broadcast he had received calls from listeners complaining about devoting the full hour to Honduras. You know, thousands had gathered outside the Brazilian Embassy, an exiled President had returned, and it was a firecracker situation of international proportions that could turn from triumph to tragedy at the drop of a pin. The bad guys had just about shut down all media coverage, but KPFA had managed to piece together news coverage of this event, including interviews in the street and interviews inside the embassy. KPFA's audience is left, liberal and progressive, and they were complaining. I still have to ask, what's that all about? What is it about Honduras that is boring, insignificant and, perhaps, repulsive to a left wing audience? I just can't grasp it.
Marshall law. The constitution is suspended officially, as it has been tacitly since June 28 when the criminals committed their crimes. Media shut-down. The anti-coup resistance protesters were bombed with tear gas dropped from aircraft, shot and wounded. There's no real count. 3, 4, 6 fatalities from gunshot wounds, and hundreds wounded. The armed forces now surround the Brazilian Embassy. Military units are invading private homes in the neighborhood to set up tactical stations. The rooftops around the embassy are covered with snipers, and reports of them shooting into the windows of the embassy are being recorded. The military has also surrounded the hospital where the wounded and dead are taken. I've read nothing about arrests, but obviously there are a great number and who knows where they are taken.
Protesters are reassembling in other areas in Tegucigalpa. The military has established checkpoints on all roads leading into Tegucigalpa and are stopping the steady flow of resistance protesters from all over Honduras who are trying to enter the city.
The golpistas have banned OAS and all members of the international community from entering Honduras. The airports and shut down. The golpistas have told the National Electric Company to shut down all electricity in Honduras today.
Wow, Radio Globo and Radio Progresso, both under attack by criminal government, are still managing to make intermittent web radio broadcasts - about the only source of information left. These people are courageous.
The water and electricity have been shut down at the Brazilian embassy. The golpistas have announced that it is the Brazilian embassy's fault that there is "public disorder, violence, material damage, and loss of life." (that's from La Tribuna, but you can't link to it now - http://www.latribuna.hn/web2.0/?p=43314 ).
How will Brazil respond? As far as I know, the embassy may have been breached by now, in violation of international law. The recklessness of the golpistas make me think that Zelaya may not survive - I don't think the golpistas really want to arrest him and bring him to trial. Mel is with his wife and children, and their lives are at risk also. El Heraldo is saying that National Party presidential candidate Pepe Lobo is calling for dialog:
Radio Globo's Internet broadcast just went down - only Radio Progresso is broadcasting now. I'm going to stop and post this now. Stay tuned...
Marshall law. The constitution is suspended officially, as it has been tacitly since June 28 when the criminals committed their crimes. Media shut-down. The anti-coup resistance protesters were bombed with tear gas dropped from aircraft, shot and wounded. There's no real count. 3, 4, 6 fatalities from gunshot wounds, and hundreds wounded. The armed forces now surround the Brazilian Embassy. Military units are invading private homes in the neighborhood to set up tactical stations. The rooftops around the embassy are covered with snipers, and reports of them shooting into the windows of the embassy are being recorded. The military has also surrounded the hospital where the wounded and dead are taken. I've read nothing about arrests, but obviously there are a great number and who knows where they are taken.
Protesters are reassembling in other areas in Tegucigalpa. The military has established checkpoints on all roads leading into Tegucigalpa and are stopping the steady flow of resistance protesters from all over Honduras who are trying to enter the city.
The golpistas have banned OAS and all members of the international community from entering Honduras. The airports and shut down. The golpistas have told the National Electric Company to shut down all electricity in Honduras today.
Wow, Radio Globo and Radio Progresso, both under attack by criminal government, are still managing to make intermittent web radio broadcasts - about the only source of information left. These people are courageous.
The water and electricity have been shut down at the Brazilian embassy. The golpistas have announced that it is the Brazilian embassy's fault that there is "public disorder, violence, material damage, and loss of life." (that's from La Tribuna, but you can't link to it now - http://www.latribuna.hn/web2.0/?p=43314 ).
How will Brazil respond? As far as I know, the embassy may have been breached by now, in violation of international law. The recklessness of the golpistas make me think that Zelaya may not survive - I don't think the golpistas really want to arrest him and bring him to trial. Mel is with his wife and children, and their lives are at risk also. El Heraldo is saying that National Party presidential candidate Pepe Lobo is calling for dialog:
"Now that Zelaya is in the country, there's nothing that dialog cannot solve. Both of them need to put aside any intransigence," he said of Micheletti and Zelaya.
Radio Globo's Internet broadcast just went down - only Radio Progresso is broadcasting now. I'm going to stop and post this now. Stay tuned...
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For the first time there was a mention this morning on the situation in Honduras on the news feed I subscribe to.
Have to say it, neoboho... your steady coverage of this is beyond the call of duty and appreciated.
Migwetch.
September 22, 2009 1:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, Flowerchild, glad to oblige. But you know, behind the Buckskin Curtain nothing is beyond the call of duty. As you know, Honduras is chock full of NDNs - they haven't been given much voice in this struggle, but there have been occasional comments made by tribal reps who have joined some of the political opposition movements that consider Indigenas an important segment of Honduran society.
"America said I was a defeated Indian, but they never showed me my terms of surrender." - Doc Jenkins, Pit River Nation, 1970
September 22, 2009 2:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
"What surrender?" - flowerchild, 2009
:o)
But, that is a topic for another time.
September 22, 2009 10:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
UPDATE: Tiempo is reporting that possibly thousands of protesters have been arrested and taken to the Chocy Sosa sports stadium. Allegations of torture, 2 dead, and wounded, but the police deny all of it.
http://www.tiempo.hn/secciones/crisis-politica/4247-cientos-de-detenidos-en-campos-de-concentracion
September 22, 2009 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
user-pic
Just a quick update from what I've found in the Honduran MSM (mostly via: Tiempo, El Harldo, La Perinsa, La Tribuna):
-At about 5am police/military clashed with Zelaya supporters and cleared out the area around the Brazilian embassy. There were a few reports of businesses set on fire and looted during the night - and photos showed the military recovering Molotovs from the debris. The police used tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets. Many vehicles were damaged or destroyed (most vehicles parked in front of the embassy, but at least one police vehicle was burned).
-The Brazilian embassy is estimating the Pro-Zelaya crowd to have been around 5000 people.
-There were 200 reported arrests for curfew violations. Individuals are being held temporarily at sports arenas and local jails. Pasadena-based CDHR has issued claims of torture and characterized the detentions as equivalent to Nazi concentration camps.(Note: IMO, it is unlikely at best that (a) any US organization would be able to assert with certainty the actual events that are occurring in the detention facilities within an hour of the arrested arriving, and (b) that a systemic infrastructure for torture has been set up in a local sports complex so quickly. I consider this to be uninformed propaganda geared to be inflammatory that tends to discredit the reporting agency)
-Honduras has cut the phone, water, and electricity to the Brazilian embassy and were bombarding the compound with the Honduran national anthem using what appeared to be a military-grade directed speaker system (like the ones they are trying to use on ships to thwart pirate attacks). It is unclear if this is ongoing.
-Brazil has recalled Francisco Resende, the head of their delegation to Brazil and advised officials not to come in to work. They have requested "if necessary" that the US embassy provide them with diesel for their generator and security.
-Honduras' data networks are strained and access to all sites is spotty.
-There are two emerging (contradictory) stories about Zelaya's return. His speech and some reports imply that he navigated the border from El Salvidor. Other reports indicate that he came in by plane late Sunday night.
-The airport closure has prevented OAS secretary Insulza from entering the country for scheduled negotiations to finalize agreement to the Costa Rican accord(my term) .
-Michaletti has given assurances to Brazil that the sovereignty of their embassy will not be violated. The Honduran government has also made clear statements that if Zelaya steps outside the embassy he will be arrested. Michaletti has also formally requested that Brazil either hand Zelaya over to officers of the court to face charges or to officially grant him asylum.
-Roadblocks have been set up throughout the country and access to the capitol is severely restricted. There is also a security cordon manned by police and military in the area around the Brazilian embassy.
-103 individuals have been admitted to the Emergency Medical Teaching Hospital with injuries, none reported as serious. The hospital reports no gunshot wounds. Zelaya supporters are asserting one, possibly two deaths, the victims have not been named and no medical facility has yet confirmed treating shooting injuries or deaths.
-A coolition of candidates for president has called for dialog and an agreement under the Costa Rican framework. They have offered to initiate discussions with both sides of the conflict with a mind to peaceful resolution. At least one (Lobo) has threatened to withdraw support from Michaletti if dialog is refused.
-Zelaya has issued calls for his supporters to come to the Brazillian embassy to offer him protection. He referred to the actions removing his supporters as "disproportionate".
Those are the highlights I've been able to discover. Since comments are limited to 2 links ... I'll just give a link to a decent index of Honduran news outlets and recommend using google to translate the sites if you want more details.
September 22, 2009 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oooops cut-paste didn't bring my links:
http://honduras.com/newspapers.htm
http://translate.google.com
September 22, 2009 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
KGB, I encourage you to create your own blogs on these matters. You've covered way too much ground to respond to without this particular blog losing its direction altogether. Thanx.
September 22, 2009 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Without belittling the seriousness of the situation, these developments are absolutely epic in their narrative, relentlessness vs ruthlessness, martyr vs massacre, courage vs criminality. It's the stuff of legend. Do keep on penning it, especially since few others have deigned to do so to the English-speaking community.
There's a part of me, as a South American, that feels that this sort of thing no longer flies as it did in the past, that we have turned a page in history and that the people will no longer be subdued as in decades past. The coupsters must also know and feel this, but in their desperation they may resort to the worst with the knowledge that their defeat can only lead them to face justice for their crimes.
As I've said before, I am not a fan of the so-called Bolivarian Revolution. It has little to do with the Bolivar I studied in history. However, my opposition is entirely democratic, and I do condemn these atrocities.
September 22, 2009 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bear in mind that many of the "atrocities" seem to exist exclusively in the assertions of the Bolivarian propaganda machinery. As you likely know better than most - sometimes this is not exactly the most accurate portrayal of reality.
September 22, 2009 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've been tempted to blog, in response to the ideas I've exchanged with you, the tale of an amazing man from Venezuela that I met in 1961, who was my classmate in a required "Health Education" class we attended at San Francisco City College. We were all required to make an oral presentation on a public health issue, and this man just happened to have been the Minister of Health of Guatemala in the mid 1950s. Like so many Latinos with advanced degrees who had immigrated to the US, his educational achievements were not recognized, and he was starting over. His presentation was astounding, but here I only want to mention his introduction. He spoke of the lack of social mobility opportunities in Latin America, saying that there were only two possibilities for an ambitious poor person: a military career or that of a Marxist rebel. That was 1961 - things have changed to some degree, but we can see that social mobility remains more a dream than a reality for the hemisphere's poor.
Fast forward to Honduras. It stands as an example that is much broader that a single Central American nation. Any social movement that positions the needs of the people above the needs of the few will now be characterized as "Bolivarian" or "Socialist" or any of a large collection of loaded, semantically over determined buzz words. It's inevitable, and because we live in a world where "truth" is determined by the distorted connotation of terms, the most superficial resemblance takes on the aura of "truth."
Yes, Zelaya signed on to ALBA - but so did the Honduran congress, including Michelleti himself. The Petrocaribe deal was just too good to refuse. But look, Canada signed onto NAFTA - and it certainly doesn't mean that Canada is drifting toward a Mexican style of government.
September 22, 2009 5:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Like golpista? ;-P
September 22, 2009 7:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Golpista" - person involved in a military coup
That's not a loaded term.
September 22, 2009 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bolivarian Revolution - nomenclature coined by Chavez himself to describe the movement of which he is the head. Seems considerably less loaded that "golipsta" which is clearly disparaging rhetoric designed to evoke negative associations.
September 22, 2009 7:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I too have been pondering our discussion, and I am thinking of a separate post on the subject. Because it does not concern US domestic politics, it risks drifting unnoticed into oblivion, as you must all too well be aware. Nevertheless, I'd like to briefly mention that Latin America, in her immensity, is infinitely more heterogeneous than she may seem to us here north of the border. Due to my origins in an atypically rich country, my viewpoint is limited to that experience.
Long before our now angry revolution in Venezuela, I grew up in a country with public maternities and hospitals, public schools and free universities and even music conservatories, price controls for staple foods, state owned industries (oil and iron were fully nationalized in the mid-seventies), scholarships to study anywhere in the world, booming cities, and immigrants from all over the world, even the US, establishing themselves in a bountiful nation aspiring for a European style of market socialism. We were definitely in contrast to Chile and perhaps Honduras.
A high-school history teacher of mine, rightly or wrongly, asserted that revolutions do not occur among those who have known nothing but misery. This was the case in Venezuela, where Hugo Chavez was able to sell revolution to a nation that was used to bounty, but which fell back on its generous social contract when oil prices collapsed and millions had arrived from all over and remained stuck in those barrios.
The history is extremely complex, not only on the hills of Caracas, but in the appalling shantitowns of Lagos, Nigeria, or in those outside Paris as described by Zola over a century ago. Much of this can be blamed on corporate exploitation and on Jeb Bush flying over with a briefcase full of cash to corrupt the country's politicians, but a lot of it is merely the curse of the attraction to the wealthy city, with its opportunities real and imagined, the fleeing from the countryside, the wish to enjoy modernity even if it takes living in a slum in worse conditions than those left behind. It is even happening in Greece.
Do excuse the long brainstorm, but I do believe that some pushback is necessary when it is all viewed, as Greg Palast would, as a struggle between classes and between whites and brown. This may be true to a certain extent, but there is so much more to the situation. Lastly, I highly recommend and suspect you will enjoy the work of the Caracas Urban Think Tank.
I'll now cede the discussion back to the urgent situation in Honduras.
September 22, 2009 7:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting stuff AdAbsurdum. I guess it's been that way through out the history of mankind. How do you keep 'em down on the farm when they've seen the big city? Or even heard about it? With our meddling in Honduras and the rest of Central and South America over the last century I don't think any of this is irrelevant to us at all.
September 23, 2009 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Neo: I can not find any verifiable source for your claims of aircraft dropping tear gas. In fact it seems to directly contradict the reports from the Brazilian embassy - who are both neutral and have an amazingly close vantage point from which to observe the actions. And there is quite a lot of photographic documentation of the operation that also contradicts many of your claims.
I think your zeal is leading you to report flat-out lies. You might want to temper your excitement with a modicum of critical thought. I've been watching videos of the area around the Brazilian embassy all morning - there is ZERO evidence or reports of snipers shooting into the place.
There is also no evidence that difficulty accessing web services from Honduran outlets is based on anything but huge traffic overload. Most sites have stripped all large graphics from their home pages and still can't seem to keep up. It is important to remember that IP services in Honduras have been the subject of muchos corruption that has severely limited the bandwidth available to the entire nation.
September 22, 2009 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're a bit patronizing there, kid. Tell you what, I'll practice critical thinking if you post your own blogs - I certainly don't want "truth" polluting mine. Deal?
September 22, 2009 6:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you post publicly, I will continue to comment.
September 22, 2009 6:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
P.S. Old fart :-)
September 22, 2009 6:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is incredible. Between you and now KGB, hell I cannot add anything. I will mimic Flower and tell you both to keep on keepin on.
September 22, 2009 6:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
UPDATE: WSJ http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090922-713717.html
Brazil House Approves Motion Against Honduras Embassy Blockade
BRASILIA (Dow Jones)--Members of Brazil's lower house late Tuesday unanimously approved a motion to repudiate actions by the government of Honduras restricting the autonomy of Brazilian embassy personnel in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.
The acting Honduran government reportedly cut telephone communications and supplies of electricity and water to the Brazilian embassy early Tuesday following confirmation Monday that deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was taking refuge there.
September 22, 2009 6:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
And as a value-added piece of information, the US embassy (Kelly) is in discussions with Brazil on how best to support their mission. Apparently Zelaya has like 300 people (including a dozen kids) holed up in the embassy right now and they are running short on both food and water. Naturally the US isn't saying what kind of support they are negotiating "due to the chaotic situation on the ground.". I'm wondering if helicopters can land in the compound? Like a Berlin airlift.
and somewhat breaking:
September 22, 2009 7:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Fantastic discussion guys, meanwhile the MSM is keeping us up to date on the new fall lineup of shows.
September 22, 2009 11:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Due to the fact the information regarding these events are so limited and you will obviously be creating more posts on the subject, may I suggest a glossary be developed to enable the gringos to understand what is being said and a very brief calendar of events top educate people as to what has happened as well. It might be something to cut and paste, or a link at the top to reference so readers unfamiliar with all of this can understand.
I was very happy to learn golipistas was simply a participant in a military coup. I was getting this vision of Gollum from Lord of the Rings. Ya see why a little definition would help? Before anyone can get involved, or interested, they have to know what they are reading There are many "new" terms that need definition, and the players cold be better identified, including the tendencies of the radio stations.
I'm so naive, it took a couple paragraphs before I realized that the Brazilian embassy is in Honduras. I was wondering why Zelaya went to Brazil to make his case for reinstatement! At any rate, I doubt many people are as dim-witted about things as I am, but more of the basic information would probably help those near to my level of ignorance come to appreciate the events.
These are close neighbors and the silence about these events is astounding. As Donal notes, but we are being given the Fall line-up for sitcoms and dramas by the MSM, just not anything substantial.
September 23, 2009 9:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Arcadia Foundation has long been a champion of democracy and an advocate for rule of law. When the President of any nation illegally attempts to prolong his or her executive position, it is a clear indicator of a disregarding of constitutional law and in this case symbolizes corruption at the highest branch of government. Robert Carmona-Borjas and the Arcadia Foundation believe that democracy is crucial for the effective exercise of fundamental freedoms and human rights in their universality. The OAS charter further states that ' representative democracy is an indispensable condition for stability, peace and development ' within the regions of the Americas.
Rules are rules. Whether or not we agree with them, we must abide by the letter of the law, for no one is above it. The constitution has long been the pillar Americans turn to when referencing democracy. Why is it then that Hondurans cannot?
You can call the current Honduran government de facto. You can call it interim. But truth be told, Manuel Zelaya and his “extended family” ran an international campaign of corruption, in some cases having been proven in American courts. The self-proclaimed cowboy has attempted to covertly prolong his tenure in the executive branch of government, and as there are no impeachment proceedings in Honduras, was rightfully deposed from office.
No, their constitution doesn’t have the kind of history the United States constitution does. It’s simply not that old. However, what kind of precedent would it set in Honduras to breach it so quickly after it was inaugurated, a document barely a few decades old?
Mr. Micheletti's government should seek a negotiated solution, though this may mean Mr. Zelaya never returns to the presidency of Honduras. A third person, perhaps other than the biased President Oscar Arias and the implementation of free and fair elections in November, should they not be suspended by the United Nations, will facilitate the change to peace for Hondurans and indeed the region.
October 6, 2009 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink