ALERTA! Major Escalation of Military Presence in Tegucigalpa

And it appears that the heightened military presence is due to the arrival of representatives from the OAS and the need of the golpista regime to hide what would be a very embarrassing spectacle of a huge national resistance march.  In fact, the website of Honduras en Lucha says that a few hours ago, a large march was arriving at Hotel Clarion where the OAS  is staying/working.

Below is an urgent alert from the Resistance in Honduras that has been translated by Felipe Stuart. Please distribute widely.

URGENT HONDURAS ALERT: Monday morning, August 24 – Ricardo Salgado

Posted by: “Felipe Stuart C” fcstuartca@yahoo.ca fcstuartca

Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:40 am (PDT)

URGENT HONDURAS ALERT: Monday morning, August 24.

Please share this as far and wide as you can!

This morning (Monday, August 24) I received the following urgent appeal from Ricardo Arturo Salgado, a militant of the Honduran resistance to the coup. Rapid and rough translation by yours truly. The alert itself, says the author, was written on the fly and under considerable stress.

Felipe Stuart

They are attacking with chemicals the transmitters of alternative radio stations and TC channels. The are militarizing broad swaths of the country, today, 24 of August 2009. Following the Report of the CIDH the truce came to an end. On Saturday night they cut off the TV program that was transmitting an interview with President Zelaya [I heard this interview in the afternoon on Radio Globo/Felipe Stuart]. Last night, during the transmission of the “Voices against the Coup” concert, special forces from the army invaded areas where the transmitters of Radio Globo and Cholusat Sur TV are located, in the Cantagallos zone near Tegucigalpa.

In the action, soldiers clubbed people who were on site, and threatened to kill them, but having done that, abandoned the place. According to reports from Radio Globo on-line they are broadcasting with an alternative transmitter that they installed at the time of the coup. It is expected that they will be on the air again around 4:00 PM today, Monday. Regarding the damage done to Cholutsat Sur TV, it is reported to be extensive, and it could be off the air some days or even weeks.

Today, at 7:41 AM local time, the capital finds itself militarized and there are reports of strong military contingents in the roads leading out of interior cities to the capital. Incoming routes are also covered with army check barriers.

Meanwhile, Channel 5 of the golpista Televicentro is inviting people to support the fascist regime, and all the media supporting the coup are broadcasting opinions disqualifying the OAS, José Miguel Insulza [its general secretary], and the Commission of Foreign Ministers, and Judge Baltazar Garzón [who has made rulings distasteful to the golpistas].

Armando Villanueva, am ultra right journalist said on the Channel 10 “Education” TV that is also on-line affirmed that they have proof of FARC [Colombia] funding of the left party Unificación Democrática, and of the FUTH (Federacion Unitaria de Trabajadores de Honduras — Honduran Workers’ Unitary Federation), both members of the National Resistance Front. Villaneuva added that the OAS mission has no future, and is just on a “passing” excursion to Honduras.

There are clear signs of an escalating repression to avoid grassroots marches on this day when the OAS commission is to arrive.

We plead with the international community to keep posted through reports that we will be sending throughout the day.

Ricardo Arturo Salgado
Sociologist/

Researcher
24/August/2009

Translator’s note: As I am working on this translation (11 am Honduran time) I am listening to Radio Globo on-line. Preparations are well underway for today’s “great marathon” to make the resistance known to the OAS delegation, and in that way, to the world. Globo is not just reporting news, it is acting as the voice of the resistance, and organization center for action.

President Zelaya has issued a statement, that the radio is repeating, backing an escalation of resistance, and appealing to all not to give up, despite the repression and evident deepening of the militarization.

At the same time, the resistance leadership is cautioning protesters to avoid provocations from the army and death squads, remain peaceful, but not passive. They want it to be abundantly clear to the OAS special mission and to the international media covering the visit that any violence will be from the golpistas, and not the resistance.

Companero Salgado pledges to send reports later today, and I will attempt to translate and get them out asap.