Honduran National Resistance Updates 11/11
8:15PM
>A Comment:
Many people write or disseminate information about the coup This includes people in the mainstream media, independent media and bloggers. Now that negotiations are dead in the water, I’m beginning to see more and more articles and blog posts that raise one or all of the following: what went wrong? who made it go wrong? why did it go wrong? could it have worked?
These are questions posed by people who think the US played a somewhat honest, if imperialist, role in this travesty. The US planned the coup with the Michelettis and continued to collaborate with the coup regime throughout the past four months. There never was an intention on the part of the US to reinstate President Zelaya — for god’s sake, they took him out. Micheletti, all bluster? Outwardly, yes. But, he was playing a prescribed role devoted solely to eating up the clock. Everytime Micheletti insulted Jose Miguel Insulza (which was often) an OAS meeting would be postponed for a week or two. Yet, Insulza met with Micheletti privately on at least one occasion after Micheletti called him something equivalent to a corrupt, incompetent boob. If this stuff was real and not acting, neither would want to be in the company of the other ever again.
And then, there is Hillary and the State Department stream-of consciousness apparatus. On one of President Zelaya’s trips to Washington he was supposed to meet with Hillary. Initially, she seemed to stall by handing him over to her staff. Imagine, the top diplomat of the United States keeps a head of state waiting around to get an appointment and requires him to meet her subordinates first. The only way that Hillary could insult President Zelaya so brazenly is if she knew she would never be dealing with him as head of state. While Hillary seemed equally dismissive with Micheletti and even perturbed, don’t kid yourself. Any displeasure that Hillary expressed about Micheletti’s behavior was feigned. His bluster and intractability were key to eating up the clock.
And, then there is Oscar Arias, the moonlighting mediator president, to whose country President Zelaya was dropped like a sack of potatoes. With a sea of lefty presidents in Central America, Costa Rica was the only choice. Plus, Arias is the US’ go-to guy when they want someone to deal with “delicate” negotiations (ask the Nicaraguans about Arias’ Nobel Peace Prize efforts in negotiating the agreement to end the war and you will hear the word “snake”). But, the primary reason to dump Zelaya in Costa Rica (after a stop at US’ Soto Cano airbase) is so that Arias could arrange for intelligence services to bug his room and monitor all of his communications.
And, on and on it goes. So, you see, nothing went wrong — that is for the US and the Michelettis. It was all according to plan. A plan that will deeply affect the heroic people of Honduras for years to come.
I leave you with two excerpts from Barry Grey’s article published on July 2, 2009
“US Seeks Deal between Honduran Coup Leaders and Deposed President”
“There is ample evidence that the Obama administration was deeply involved in plans by Zelaya’s opponents within the Honduran ruling elite—sections of business, the military, the political establishment and the Church—to destabilize or topple his government. The New York Times on Tuesday cited an unnamed US official as saying that US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas Shannon and US Ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens spoke to “military officials and opposition leaders” in the days before the coup. He said, “There was talk of how they might remove the president from office, how he could be arrested, on whose authority they could do that.”
“It appears that the Obama administration was seeking to effect a de facto coup, but without a direct use of the military and under the cover of constitutional legality. That would, it hoped, reverse Washington’s declining influence in Latin America and pave the way for an offensive against Chávez and his left nationalist allies in Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador and other countries aligned with Venezuela in the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas.”
>Pretty quick trip to Tegucigalpa for Craig Kelly, but he knew before hand that there was nothing to facilitate or negotiate. Maybe he’s the bagman.
US diplomat leaves Honduras in political limbo
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ
The Associated Press
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — A senior U.S. diplomat expressed hope Wednesday that the opposing factions in coup-torn Honduras would resolve the crisis before upcoming elections even as he left the country without a deal.
“We’re advancing the dialogue and we think it’s important to continue the conversations,” Craig Kelly, deputy assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, said shortly before leaving the Central American country. “There is still a lot of work to be done along the way … but I believe it is important for both sides to keep talking.”
Kelly, who arrived Tuesday, gave no details on his meetings with ousted President Manuel Zelaya and interim leader Roberto Micheletti, who are at oddsover the implementation of a U.S.-brokered pact for resolving the impasse by installing a unity government.
Zelaya, who was ousted in a June 28 coup, declared the accord a failure last week when Micheletti announced the creation of the national unity government even though Zelaya had not proposed any candidates.
A statement issued by Zelaya indicated he had little expectations for a breakthrough before Nov. 29 presidential election despite Kelly’s visit.
Zelaya urged the international community “not to recognize the electoral process under any circumstances and to suspend all technical and financial support.”
The pact, brokered by Kelly and other U.S. diplomats more than a week ago, called on the Honduran Congress to decide whether to restore Zelaya to the presidency. Congressional leaders are waiting for an opinion from prosecutors and the Supreme Court, and have suggested there may be no decision before the election.
The Supreme Court had ordered Zelaya’s arrest before the coup for ignoring a court order to cancel a referendum on changing the constitution. The justices met Wednesday for the first time to debate whether Zelaya should be reinstated. It was unclear when they would decide.
Zelaya accused Micheletti of maneuvering to stay in power by announcing a unity government before Congress had voted on his reinstatement. Micheletti argued he formed the government to meet a deadline imposed by the pact.
Rene Zepeda, a spokesman for Micheletti, said the unity government has not yet been sworn in and Zelaya could still submit a list of 10 candidates.
If Zelaya is not reinstated before the elections, the United States would face a difficult decision over whether to restore diplomatic ties with the newly elected government. Washington has suspended most foreign aid to Honduras and called for Zelaya’s reinstatement, but has also said it wantsto help Honduras gain international support for the elections.
The elections were scheduled before the ouster of Zelaya, whose constitutionally limited single term ends in January.”
>If you are familiar with the “famous,” but annoying Cuban blogger, Yoani Sanchez, you will really enjoy this article over at my good buddy’s blog, Machetera. If you are not familiar with Yoani, you might be confused by the article, but I guarantee you will be amused. Oh yeah, one more thing –Viva Fidel!
Yoani Sanchez: A Few Cards Short of a Full Deck
>Here’s an excerpt from an article by Stephen Lendman. No mainstream media organization gets by unscathed and that includes PBS.
Paid Lying: What Passes for Major Media Journalism
November 11th, 2009 12:01 AM
by Stephen Lendman
Today’s major media journalism is biased, irresponsible, sensationalist reporting that distorts, exaggerates or misstates the truth. It’s misinformation or agitprop disinformation masquerading as fact to boost circulation, readership, viewers, or listeners, and on vital issues lie about or suppress uncomfortable truths to provide unqualified support for state and/or corporate interests – to the detriment of the greater good that’s always sacrificed for profits and imperial aims.
As a result, major media sources produce a daily propaganda diet and what Project Censored calls “junk food news,” and get most people to believe it. In their landmark book, Manufacturing Consent, Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky explained the “propaganda model” that controls the public message by “filter(ing)” disturbing truths, “leaving (behind) only the cleansed residue fit to print” or air.
Today the media is in crisis and a free and open society at risk at a time fiction substitutes for fact, news is carefully controlled, dissent marginalized, and on-air and print journalists support powerful interests as paid liars, or what famed journalist George Seldes (1890 – 1995) called “prostitutes of the press.”
As a result, imperial wars are called liberating ones. Civil liberties are suppressed for our own good. Major topics go unaddressed or are misrepresented. Government and business interests are endorsed wholeheartedly. America is always called “beautiful.” Beneficial social change is considered heresy. The market works best, we’re told, so let it, and patriotism means supporting lawlessness and corporate outlaws by shopping till we drop.
The New York Times – Its Lead Role in Distorting and Suppressing Truth
For many decades, The Times has been the closest thing in America to an official ministry of information and propaganda masquerading as real news, commentary and analysis.
Its unmatched clout once got media critic Norman Solomon to call its front page “the most valuable square inches of media real estate in the USA;” most everywhere, in fact, because its reports are widely circulated and followed globally.
The Paper of Record has a long history of:
— supporting the powerful;
— backing corporate interests;
— endorsing imperial wars;
— supporting CIA efforts to topple elected governments, assassinate independent leaders, prop up friendly dictators, secretly fund and train paramilitary death squads, practice sophisticated forms of torture, and menace democratic freedoms at home and abroad. For decades, in fact, some Times’ foreign correspondents were covert Agency assets. Others today likely are as well as other prominent fourth estate members.”
END OF EXCERPT
11:00AM
HERE ARE A FEW TIME-SENSITIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT HONDURAS-RELATED EVENTS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT WEEK IN THE US. THE FIRST EVENT IS IN WASHINGTON, DC ON THURSDAY, NOV. 12 AND THE SECOND CONSISTS OF MULTIPLE EVENTS IN CALIFORNIA BEGINNING TODAY, NOV. 11
(I’ll be back later in the day with news updates)
WASHINGTON, DC
After the Coup… WHAT’S NEXT FOR HONDURAS? An Eyewitness Speaks Out
WHEN: Thursday, November 12, 7:00 pm
WHERE: La Casa Community Church, 3166 Mt. Pleasant Ave, NW, Washington, DC
(nearest metro: Columbia heights – green line)
In August, antiwar activist Shaun Joseph traveled to Honduras to observe and report on the resistance to the June 28 coup d’etat that overthrew and exiled the elected president,Manuel Zelaya. With a recent deal made between Zelaya and the coup regime, the political situation is explosive, with major implications for international politics. Come hear a first-hand account of the mass popular struggle against the US-backed coup d’etat—and join a collective exploration and analysis of the coup and its implications for the rest of Latin America.
This event is part of a speaking tour organized by the Washington Peace Center, S.O.A. Watch, and the International Socialist Organization. For more information, contactISO_district@yahoo.com or 202 903 6906.
DESPUÉS DEL GOLPE… ¿QUÉ ES PRÓXIMO PARA HONDURAS? Un Testigo Presencial Habla
JUEVES, 12 DE NOVIEMBRE 7:00 PM
IGLESIA COMUNITARIA “La Casa,” 3166 Mt. Pleasant Ave, NW
EL METRO MÁS CERCANO: COLUMBIA HEIGHTS (GREEN LINE)
En agosto, un activista contra la guerra, se llama Shaun Joseph, viajó a Honduras para observar y informar en la resistencia contra el golpe de 28 de junio que derrocó y desterró al presidente elegido, Manuel Zelaya. Con el acuerdo reciente que fue llegado entre Zelaya y los golpistas, la situación política es volátil, y hay implicaciones grandes para la política internacional. Venga para escuchar a un relato de primera mano sobre la lucha popular masiva contra el golpe que fue apoyado implícitamente por los Estado Unidos – y junte a una exploración colectiva y análisis del golpe y sus implicaciones para el resto de Latinoamérica.
Para más información escriba o llame: ISO_district@yahoo.com 202 903 6906
Patrocinado por el Washington Peace Center, el S.O.A. Watch, y la Organización Socialista Internacional
***********************************************************
CALIFORNIA
THIS FRIDAY
EYEWITNESS HONDURAS
Reports From Honduran Resistance Leaders
Tell-a-friend:
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=EjaEkhljS0aR6xUc2AwMQQ..
Friday, November 13, 7:30 pm
ANSWER Office: 137 N. Virgil Ave, #201, LA 90004
Map & Driving Directions
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=nBjuspbWRsXSqQwc9dTtxw..
Public Transportation
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=IKnz7VWVrEZYVJfM0xh5fQ..
(5 min walk from Vermont & Beverly Metro Red Line stop)
Join the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation
for a special public forum and discussion with labor and
community leaders from the movement in Honduras against the military
coup regime. With the “unity government” deal between ousted president
Manuel Zelaya and the coup regime in shambles, hear what’s next for
the movement.
Launching the Southern California Honduran Justice Tour, these
resistance leaders will speak in the U.S. for the first time about the
resistance movement. Hear about the developing situation, the role of
big business in the coup, and the truth about the mass detentions,
assassinations, torture, and government repression. The testimony of
these excellent speakers cannot be missed.
Speakers include:
-Padre Ismael Moreno (Padre Melo): Jesuit priest who heads up Radio
Progreso, which has been a media outlet under constant assault by the
coup regime.
-Iris Munguia: Labor leader and spokeswoman for banana workers across
Latin America. Coordinator of women’s programs in the Banana Workers
Federation.
-Sarah Janeth Aguilar: Leading attorney with Coordination of the
Movement for Dignity and Justice (MADJ). Legal team member of the
ERIC-SJM and member of the Lawyers in Resistance.
-Indyra Aguilar: Representative of the LGBT community in Honduras,
which has suffered a wave of “social cleansing” murders since the
coup.
-Esequias Doblado: Legal advisor for the Committee for the Defense of
Human Rights (CODEH).
$5-10 donation requested. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Plus: Hear about the PSL upcoming Nov. 21 Socialism Conference in LA.
Click here more more info and to register.
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=84em24vYcg0FzQqkHPJINw..
Hosted by the ANSWER Coalition and the PSL in cooperation with the
Coalition for Peace and Democracy in Honduras.
For more info call 213-251-1025 or e-mail answerla@answerla.org.
More Honduras Justice Tour Events
ANSWER encourages everyone to attend the other events on the Honduras
Justice Tour.
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 12noon-5pm
Hampton Room, Scripps College
1030 Columbia Ave., Claremont, CA 91711
Thursday, Nov. 12
Manzanita Hall 130 Cal STate Northridge
1811 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330
Sunday, Nov. 15, 1-4pm
First Unitarian Church: 2936 W. 8th St., LA 90005
Commemoration of the 1989 offensive in El Salvador and to honor the
heroes and martyrs of El Salvador and Honduras. Hosted by the FMLN-LA
and the Coalition for Peace and Democracy in Honduras.
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Smith Campus Center, Room 208
170 E. 6th St., Pomona College
For more info on the tour, call the Coalition for Peace and Democracy
in Honduras at 213-985-3440.
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism
213-251-1025
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=twGBNLNWEe6rEcQNxoIo-A..
answerla@answerla.org
137 N. Virgil Ave., #201
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Get involved in ANSWER’s work today!
Subscribe to this low volume email alert list
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=fj05P578F34NQONqPkTNGA..
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HONDURAS OYE! 
These are questions posed by people who think the US played a somewhat honest, if imperialist, role in this travesty.
The US Honest? Hah. They have never been honest, and never will be honest. They are lying, thieving, scam artists of the lowest order.
The US planned the coup with the Michelettis and continued to collaborate with the coup regime throughout the past four months.
Very true. Of course why did it take so long for everyone to finally see it for what it was?
There never was an intention on the part of the US to reinstate President Zelaya – for god’s sake, they took him out.
Of course they did. These are already known known’s and known unknowns..
Micheletti, all bluster? Outwardly, yes. But, he was playing a prescribed role devoted solely to eating up the clock.
Next week, Next week, Next week. That’s all we have heard since the start. Well Micheletti gets a proposal, well, he must examine it, and as its only 1 fucking page it takes him weeks to respond with a one page reply which basically says NO. Then Arias says Oh come on Micheletti. Arias then replies how about this proposal; which Micheletti then takes another two weeks to respond to, and his response was? NO. Then there are several weeks where the parties in question are not talking. Then another round of proposals comes forth, with Micheletti saying he needs another two weeks to study another one page proposal. His next answer? NO. Then another few weeks of intense back channel negotiations on the part of the already weak kneed OAS. Finally they send another proposal which Micheletti needs to study again, and because it’s still one fucking page of the same fucking proposal that he denied every other time it takes him two more weeks to study it. His final reply? NO.
Then another round of high level discussions and we finally have an agreement whereby Micheletti says OK, MAYBE. Then after it’s signed, the reply is “We need time to study the proposal because implementation needs to be done within the framework of the LAW!!!,” and oh by the way since we are all in the final weeks of the campaign (which has already been decided on who will win it) we can’t come back and vote on it right now and won’t until AFTER the elections haha.
The issue for me is when was Mel going to finally see the writing on the wall? Was he that frigging dumb to believe that he was NOT being played? I mean it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that he was almost persona non grata at the US state department. But, he continued to believe that the good old screwball USA with its puppet of the right wing in Obama would BACK him up, which they never intended to do. Which shows me that Mel either had a strategy or he was just another sucker born every minute. Wake the fuck up Mel, you have been – and always were being PLAYED. Kick their asses out next time they want a meeting, then get your ass OUT of that embassy and take your fight to the hills and mountains and jungles, then come back and make DEMANDS that stick.
And then, there is Hillary and the State Department stream-of consciousness apparatus.
If I see her stupid little name one more time I will VOMIT. She is a BITCH, don’t forget they call her the Iron Maiden, and or Iron Bitch, she didn’t get that title for wearing panties. She wears size 38 men’s briefs and a jockstrap.
Imagine, the top diplomat of the United States keeps a head of state waiting around to get an appointment and requires him to meet her subordinates first.
And Mel can’t see this? I say again, and Mel can’t see this? I say again and Mel can’t see this? Quit being nice Mel, quit being nice Mel, quit being nice Mel. They are using you, and have been using you, and they probably shipped those sonic and bio/chem weapons in on the US taxpayer dime. You think Micheletti just ordered those weapons and the LRAD over the internet at Amazon.com or something? NO Mel, the USA supplied those weapons or the names of the suppliers and sent Micheletti a rush order overnight using FEDEX.
Damnit Mel, can’t you see WTF has been going on? Why keep pandering to them by meeting with them? Kick their sorry asses out next time they come, and if you do let them in take a picture of you pissing on them and post it on Youtube. That will change allot of attitudes right now on how people outside of the embassy are viewing you.
The only way that Hillary could insult President Zelaya so brazenly is if she knew she would never be dealing with him as head of state.
FACT!!!! If the author of this comment and blog can see it why can’t you see it Mel? WHY, WHY, WHY do others see this shit and you don’t? Are you that blinded by a 1000.00 dollar suit?
While Hillary seemed equally dismissive with Micheletti and even perturbed, don’t kid yourself.
I can see the phone call now.
Hillary: “Ok Roberto, look, I will say we are still wanting an agreement, and you come out and say NO. I will then call you a bastardo, and you call me a bitch, no wait, better yet, call Obama a field nigger. That will get them.” You can see how it’s being played..
Ask the Nicaraguans about Arias’ Nobel Peace Prize efforts in negotiating the agreement to end the war and you will hear the word “snake”
In other areas of the world you will hear others say Hydra, Punk, Punk Bitch, USA Branded Beefstick, and many more names. Arias, I pity the fool…
But, the primary reason to dump Zelaya in Costa Rica (after a stop at US’ Soto Cano airbase) is so that Arias could arrange for intelligence services to bug his room and monitor all of his communications.
Of course. Not only that they probably supplied his cell phone sim card and listen to every conversation he has on their own networks using deep packet inspection technology and doing community of interest searches on everyone he talks to and they talk to, and they talk to, and they talk to, and so on, and so on, until they are bugging/monitoring the living shit out of everyone he ever thought he could call.
And, on and on it goes. So, you see, nothing went wrong — that is for the US and the Michelettis. It was all according to plan. A plan that will deeply affect the heroic people of Honduras for years to come.
True – and also False at the end. Because when people finally wake the fuck up and see it was all a lie, and all those innocent people died for that lie, well, you ain’t seen nothing yet, and you can take that to the proverbial BANK and Cash it.
The resistance will NOT FORGET!!!
Good post and great comment, finally someone stood the hell up and said it.
(Re-posted because the reply I saw in preview mode looked bad.)
When the coup happened many of my Honduran colleagues insisted that the US was behind the coup. I tended to disagree. As things have progressed (“de-gressed”) I have become somewhat less skeptical. I do think there are too many indications that some in the US government were less than sympathetic to Zelaya and rejoiced at the coup, though they couldn’t say so publicly. But it also became increasingly difficult to excuse the failure of the US to say anything substantial about the human rights violations and the tolerance toward the statements of the US representative to the OAS. And the recent actions of Shannon really bother me since they are concerned more with the US image than about the poor of Honduras or the restoration of constitutional order here.
I still am not convinced that the US government was an active agent in the coup. But US government and nongovernmental groups did provide support to the groups that prepared the way for the coup.