Action Alert from IFCO/Pastors for Peace on behalf of the National Resistance Front Against the Coup in Honduras:
Honduras Update 10/22/09: Day 117 of the Coup
“DIALOGUE” IS AT A STALEMATE; REPRESSION CONTINUES; SEND POSTCARDS TO OBAMA!
Since October 7 a misleading process of “dialogue” has taken place in Honduras between the illegal coup forces and representatives of President Zelaya and the Resistance Front. The coup government has tried to use these so-called "negotiations" to delay the return of democracy while continuing to maintain a state of siege. The representatives of the National Resistance Front Against the Coup left the dialogue after it was made clear that the most important issue to the people of Honduras, the restitution of President Zelaya, was not to be discussed. The people’s right to a Constitutional Assembly was also not to be discussed. President Zelaya and the Resistance Front entered the "negotiations" in good faith and have been met with the Micheletti forces’ unwillingness to discuss the most fundamental issues of the coup.
Reactionary forces within the United States such as the International Republican Institute and its chair, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Congresspersons Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), still seek to legitimize the coup government and all its undemocratic measures. In repeated statements during these troubled times for the Honduran people they have called for the US to fully recognize the coup government and its illegimate elections scheduled for November 29th. Through expensive lobbying and well crafted lies they also want to convince the Congress and the US people of the US that “nothing has changed” in Honduras. Their tactics have included congressional delegations to meet with the illegitimate president Roberto Micheletti as well as holding briefings inside the US Capitol building with fraudulent members of the coup government and US businessmen who support the coup. They have even been able to submit two resolutions in Congress (HR 619 & HR 749) whose intention is to formally call the illegal military coup a democratic and constitutional transition of power.
The people of Honduras continue to be in resistance to the brutal and illegal coup regime in Honduras. Thousands of courageous Hondurans are in the streets every day demonstrating for the restoration of democracy, even in the face of massive repression. President Zelaya, along with a group of his supporters, is still in refuge inside the Brazilian Embassy. But the US government still has not taken a clear stand against the coup. President Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize, but has done nothing to condemn the gross miscarriage of justice and constitutional law in Honduras.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
We’ve designed a postcard that you can send to President Obama urging that he condemn the human rights violations in Honduras and place stronger sanctions against the illegitimate coup regime. Lets flood the White House with this urgent message! (Contact IFCO/Pastors for Peace for postcards, reply to this email to let us know how many we can send you to distribute in your community!)
ASK YOUR REP TO SIGN ON TO REP GRIJALVA'S LETTER ABOUT HONDURAS!
Rep Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus, has taken leadership on this issue by writing several strong letters to President Obama. His current letter urges the Obama administration to "clearly and unequivocally reject and denounce the repression by this illegitimate regime," to state that the elections planned for November "cannot and will not be considered free and fair by our government," and to "step up its efforts to bring about a prompt restoration of democracy in Honduras."
Ask your representative in the House to sign on to Rep Grijalva's letter — and let him/her know that we OPPOSE the coup in Honduras, and that the US must be on the side of democracy and constitutional process in Honduras — not on the side of the thugs and murderers perpetrating this illegal coup.
CALL CONGRESS! CALL THE WHITE HOUSE! CALL THE STATE DEPARTMENT! Demand that they stop the violence and bring about an end to the coup!
Congressional switchboard: 202/225-3121
President Barack Obama 202/456-1111 www.whitehouse.gov
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: 202/647-9572 secretary@state.gov
