For a few minutes the quiet of the streets of Santa Rosa was broken by the shouts of people marching in support of the ousted president, Mel Zelaya. There were over 200 on foot followed by at least twenty cars with at least 100 people. They had blocked the highway near Santa Rosa since early this morning, joining with roadblocks in other parts of Honduras of people against the coup.
The mainstream press, mostly owned by the economic elite, largely downplayed these protests and claimed that they were controlled and guided by Venezuelans and Nicaraguans. However the well attended rallies in support of the coup in San Pedro Sula and the capital city of Tegucigalpa were well covered here.
There are continuing reports of arrests of opposition leaders. From a report I got from a US friend with contacts in the capital, there are warrants out for the arrest of many people including two Protestant pastors who are the leaders of the Movimiento Popular Cristiano (Popular Christian Movement).
The international pressure is building. The Central American countries are withdrawing their ambassadors from Honduras as did several other Latin American nations. Most troubling is the decision of the World Bank to freeze its aid to the government. This means that at least 16 projects are affected, possibly including a program for maternal and infant health that I know of.
President Mel Zelaya spoke at the United Nations and received their support. The UN General Assembly in a voice vote urged that the government be immediately and unconditionally restored and that Zelaya be allowed to conclude his term of office.
Zelaya has stated that he will return to Honduras on Thursday, possibly accompanied by the president of Argentina and the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, which has also opposed the coup. Micheletti’s Attorney General has said that he will be arrested on his return and a member of the Supreme Court has issued an arrest warrant. It should be a tense day.
Opposition groups have called for a general strike tomorrow. We will see how this all plays out.
The Catholic Church has been a little slow on a public response, though Micheletti keeps thanking the Catholic and Evangelical Churches for supporting him. I am not sure that is exactly true, because the situation is very complicated.
What the local Catholic Church has been saying is that the people should be consulted, there should be political participation. The local bishop is meeting with advisers today and with all the priests tomorrow in a previously scheduled meeting of all the priests in the diocese. This morning on the diocesan radio the bishop warned about letting the church be used by any group.
The church's concern before last Sunday has been about the legality of the proposal of President Zelaya. But there is also great skepticism among many people about the willingness of Micheletti and the present congress to allow even legal referendums and polls.
I am safe and I feel safe. The US government has called US citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Honduras. On Monday they urged people to stay close to their houses or hotels and avoid unnecessary travel. Needless to say, I did what I normally do. Today I went to Caritas, then to the lunch program for kids, then back to Caritas in the afternoon.
What troubles me most now is the increase of rhetoric in an extremely polarized society. The specter of Communism is even being raised. I thought we had gone past that. However, here in Central America this is serious; in the 1970s and 1980s many who worked with the poor – especially the Church – were labeled “Communist”. I know we are not at that stage, but the rhetoric, especially from the supporters of the coup is troubling. This is not to ignore the rambling tirades of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, but rhetoric of this type, no matter which group uses is, just adds fuel to the fire.
Some other US citizens I know here are afraid of an invasion by Venezuela. One of them asked me what I’d do if there was an invasion or war. “I’ll stay here with the people.” That’s why I am here. It is not a question of courage; it’s a question of calling.
Yet I don’t see this as a real possibility, despite the ravings of Chávez, because there is so much international diplomatic and economic pressure on the Micheletti regime. I only pray that this can be worked out with equity and justice and without much bloodshed.
Pray for us.
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2 comments:
I'm becoming a fan of your blog. I'm an American as well, and have traveled to Honduras on several different occasions. It's a beautiful country but unfortunately, corruption impedes it from it's true potential. Have you heard that Micheleti is now promising riches to the rural areas? Dirty politics at its finest if you ask me. I do remember last year he was running, for I was there, and then I thought his campaign was questionable. The rural areas support President Zelaya, from my understanding he helps those in need. Which is great. The rich have way too much power and money. I also heard his speech on CNN en Espanol, and to me he seems very progressive. I especially appreciated his openness, and he also very bluntly denounced the corruption of Honduras. Hopefully this situation will get better. God Bless!
With best wishes for your safety and the safety of the Honduran people. I thought you might find the following statement hopeful:
"The United States, which provides millions of dollars in aid to Honduras, is the only country in the region that has not withdrawn its ambassador from Honduras. France, Spain and Italy have also recalled their ambassadors.
“'There is a lot of concern about hurting the people of Honduras any more than they have already been hurt,' said a senior administration official, referring to American reluctance to use sanctions. 'There’s enough trouble and poverty in Honduras already.'"
Compromise Is Sought to Standoff in Honduras
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