The situation in Honduras remains extremely tense following the June 28 military coup by graduates of the School of the Americas. For the last six days, SOA Watch has been in constant communication with pro-democracy organizers in Honduras. We are pressuring the State Department and the White House with street protests and an online letter campaign to ensure the unconditional reinstatement of President Zeleya. However, the calls form our partners in Honduras have made it clear to us that we need to go a step further. SOA Watch has decided to join the Honduran social movements on the ground. A small SOA Watch delegation is going to meet with members of the National Resistance Committee and other pro-democracy organizers tomorrow and will join them in the streets. SOA Watch's Latin America Coordinator Lisa Sullivan and former SOA Watch Prisoner of Conscience Father Joe Mulligan are currently on their way to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The resistance to the military coup that is taking place right now in Honduras is a Honduran struggle and a struggle of the Americas, at the same time. The outcome will affect all of us for years to come. International accompaniment can have a big impact and save lives. Please click here to make a donation to SOA Watch to support the important work.
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President Zelaya's Return
President Zelaya vowed to return to Honduras tomorrow (Sunday, July 5). The coup plotters have threatened that the military will arrest him if he comes back to Honduras. The presidents Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina and Rafael Correa of Ecuador have said that he will accompany Zelaya. The hours are numbered for the dictatorship due to the immense domestic and international pressure. The resistance in Honduras is strong despite the repression. The Organization of American States (OAS) issued a 72 hour ultimatum which warned the coup leaders to restore Zelaya to power by today. The ultimatum was met with defiance. Social movement activists in Honduras are preparing for the return of the rightful president and have requested that international solidarity activists come to Honduras to accompany them in their struggle for democracy.
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No to the Military Coup in Honduras
On June 28, a military coup took place in Honduras. Soldiers stormed the residence of democratically elected President Zelaya and flew him out of the country. The coup was led by School of the Americas graduates General Romeo Velasquez, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Luis Javier Prince Suazo, commander of the Air Force. Watch CNN footage of the protests
Update from the Military Coup in Honduras, Friday morning, July 3, 2009:
Noticias urgentes:
1. The signal for Radio Globo has been cut. This is the only radio station that has informed about the COUP, as such
2. Forced recruiting of young men from rural areas by the SOA-led Honduran military has continued
3. Detentions in other cities of people attempting to enter Tegucigalpa to participate in marches
4. Some cable companies are not allowing the airing of TELESUR and other international news, including CNN
6. March against the COUP in Tegucigalpa at this moment
Take Action: Click here to send a message about the military coup to the State Department
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