Vol. 73/No. 28      July 27, 2009

The crisis in Honduras erupted when Zelaya moved to hold a referendum on whether to change the constitution to allow the reelection of future presidents, despite opposition by the majority of the two dominant capitalist parties, including his own, the Liberals.

Since his election in 2005 Zelaya, a timber and cattle magnate, largely pursued Liberal Party policies, from hiring more police to the “war against crime” to raising the minimum wage to just below the poverty line. He antagonized others in the ruling class, however, by associating himself with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez.

The Honduran government joined a Venezuelan-led trade alliance based largely on buying discounted Venezuelan oil. Zelaya issued tirades against “the elite” and called the plebiscite—modeled on a referendum in Venezuela—but without the mobilized mass base the Chávez government has leaned on to carry out its policies.

Since his ouster supporters and opponents of restoring Zelaya have held almost daily demonstrations. The new government initially decreed an 11:00 p.m.-4:30 a.m. curfew and shut down pro-Zelaya radio stations.  
 
Washington’s role
While Zelaya was in office the U.S. government, despite its displeasure with his close ties to Caracas, maintained normal relations with his administration. State Department officials have acknowledged that, as a showdown approached, Washington held discussions with the Honduran military and other officials to try to maintain a stable government and keep U.S. imperialist interests intact. Zelaya was ousted June 28.

On July 9 Micheletti and Zelaya met separately with Arias in San José, Costa Rica’s capital.

Zelaya says he is “willing to accept a compromise that would return him to office with significantly limited powers,” the New York Times reported July 13.

Micheletti insists Zelaya cannot return to office, but has suggested an amnesty for the ousted president, whom he previously threatened with prosecution.

The U.S. government has cut $16.5 million in military aid to Tegucigalpa and has threatened to cut $180 million in economic aid. Several hundred U.S. troops remain stationed at the Soto Cano air base.

On July 12 the Micheletti regime lifted an evening curfew. Pro-Zelaya radio stations have resumed coverage, although they still report some government interference.

Micheletti’s backers filled the capital’s baseball stadium July 11 in a massive “prayer for peace” backed by the Catholic Church hierarchy and evangelical groups, according to Agence France-Presse.

Zelaya supporters renewed their blockades of roads and bridges. They marched to the airport to protest the fatal shooting there of a youth by soldiers July 5.

A strike by the teachers union demanding Zelaya’s reinstatement weakened July 13 with the return to work by 38,000 teachers. Another 20,000 teachers remain off the job.  
 
Cuba withdraws volunteer teachers
The Cuban government announced July 9 it was withdrawing its 143 volunteer literacy teachers from Honduras because of false accusations by government officials that encouraged violence against them.

The Cuban embassy reported that Enrique Ortez, then Honduran foreign minister, cited military officials claiming the Cuban volunteers were involved in “indoctrination” and in organizing paramilitary groups. A statement by the embassy rejected “these slanders whose only purpose seems to be to encourage hostile and violent actions” against the Cubans. It noted that the teachers were assisting a government literacy program based on a Cuban educational method that has benefited 150,000 Hondurans.

Cuba said its health-care volunteers will remain in Honduras, where they have served in remote rural areas since 1998, when Central America was devastated by Hurricane Mitch. A total of nearly 500 Cuban volunteers, most of them medical, have been working in Honduras.

The Cuban literacy volunteers vowed to return to Honduras as soon as conditions allow, according to Cuban press reports.
 
 
Related articles:
U.S. hands off Honduras!  
 
 
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