Events In Honduras

[Magda Hassan]

Surveillance Camera Footage of Honduras Coup Invasion of Channel 36

Posted by Al Giordano - October 8, 2009 at 11:33 am By Al Giordano
The coup that can't shoot straight has done it again, as journalist Belén Fernández reports today on Narco News: when military and police troops invaded the studios of Channel 36 on September 28, stealing its transmitters, antennas and other equipment, they forgot to remove the surveillance cameras.
Here, for the first time, you can see for yourself what really happened:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq_9jtRxN...r_embedded


In that first video, National Police enter through the television network's underground parking lot and then up the stairs at 5:20 a.m. when the station is empty. They bring in men wearing masks and bulletproof vests stamped "Policia Nacional" to disconnect the TV station's broadcasting equipment, who then start removing it, piece by piece, from the premises. The police also bring their own videographer, so the regime presumably has its own archive of what exact equipment it stole!
And there's more in the second surveillance camera video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMFyNaHCl...r_embedded


Here, the masked men of the coup regime rifle through the equipment in another studio from the same Channel 36. At points you can see the National Police video cameraman in view of the surveillance camera. And then you can see them carrying it all down the stairs and out the door, an hour and 40 minutes later, at 6:58 a.m.
There's your Honduran "civilian coup" regime's version of "democracy" and "freedom" at work.
It should be added that this kind of jackbooted censorship is endorsed and defended by the US public relations firm of "Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter & Associates on behalf of the Office of the President of the Republic of Honduras," and Washington DC lobbyist Lanny Davis, enemies of press freedom, all. So next time any of those goons in suits and ties try to spin a story angle on you, kind journalists, remember to ask them about the invasion and censorship of Channel 36, in which they, too, are complicit.

[Magda Hassan]

Came via email. I haven't been able to confirm this and radio Globo is off line and un-contactable via phone.

Radio Globo reports: Snipers fire on Zelaya
Mercenaries and paramilitaries arrive in Honduras
Urgent - Take Action Now!


Call Now - demand and end to the attacks on Zelaya and a
restoration of civil liberties.
Honduras Desk, U.S. State Department 202-647-3482
State Department Main Switchboard 202-647-4000
White House 202-456-1111
OAS Washington Office 202-458-3000
The situation is grave in Tegucigalpa. According to a message from
the organization, Pastors for Peace, Radio Globo from Honduras is
reporting that snipers are shooting into the Brazilian Embassy
where President Zelaya and hundreds of supporters have taken
refuge. There is no word yet on injuries.

Also, according to an Oct. 9 AP report, paramilitaries from
Colombia are arriving in Honduras now. Many of these
paramilitaries were trained in torture and repression at the
infamous School of the Americas in the U.S.

Support the people of Honduras in their heroic struggle against the
brutal coup regime! Thousands of courageous working people are
taking to the streets, in spite of the growing brutality of the
criminal right wing forces, who are armed and trained by the U.S.

The following is a report from the delegation of U.S. activists in
Honduras, who will be holding a news conference today, October 9,
at 5pm EST at the offices of the Bottlers? Union, a center in
Tegucigalpa of the National Front for Resistance Against the Coup:
In the last 24 hours, the situation in Honduras has reached a
profound level of urgency. The illegal, de facto Micheletti regime
is clearly reaching a point of desperation?and there is a serious
danger in this, as the rightwing can and will do anything when they
are desperate.

Last night, we received word that at the Brazilian embassy,
where President Manuel Zelaya has been seeking refuge, two
scaffolds had been erected and two snipers placed on them?one from
the Honduran police and one from the Honduran army. Heavy military
activity was also occurring on the ground around the embassy, with
military convoys placed at strategic places all around the windows
and doors of the embassy. The fear is that an assassination attempt
on Zelaya?s life may be carried out soon.

Another alarming report relayed to us today from Honduran human
rights leaders is of the presence of 120 paramilitaries?experts in
killing?from other Latin American countries in Honduras. Many of
these paramilitaries have been trained at the School of the
Americas based in Georgia.

Today while we were in a meeting, the human rights leader we
were meeting with received a phone call that police at the
pedagogical university had given protesters there 10 minutes to
disperse or face dire consequences. Military convoys had been
brought in to surround the protesters.

As this email is being written, members of the U.S. Delegation
in Solidarity with the Honduras Resistance are at the U.S. embassy,
attempting to meet with representatives there to alert them of the
situation and demand the discontinuation of U.S. aid to the de
facto regime, a freeze on the assets of the golpista government
members, and the abandonment of any electoral process that doesn?t
first involve the restitution of President Zelaya, as is the will
of the Honduran people.

The delegation also reports that despite the coup government's
announcement that it had lifted the ban on civil liberties, the
country still remains under martial law. The coup government is
telling the world that it has lifted martial law, but they haven't
told anyone in the police or military, from the top commanders to
the troops in the streets. There is still a massive armed
presence, and protesters and dissidents are still being brutally
attacked and arrested.

That's why it is so important for us to support the Delegation in
Solidarity with the Honduran Resistance. The corporate media is
echoing the coup government's press releases claiming that martial
law has been lifted and civil liberties restored, and ignoring the
fact that repression is intensifying. We need you to help get the
word out.

What you can do now:

Call - Honduras Desk, U.S. State Department 202-647-3482
State Department Main Switchboard 202-647-4000
White House 202-456-1111
OAS Washington Office 202-458-3000

Demand an end to the attacks on Zelaya and Honduran
activists. Demand a restoration of civil liberties in Honduras.


Sign the Petition - Demand safe passage for the U.S. delegation -
http://www.iacenter.org/honduras/hondura...ion100609/


Make an emergency donation to help with the expenses of the
delegation and to help us spread the word - http://www.iacenter.org/
donate/

[Magda Hassan]

El régimen de facto, encabezado por Roberto Micheletti, prometió que no invadiría la Embajada de Brasil en Tegucigalpa, sin embargo, frente a la legación diplomática, la dictadura ha plantado un dispositivo de hombres especialistas en asaltos y operaciones nocturnas.

The de facto regime, headed by Roberto Micheletti, promised not to invade the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, however, against the embassy, the dictatorship has planted a device specialists men in assaults and night operations.

La cúpula castrense, el eje de la dictadura, mantiene perennemente un contingente integrado por francotiradores, soldados expertos en asalto, paracaidismo, inteligencia militar y Tropas Especiales de Selva y Operaciones Nocturnas, conocidas como “Teson”, el comando élite de las Fuerzas Armadas.

The military leadership, the axis of the dictatorship remains a contingent composed perennially snipers, soldiers assault experts, parachuting, military intelligence and Special Forces Jungle and night operations, known as "Teson," the command of the military elite.

Esos militares (integran el primer anillo del dispositivo) reciben órdenes directas de la alta jerarquía castrense y dirigen las operaciones en la calle de la Embajada.

These service members (comprising the first ring of the device) receive direct orders from senior military and direct operations in the street of the Embassy.

A diferencia de los soldados de rangos inferiores (están en los anillos secundarios) que utilizan M-16, estos portan fusiles de asalto Galil (de fabricación israelí), la versión moderna de los soviéticos AK-47, y pistolas automáticas (Petro Beretta o CZ), yatagán y pasamontañas.

Unlike the lower-ranking soldiers (they are in the side rings) using M-16, these carry Galil assault rifles (made in Israel), the modern version of the Soviet AK-47s, and pistols (Petro Beretta or CZ), yataghan and balaclavas.

Un par de ellos solamente viste el uniforme verde digitalizado, sin los apellidos (en la parte superior de las solapas de las bolsas) y las insignias para no revelar su identidad.

A couple of them only wearing the green uniform scanned without names (at the top of the flaps of the bags) and the badges for anonymity.

Estos esconden la cara detrás de un pasamontañas, pero la panza prominente delata su edad.

They hide their face behind a balaclava, but the protruding paunch betrays his age.

En el contingente hay francotiradores, adiestrados en el Segundo Batallón Táctico, que utilizan fusiles con mirada infrarroja empleados misiones nocturnas.

In the contingent there are snipers, trained in the Second Battalion Tactical, using rifles with infrared eyes night missions employees.

Ellos ya han apuntado en varias ocasiones hacia el interior de la Embajada, por ejemplo, en la noche del jueves pasado, según informes de periodistas que han estado adentro.

They have pointed repeatedly to the interior of the Embassy, for example, last Thursday night, according to reports from journalists who have been inside.

Los hombres de uniforme verde camuflado (comprado en la administración de Zelaya Rosales) son apoyados por efectivos de la Policía Preventiva, agentes de la Dirección Nacional de Investigación Criminal (DNIC) y Dirección de Servicios Especiales de Investigación (DSEI).

The men in green camouflage uniform (purchased in the administration of Zelaya Rosales) are supported by members of the Preventive Police, officers from the National Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DNIC) and Directorate of Special Investigation Services (DSEI).

Estos son los encargados de registrar exhaustivamente a los civiles que entran o salen de la legación y los automóviles que llegan a esa zona.

These are fully responsible for registering civilians who enter or leave the embassy and cars arriving in the area.

Les toman fotografías y los filman.

They are photographed and filmed.

Los registros que les practican a las personas son extremos.

The records that people practice them are extreme.

A los periodistas hasta les leen las libretas.

Journalists until they read the books.

Para el caso, este viernes, un agente de la DNIC le leyó las notas a la reportera de Telesur, María José Díaz, en el momento que dejaba la Embajada junto con otros colegas.

For that matter, on Friday, an official of DNIC you read the notes to Telesur reporter, Maria Jose Diaz, when he left the embassy along with other colleagues.

Desde el pasado 21 de septiembre, cuando el presidente constitucional, Manuel Zelaya Rosales, anunció que se encontraba en la Embajada de Brasil, el régimen desplegó un dispositivo de asedio compuesto por unos 2.000 hombres dispersos en varios anillos.

Since last Sept. 21, when the constitutional president, Manuel Zelaya Rosales, announced that he was in the Brazilian embassy, the regime deployed a siege device consisting of some 2,000 men scattered in several rings.

El pasado miércoles, cuando la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA) montó la mesa del diálogo para encontrar una salida a la crisis, el secretario general, José Miguel Insulza, exhortó al gobierno de facto a suspender el asedio.

Last Wednesday, when the Organization of American States (OAS) set up the table of dialogue to find a solution to the crisis, the Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, called the de facto government to stop the siege.

Contrario a lo que se esperaba, el régimen golpista instaló la noche del jueves un andamio hidráulico frente a la sede diplomática.

Contrary to expectations, the coup regime installed Thursday night hydraulic scaffolding in front of the embassy.

Desde ahí, con binoculares, policías y soldados observan los movimientos de los acompañantes de Zelaya Rosales.

From there, binoculars, police and soldiers observe the movements of the companions of Zelaya Rosales.

Esta semana, los golpistas incorporaron al equipo tecnológico el andamio hidráulico porque, según ellos, dentro de la Embajada de Brasil hay extranjeros armados.

This week, the insurgents entered the technological equipment hydraulic scaffold because according to them, within the Brazilian Embassy is armed foreigners.

Días antes, el 22 de septiembre, los golpistas estrenaron el Dispositivo Acústico de Largo Alcance (Long Range Acoustic Device, LRAD), conocido como “cañón sónico”.

Days earlier, on September 22, putschists premiered the Long Range Acoustic Device (Long Range Acoustic Device, LRAD), known as "sonic cannon".

Lo colocaron frente a la Embajada y lo emplearon para causarle daños al sistema auditivo de los ciudadanos que se encuentran en el interior.

He was placed outside the Embassy and used it to cause damage to the auditory system of citizens who are inside.

El pasado 27 de septiembre, el canciller de facto, Carlos López Contreras, anunció que su gobierno había dispuesto cancelarle el estatus diplomático a la Embajada al término de diez días, es decir, el 7 de octubre.

On 27 September, the de facto Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez Contreras, said his government was ready to cancel the Embassy diplomatic status after ten days, ie on 7 October.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl...pot.com%2F

Informe del Servicio de Noticias de la ONU

News Service report of the UN

El Grupo de Trabajo de las Naciones Unidas sobre la utilización de mercenarios, expresó hoy gran preocupación por la presencia de ex paramilitares de Colombia en Honduras, contratados para proteger propiedades e individuos de la violencia en el país.

The Working Group of the United Nations on the use of mercenaries today expressed grave concern over the presence of ex-paramilitaries in Colombia to Honduras, hired to protect property and individuals from violence in the country.

En un comunicado los expertos señalaron que la prensa ha informado que unos 40 ex integrantes de las Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) han sido reclutados por terratenientes hondureños.Ante esta situación, instaron a las autoridades hondureñas a tomar todas las medidas prácticas para prevenir la utilización de mercenarios en su territorio ya investigar a fondo las denuncias sobre su presencia y actividades.El Grupo de Trabajo recordó que Honduras es parte de la Convención Internacional contra el Reclutamiento, la Utilización, la Financiación y el Entrenamiento de Mercenarios, instrumento jurídico que prohíbe dichas actividades.

In a statement, experts noted that the press has reported that about 40 former members of the United Self-Defense of Colombia (AUC) have been recruited by landowners hondureños.Ante this situation, they urged the Honduran authorities to take all practical steps to prevent use of mercenaries in their territory and to investigate thoroughly allegations of their presence and activities.The Working Group recalled that Honduras is part of the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, legal instrument prohibiting such activities.

Foto publicada por Red Voltaire/cortesía de Warnews italia.

Photo published by Red Voltaire / Warnews courtesy of italy.

DR

DR
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl...ia-de.html

[Magda Hassan]

Honduras leader's nephew killed




Enzo Micheletti's body was found in woodland

The nephew of the interim President of Honduras Roberto Micheletti has been found dead in what the police are calling an execution style killing.
Enzo Micheletti's body was discovered on Sunday in woodland near Choloma, 250 km north of the capital, Tegucigalpa.
Police say his hands were tied behind his back and his body was riddled with bullets
There is no indication that his death is connected to the coup that brought his uncle to power at the end of June.
The 24-year-old's body was discovered on Sunday two days after he had been reported missing.
The body of another unidentified man was found nearby.
Roberto Micheletti came to power in June

Roberto Micheletti came to power after a coup at the end of June when armed soldiers forced President Manuel Zelaya out of the country at gunpoint.
It is not thought that the interim leader's nephew was involved in politics, but Honduras has the highest murder rate in Central America - much of it drug related.
Last year more than 7,000 people were killed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8327196.stm

[Magda Hassan]

I'm not sure about this. It seems there is some sort of negotiated (by the State department) peace between the legitimate president Zelaya forces and the dictator Micheletti forces in Honduras. It requires the restoration of Zelaya. But it also requires the approval of the High Court. I don't know that it really does but I think that is Micheletti's get out of jail free card. Of course there will be no accounting for the gross human rights abuses that have occurred under the dictatorship. It seems likely to be a fig leaf for the already rigged upcoming elections in November otherwise the US could not possible recognise the elections if not all of the players are allowed to play. If Zelaya can still get the opinion poll to take place it will be good but this is unclear. All in all a not very satisfactory situation although it seems people there are trying to making the best of it. In the mean time repression continues unchanged.
Reports of a Deal in Honduras Are Premature

Posted by Al Giordano - October 30, 2009 at 9:58 am By Al Giordano
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefiel...-premature


US officials and commercial media organizations are popping champagne corks prematurely over a reported US-brokered “deal” to return Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to (limited) power, but the two sides that reportedly signed the agreement already disagree over what exactly it says.
Reuters reports that coup “president” Micheletti has agreed to step down:

”I have authorized my negotiating team to sign a deal that marks the beginning of the end of the country’s political situation,” Micheletti told reporters on Thursday night.
He said Zelaya could return to office after a vote in Congress that would be authorized by the country’s Supreme Court. The deal would also require both sides to recognize the result of a Nov. 29 presidential election and would transfer control of the army to the top electoral court.
If approved by Congress, Zelaya would be able to finish out his presidential term, which ends in January. It was not clear what would happen to other elements o f the agreement if Congress votes against Zelaya’s restoration.

(Bold type mine, for emphasis.)
But Micheletti’s claim that a Congressional vote to restore Zelaya would require Supreme Court authorization is a flat out lie, according to a source with Zelaya inside his Brazilian Embassy refuge in Tegucigalpa: “That is what the golpistas have put out, but that is NOT the accord… The Supreme Court gives its non-binding opinion to the Congress, but the key is that all of this takes time, time that the golpistas want to keep taking.”
While there is some healthy distrust already over whether Congress will gin up on its end and really vote to restore Zelaya, that probably will be easier to accomplish than many believe. Two words: Pepe Lobo. The National Party candidate for President, Lobo is leading in the polls. He obviously wants very much for the November 29 “elections” to become internationally recognized elections. His party holds 55 of 128 seats in Honduras’ unicameral legislature, just ten short of a majority. There are at least 22 Liberal Party members that have publicly indicated they want Zelaya back as president, plus 11 minor party legislators most of whom are likely to go along with such a deal. Faced with such a patchwork majority, look for most of the 62 Liberal Party members in Congress to fold and go with the flow. The Congressional vote is not likely to prove a stumbling block to implementing this agreement.
The real problem could be the authoritarian Supreme Court. Micheletti’s invention of a non-existent clause in the agreement, one that requires the court’s approval of it, points to where the stalling tactic will come from. This is the same Supreme Court that carried out the coup d’etat on June 28 and has micro-managed the regime’s affairs all summer and fall on a level that would not be appropriate or legal in most countries. Because Honduras’ 1982 Constitution is such a self-conflicted document with many articles that contradict each other, the court has been cherry-picking which laws to discard and which to interpret, often badly.
What the summer of 2009 in Honduras has demonstrated is that democracies need not only worry about excesses of executive branch power. In this case, it is the judicial branch that proved the primary and most dangerous usurper of democracy.
If Micheletti keeps insisting that this so-called “agreement” requires Supreme Court ratification, look for this game to go into extra innings before any resolution can happen.
On the other hand, if Secretary Clinton and her team of negotiation babysitters got their ducks and supreme court members in line ahead of time – reflecting a level of attention to detail that they haven’t displayed all summer long – then, yes, this deal would be likely to succeed.
The devil will be in the details, and their implementation. Until it’s clear that the Supreme Court or Congress won’t stand in the way, there is no deal.
And I’ll repeat: The problem won’t likely come from Congress, but, rather, a continuance of the real problem all along: the despotic, arbitrary and anti-democracy tendencies of the Honduras Supreme Court.
Update: Pepe Lobo weighs in, exactly as we predicted he would:

"We are willing to be cooperative in Congress with the agreement of the negotiators," Porfirio Lobo, a National Party lawmaker who is favored to win the Nov. 29 presidential elections, said Friday. "The best decision for Honduras will be taken."

(And it's worth noting, once again, how embarrassingly clumsy and wrongheaded the La La Land prognostications are from a certain golpista corner of the Ugly American diaspora of the expat community in Honduras. Last night, the anonymous blogger who calls herself La Gringa told her gullible readers: "presidential candidate Pepe Lobo is asking the Nacionalistas to abstain." The sheer stupidity and inability to deduce what is in Lobo's best interests is staggering, but also typical.)
Update II: Statement from the National Resistance Front Against the Coup d'Etat:

1. We celebrate the coming restitution of President Manuel Zelaya Rosales as a popular victory over the cruel interests of the golpista oligarchy. This victory has been won through more than four months of struggle and sacrifice by the people, that in spite of the savage repression unleashed by the repressive corps of the state in the hands of the dominant class has known how to resist and grow in conscience and organization becoming an uncontainable social force.
2. The Dictatorship's signature on the document that establishes "the return of the executive branch to its status prior to June 28" represents explicit acceptance of what in Honduras had been a coup d'etat that must be removed to return to institutional order and guarantee a democratic environment in which the people can make use of its right to transform society.
3. We demand that the agreements that are signed at the negotiating table be ratified expeditiously by the National Congress. In that sense, we alert all our compañeros and compañeras nationwide to join in the pressure actions so that the document is complied with immediatley.
4. We reiterate that the National Constituent Assembly is an absolute aspiration of the Honduran people and a nonnegotiable right for which we will continue struggling in the streets, until achieving the refoundation of society to exist in justice, equality and true democracy.
"AFTER 125 DAYS OF STRUGGLE NOBODY GIVES UP"
Tegucigalpa, M.D.C. 30 de octubre de 2009

(Translated by Narco News.)

By email:
Honduran National Front of Resistance to the Coup celebrates
restoration of Zelaya!
Vows continued struggle for a just society!

Comuniqu? No. 32

The National Front of Resistance to the Coup d'Et?t, facing the
imminent signing of a negotiated agreement between the commission
representing the legitimate President Manuel Zelaya Rosales and the
representatives of the de facto regime, communicates the following to
the Honduran people and the international community:

1. We celebrate the upcoming restoration of President Manuel Zelaya
Rosales as a popular victory over the narrow interests of the coup
oligarchy. This victory has been obtained through four months of
struggle and sacrifice by the people who, in spite of the savage
repression unleashed by the repressive forces of the state in the
hands of the dominant class, have been able to resist and grow in
their levels of consciousness and organization and turn themselves
into an irrepressible social force.

2. The signing on the part of the dictatorship of the document which
mandates "returning the holder of executive power to its pre June 28
state," represents the explicit acceptance that in Honduras there was
a coup d'?tat that should be dismantled in order to return to
institutional order and guarantee a democratic framework in which the
people can exercise their right to transform society.

3. We demand that the accords signed at the negotiating table be
processed in an expedited fashion by the National Congress. We alert
all our comrades at the national level so that they can join the
actions to pressure for the immediate compliance with the contents of
the final document from the negotiating table.

4. We reiterate that a National Constituent Assembly is an
unrenounceable aspiration of the Honduran people and a non-negotiable
right for which we will continue struggling in the streets, until we
achieve the re-founding of our society to convert it into one that is
just, egalitarian and truly democratic.

"At 125 days of struggle, nobody here surrenders!"
Tegucigalpa, M.D.C. October 30, 2009

Translation by the Nicaragua Network

[Magda Hassan]

Preamble
We, Honduran citizens, men and women, convinced of the need to strengthen the rule of law, protect our Constitution and the laws of our Republic, deepen democracy and ensure a climate of peace and tranquility for our people, have carried out an intense and frank process of political dialogue to seek a peaceful and negotiated solution to the crisis in which our country has been submerged in recent months.
As the result of this dialogue, in which the common sense, tolerance and patriotic spirit of all participants have prevailed, we have drawn up a political Accord that will allow civic coexistence to be reestablished and ensure a suitable climate for democratic governability in our country. This Accord, we are certain, will mark the road toward the peace, reconciliation and democracy Honduran society urgently requires.
The acceptance of this Accord demonstrates, yet again, that Hondurans are capable of successfully conducting a dialogue and, through it and by it, achieving the high goals set by our society and demanded by our country.
Pursuant to the preceding, we have agreed to the following accords.
1. Regarding the National Unity and Reconciliation Government To achieve reconciliation and strengthen democracy, we will form a National Unity and Reconciliation Government composed of representatives from various political parties and social organizations, recognized for their capacity, integrity, competence and willingness to dialogue, who will fill the different Secretariats, Sub-secretariats and other agencies of the State, in conformance with Article 246 and succeeding articles of the Constitution of the Republic of Honduras.
In view of the fact that, prior to June 28, the Executive Branch had not sent the National Congress a draft of the General Budget for Revenue and Disbursement, as established in Article 205, Subsection 32 of the Constitution of the Republic of Honduras, this National Unity and Reconciliation Government will respect the General Budget recently approved by the National Congress for fiscal year 2009 and will operate on its basis.
2. Regarding Renunciation of a Call for a National Constituent Assembly and Amending the Unamendable Articles of the Constitution To achieve reconciliation and strengthen democracy, we reiterate our respect for the Constitution and the laws of our country, abstaining from calls for a National Constituent Assembly, either directly or indirectly, and also renouncing the promotion or support of any public consultation for the purpose of reforming the Constitution to permit presidential reelection, modify the form of Government or contravene any of the unamendable articles in our Founding Charter [constitution].
In particular, we will not make public statements or exercise any sort of influence inconsistent with Articles 5, 239, 373 and 374 of the Constitution of the Republic of Honduras and we will energetically reject any expression contrary to the spirit of said articles and the Special Law to Regulate Referendums and Plebiscites.
3. Regarding General Elections and the Transfer of Government To achieve reconciliation and strengthen democracy, we reiterate that in conformance with Articles 44 and 51 of the Constitution of the Republic of Honduras, suffrage is universal, obligatory, egalitarian, direct, free and secret, and it is the responsibility of the fully autonomous and independent Supreme Electoral Tribunal to supervise and administer every facet of electoral activities and processes.
Likewise, we call on the Honduran people to peacefully participate in the coming general election and to avoid any type of demonstrations that oppose the elections or their results, or promote insurrection, unlawful conduct, civil disobedience or other acts that could result in violent confrontations or transgressions of the law.
For the purpose of demonstrating the transparency and legitimacy of the electoral process, we urge the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to authorize and accredit the presence of international missions from now until the announcement of the general election results, as well as during the transfer of power that will occur, in accordance with Article 237 of the Constitution of the Republic, on January 27, 2010.
4. Regarding the Armed Forces and the National Police To achieve reconciliation and strengthen democracy, we affirm our willingness to comply, in all its terms and conditions, with Article 272 of the Constitution of the Republic of Honduras, in accordance with which the Armed Forces are placed at the disposition of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal from one month before the general elections for the purpose of guaranteeing the free exercise of suffrage, the custody, transport and surveillance of electoral materials and other security aspects of the process. We reaffirm the professional, apolitical, obedient and non-deliberative character of the Honduran Armed Forces. Likewise, we agree that the National Police should strictly abide by the terms of its special legislation.
5. Regarding the Executive Power To achieve reconciliation and strengthen democracy, in the spirit of the subjects of the proposal for the San José Accord, both negotiating commissions have respectfully decided that the National Congress, as an institutional expression of popular sovereignty, in use of its authority, in consultation with the entities it believes pertinent such as the Supreme Court of Justice and in accordance with the law, resolve the issue regarding “restoring possession of the Executive Power to its status prior to June 28 until conclusion the current governmental period on January 27, 2010.”
The decision the National Congress adopts should establish a basis for achieving the social peace, political tranquility and democratic governability the society requires and the country needs.
6. Regarding the Verification Commission and the Truth Commission To achieve reconciliation and strengthen democracy, we stipulate the creation of a Verification Commission to verify commitments made under this Accord and those deriving from it, coordinated by the Organization of American States (OAS). Said Commission will be composed of two members of the international community and two members of the national community, the last two to be chosen, one each, by the parties [i.e., one by Micheletti and one by Zelaya].
The Verification Commission will be responsible for attesting to the strict compliance with all of the points of this Accord and will receive the full cooperation of Honduran public institutions for that effect.
The failure to comply with any of the commitments contained in this Accord, as verified and declared by the Verification Commission, will result in the activation of measures the Commission will establish for the transgressor or transgressors.
For the purpose of clarifying the events occurring before and after June 28, 2009, a Truth Commission will also be created to identify acts that led to the current situation and provide the people of Honduras with elements to avoid repetition of these events in the future.
This Dialogue Commission recommends that the next government, in the framework of a national consensus, constitute said Truth Commission in the first half of 2010.
7. Regarding the Normalization of Relations between the Republic of Honduras and the International Community On committing ourselves to faithfully comply with the commitments made in this Accord, we respectfully request the immediate revocation of those measures or sanctions adopted bilaterally or multilaterally that in any way affect the reinsertion and full participation of the Republic of Honduras in the international community, and its access to all forms of cooperation [aid].
We call on the international community to reactivate, as quickly as possible, the cooperation projects in effect with the Republic of Honduras and to continue the negotiation of future projects. We especially urge that, at the request of competent authorities, necessary and timely international cooperation be provided so that the Verification Commission and the future Truth Commission ensure faithful compliance and follow-through for the commitments made under this Accord.
8. Final Dispositions Any differences regarding interpretation or application of this Accord will be submitted to the Verification Commission, which will determine, in adherence to the Constitution of the Republic of Honduras and legislation in force, and through an authentic interpretation of the present Accord, the corresponding solution.
Taking into account that this Accord is the product of the understanding and fraternity of Hondurans, we vehemently request that the international community respect the sovereignty of the Republic of Honduras and fully observe the established principle in the United Nations charter of non-interference in the internal affairs of other States.
9. Calendar for Compliance with the Accords Given that this Accord takes immediate effect upon the date of its signing and for the purpose of clarifying the time for compliance and follow-through for the commitments made to achieve national reconciliation, we agree to the following calendar for compliance:

October 30, 2009

1. Signing and entrance of the Accord into effect.
2. Formal delivery of the Accord to Congress for the effects of Point 5, “Regarding the Executive Power.”

November 2, 2009

1. Formation of the Verification Commission.

After the signing of this Accord and no later than November 5

1. Formation and installation of the National Unity and Reconciliation Government

January 27, 2010

1. Celebration of the transfer of government.

First half of 2010

1. Formation of the Truth Commission.

10. Final Declaration On behalf of reconciliation and the patriotic spirit that has brought us to the dialogue table, we commit ourselves to complying in good faith with this Accord and what derives from it.
The world is witness to this demonstration of unity and peace, in which we commit our civic conscience and patriotic devotion. Together, we will know how to demonstrate our courage and decision to strengthen the rule of saw and build a tolerant, pluralistic and democratic society.
We sign this accord in the city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on October 30, 2009.
11. Acknowledgements We take this opportunity to thank the International Community for its accompaniment and good offices, especially the Organization of American States and its Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza; the [diplomatic] Missions of Foreign Ministers in the Hemisphere; the President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias Sánchez; the Government of the United States, its President Barack Obama, and his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
12. Regarding the Tegucigalpa/San José Accord’s Entrance in Effect For internal purposes, the Accord takes full effect upon signing.
For protocolary and ceremonial purposes, a public signing ceremony will be held on November 2.
Tegucigalpa, Municipio del Distrito Central, October 30, 2009 [Signed: Armando Aguilar Cruz, Vilma Cecilia Morales Montalván, Arturo Gerardo Corrales Alvarez, Victor Orlando Meza López, Mayra Janeth Mejía del Cid, Rodil Rivera Rodil]

[Magda Hassan]

US Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s Three-Day Fact-Finding Mission in Honduras Confirms Widespread Human Rights Abuses

An Inventory of Reports from Major National and International Human Rights Organizations from Honduras Under Coup d’Etat


By Tamar Sharabi
Special to The Narco News Bulletin

November 13, 2009
TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS, NOVEMBER 13, 2009: Despite the US State Department’s stance for a ‘Honduran Solution,’ some Republican US Senators and House members have openly intervened and strongly supported the de facto government, not recognized by any nation in the world. US Rep. Jan. Schakowsky (D-Illinois), is the first congressperson to visit Honduras since the June 28 coup that did not come in prefabricated support of the de facto regime. She was invited by Bertha Oliva, Coordinator of COFADEH, a human rights organization that has been documenting abuses for the past 27 years. COFADEH has documented more than 3,000 illegal detentions since the coup and over 21 murders in a report published Oct. 22. During her recent mission in Washington, Oliva invited Schakowsky to witness firsthand the Honduran reality that is not making the headlines.
Schakowsky’s three day visit from November 10-12 included meetings with family members of victims that have died directly from violence from the coup, media outlets such as Channel 36 and Radio Globo that have been attacked censored for honestly reporting on the resistance movement, and also a visit to the Brazilian Embassy where ousted President Zelaya and approximately 40 others have taken refuge for the last 53 days. The Chicago Congresswoman commented on her opportunity to hear a recording of some of the sounds bombarded into the Embassy and see the blinding lights set up outside, in addition to the crane set up for the military to spy into the Embassy.
Citing a “serious deterioration of human rights since the coup,” Schakowsky reflected on the executive decree PCM-M-016-2009 published on Sep. 27 which was set in place to supposedly defend national security and public order but that “seems to be defined as anything that is said against the coup.” This is the same decree that, after even some of the coup plotters publicly criticized it, was promised to be lifted immediately but took until October 19t (when the UN Human Rights Commission began a visit) before it was officially printed in the official ‘Gazette’ to end the decree. Under that decree, any police commissioner present at a resistance demonstration could declare the gathering “illegal” and use violent means to disperse the peaceful crowds.
When asked about whether free and fair elections are possible under such conditions and expressing concern about other media outlets that have been under attack such as Radio Progresso and Radio Tocoa, Schakowsky did not explicitly express her opinion on whether the November 29 elections should take place or not. The question followed statements by Police Commissioner Danilo Orellana, who had appeared on Channel 6 and called for government actions against all media outlets that are calling on the public not to vote. Instead, Schakowsky evaded the question and stated:

“In a democratic country the principal of freedom of the press is really sacred, and as for the timing of the elections, congress should really move forward in an expedited fashion to restore the president and democratic order.”

US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly, during the November 12 daily press briefing in Washington, confused matters even more during this exchange with a reporter:

QUESTION: Yeah, I knew that. But still, you know, we’re coming on three weeks now. Is it a legitimate election if the current government has been supplanted by an interim military-backed government? MR. KELLY: Yeah. Well, it’s in everybody’s interest that these elections are seen as free, fair, transparent, and enjoy international recognition.
QUESTION: So that just wipes the slate clean over the past five months?
MR. KELLY: Well, they need to be recognized as free, fair, transparent. There are also – we also need to address this question of national unity and reconciliation. There’s been a fracture in the Honduran body politic, and we need to repair that. And that’s what this accord does. And that’s – again, I’ll just say it again, that’s what we’re focused on is the – this accord.

Why did the ‘historic’ accord claimed by the State Department fail?
The San Jose-Tegucigalpa Accord, signed on October 30, included a deadline of completing by Nov 5 the “Formation and installation of the National Unity and Reconciliation Government.” According to the de facto regime of Roberto Micheletti, its part of the deal had thus been fulfilled. Minutes after midnight on Nov 6 Micheletti held a press conference aired on National TV announcing the new de facto – de facto government without any representation from Honduran President Manuel Zelaya.
The accords fell short of guaranteeing Zelaya be reinstated for two main reasons. Firstly, there was no linkage between having Congress vote on the reinstatement of President Zelaya with the formation of the ‘unity’ government. This left the door open for Micheletti’s representatives to form the ‘unity’ government without considering who would manage the cabinet because it was obvious to them Micheletti would stay in power. Secondly, there was no deadline as to when Congress had to vote on the reinstatement of Zelaya. Thus Honduras is in the situation where the international community is once again demanding the return to democratic order and the original coup d’état plotters get to claim its actions are merely a “succession of power” for the second time.
The international community and the Honduras resistance movement, however, have not taken the bait. Now, US State Department spokesmen speak in support for the developments of the flawed accord to maintain its position for a “Honduran Solution.” Unsurprisingly, Senator Jim DeMint, (R-South Carolina) announced in a November 5 press release that he had secured a commitment from the Obama administration to recognize the elections of Nov 29 regardless of whether Zelaya is reinstated and regardless of whether the the Honduran Congress votes on the President’s return before or after the elections. In return, DeMint lifted his block on the nominations of Arturo Valenzuela to be Assistant Secretary of Western Hemisphere Affairs (Shannon’s previous job) and Thomas Shannon to be U.S. Ambassador to Brazil. According to DeMint’s press release:

“I am happy to report the Obama Administration has finally reversed its misguided Honduran policy and will fully recognize the November 29th elections… I take our administration at their word that they will now side with the Honduran people and end their focus on the disgraced Zelaya.”

As to the human rights abuses that Representative Schakowsky had the opportunity to witness along with dozens of delegations that have visited Honduras in the last four months, the State Department looks the other way. From that same November 12 State Department press briefing:

QUESTION: A follow-up on Honduras. What does the U.S. think about the human rights situation there right now? There have been mass arrests, curfews, an emergency decree, and a ban on protests and media closures for three weeks during the presidential campaign. Does that undermine the electoral process, in the view of the U.S.? MR. KELLY: Regarding the – well, first of all, our real priority here is to see this accord implemented step by step. We’ve only gotten through step one, and we need step two and step three to be implemented.
Regarding the – these reports, I’m actually not aware of these reports of any actions to – you say ban rallies and – no, I’m not just aware of those reports. I think that we would need to have more details about it for us to really comment on it.

For Mr. Kelly’s convenience, here are links to ample documentation from respected Human Rights reports, both from local and international organizations:
COFADEH (Committee of Family Members of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras)
Global Exchange
CPTRT (Center for Prevention,Treatment and Rehabilitation for Victims of Torture and their Families)
Human Rights Watch
Amnesty International
The United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (part of the Organization of the American States) have not yet published their respective reports.
http://www.narconews.com/Issue62/article3935.html

[Magda Hassan]

Honduras elects Porfirio Lobo as new president

Rival Elvin Santos concedes defeat as ousted president, Manuel Zelaya, declares vote illegitimate
[URL="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2009/nov/30/honduras"]
[/URL]

• Rory Carroll in Tegucigalpa
  
• guardian.co.uk, Monday 30 November 2009 07.51 GMT
  

The president-elect of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, addresses supporters in Tegucigalpa. Photograph: Claudia Barrientos/AFP/Getty Images

A wealthy rancher was due to be declared Honduras's new president today after a tumultuous election dogged by the overthrow of his predecessor.
Preliminary results gave Porfirio Lobo 56% of votes, prompting cavalcades of cheering, honking supporters in the streets of the capital, Tegucigalpa. His nearest rival, Elvin Santos of the ruling Liberal party, conceded defeat.
Lobo, from the centre-right National party, promised to unify a country polarised by the military-led coup against Manuel Zelaya in June, a political shock which rattled Latin America and left Honduras isolated and stripped of aid and investment.
"We are very happy. Now we can get things back to normal," said Luis Fernando Gomez, 37, a business graduate, at a boisterous campaign victory party.
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal said 61% of registered voters cast ballots, a big jump from the barely half who voted in the 2005 election won by Zelaya. Local media, which backed the coup, hailed a "historic" turnout.
Before results were announced, the United States, Panama and Peru signalled they would accept the election as a way out of the crisis. Canada and the European Union are expected to follow suit.
But critics said the election was neither free nor fair and had whitewashed the coup. Leftist governments including those of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Venezuela said they would not recognise the vote, branding it a farce which could embolden coup-minded conservative forces across the region.
Zelaya, who was not on the ballot, had called for a boycott. After polls closed he said information from a quarter of polling stations indicated only around 35% voted. "As president of Honduras I declare this process illegitimate," he said.
In the absence of established international observer groups, who shunned the election, it was difficult to verify the turnout independently. Officials at polling centres visited by the Guardian gave estimates ranging from just 30% in poor areas to as high as 70% in wealthier ones.
"I voted because we need a way out of this crisis," said Yesenia Ramos, 31, showing a green-stained finger outside a polling station in Cementerio, a slum in Tegucigalpa. "My brother has lost his job, businesses are closing. We've all been affected."
Metres away, in a stark illustration of Honduras' extreme poverty, several men foraged for food on a mound of putrid, fly-blown rubbish. "Vote? Give me a break, it'll change nothing," said Luis Alvarado, 44.
Voting was mostly peaceful but security forces used teargas and batons to break up a demonstration in the city of San Pedro Sula. A day earlier they raided the offices of pro-Zelaya groups, saying they were looking for weapons and evidence linked to small homemade bombs which had damaged polling centres.
In recent weeks the de facto authorities curbed civil liberties and cracked down on critical media and Zelaya supporters, leaving hundreds injured and detained and at least 10 reportedly killed. Amnesty International demanded that the identities and whereabouts of people arrested yesterday be revealed.
Zelaya, a wealthy logger-turned leftist populist, was seized and exiled on 28 June after congress, the army, the supreme court and his own party objected to his deepening alliance with Venezuela's socialist president, Hugo Chávez. They accused Zelaya of plotting to extend his rule, a charge he denied.
The election date and candidates were chosen long before the coup. The de facto president, Roberto Micheletti, was not on the ballot. A pro-Zelaya candidate withdrew, leaving the field dominated by candidates from the traditional ruling elite.
Lobo, 61, a veteran congressman who is known by the nickname Pepe, hinted that criminal charges against Zelaya would be dropped and appealed to foreign governments to recognise his mandate once he was sworn in on 27 January.
"We are prepared to approach them and ask them to understand that there is a government which was elected, that it is the precise will of Hondurans at the ballot box, that it is a democracy and we should all respect the leadership of countries."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov...-president

[Magda Hassan]

The Sham Elections in Honduras

Why Obama shouldn't turn a blind eye to the undemocratic shenanigans in Tegucigalpa.

BY GEORGE VICKERS | NOVEMBER 25, 2009



On Sunday, when Hondurans go to the polls to elect a new president, Barack Obama's administration may be tempted to congratulate the winner, gradually resume normal diplomatic and economic relations with the successor government to the deposed president, Manuel Zelaya, and thus enable the de factogovernment that drove him from office to erase the remaining stains of its coup d'état.

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Yield not unto temptation. This election is taking place in a political environment contaminated by repression, violence, and fear. If the U.S. government recognizes the vote, it will grant the de facto regime led by former parliamentary head Roberto Micheletti a legitimacy it does not deserve; it will needlessly lengthen a crisis that is hurting Honduras, its people, and its prospects for real democracy; and it will harm the U.S. image in the region. Most importantly, there is an alternative to this "see no evil" strategy.
What has transpired in Honduras in recent weeks has eliminated the prospects for free and fair elections. Actions specifically aimed at suppressing political organizing for the election, including mass arrests, illegal detentions, and violence -- documented by respected international groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights -- have yet to be investigated or prosecuted by the Honduran attorney general's office.
More than 50 candidates for public office, including several running for congressional and mayoral seats and one presidential candidate, have removed their names from the ballot in protest against the coup regime.
Lists of anti-coup activists have been compiled by local mayors and given to the military. The government's telecommunications commission has continued to block pro-Zelaya media outlets, forcing them to play reruns of old cowboy movies rather than news critical of the coup regime.
All of this while the Micheletti government reinstated a state of siege last weekend and intimidated opponents by announcing that it has trained hundreds of Honduran lawyers to prosecute individuals participating in a boycott of Sunday's vote. No matter the turnout, no matter the result, these are not conditions within which legitimate elections can take place.
Moreover, the coup and the campaign have made utterly clear that the constitutional framework in one of Latin America's poorest countries may be insufficient for dealing with the vast array of social, political, and economic challenges facing Honduras -- with or without a new, democratically elected president.
In a country where 70 percent live in poverty -- in a system riven with corruption, as Transparency International recently made clear -- it is not hard to understand why Zelaya's calls for a constitutional assembly in June resonated deeply with Honduran society.
Although coup leaders and others question Zelaya's method and motives, this crisis has revealed that many Hondurans still want a significant reform of their country's Constitution. It was the United States' own handpicked negotiator, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, who called the Honduran Constitution "the worst in the world." With neither any clause for impeachment nor any recourse for amendment, Arias had the document dead to rights. And it is easy to imagine the events of June repeating themselves if serious debate over constitutional reform does not continue once the facade of democracy is restored. Indeed, it is just this sort of national conversation that the majority of Hondurans still seem to desire. Just one month ago, 54 percent of Honduran respondents told a U.S. polling firm that a constitutional assembly would now be the best way for resolving the current crisis.
In the end, the Honduran people themselves will need to decide what, if any, changes they want to make to their Constitution, and whether any such changes can be made through a piecemeal reform process or whether a constitutional assembly to rewrite the document altogether will ultimately be necessary. For now, however, the United States should publicly support such a conversation, beyond Sunday's vote. And most importantly, it should do its part to ensure an open political environment exists for doing so.
In other words, don't bless these elections and walk away. Instead, Washington should maintain its suspension of government-to-government assistance and not recognize the newly elected regime until there is a full restoration of civil liberties and steps are taken to prosecute human rights abuses. Next, the Obama team should work with the Organization of American States and other democracies -- the vast majority of which is reluctant to endorse these elections -- to find a way to bring Honduras back into the international community. For starters, if the new government is to recover any semblance of legitimacy, it will need to ensure that adequate conditions exist for a broad and pluralistic debate and dialogue, including with respect to any constitutional issues. Moreover, such a dialogue should be seen as responding to the legitimate rights and concerns of Honduran citizens, rather than being branded as treason, as is customary for the coup government today.
Supporting this next process may be the only way for the United States to retain a trace of goodwill among many rightfully frustrated Hondurans -- not to mention the rest of Latin America, disappointed that five months of hemispheric unity might end because of a hasty and ill-considered decision to recognize Sunday's elections.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/20...n_honduras

[Magda Hassan]

By Al Giordano (with reporting from Tamar Sharabi in Honduras)

While today's coup-sponsored "election" in Honduras won't settle the country's crisis created by the June 28 coup d'etat, it continues to provide a showcase for the profoundly anti-democratic nature of the regime.
This just in from Tamar Sharabi, reporting from Honduran territory:

Evidence has surfaced that state employees were forced to attend the closing campaign ceremony of Elvin Santos, the ex-Vice President under Zelaya. In the letter, addressed to all department heads of the office of Civil Service, general director Marco Tulio Flores wrote, “I instruct all employees that are fulfilling their duties, without any exception, to attend the closing campaign of the Liberal Party that will take place Sunday November 22 at 9:30am. In a booth at the entrance to the coliseum Xiomara Orellana will take attendance of all personnel of this institution.”

Sharabi also reports that jack-booted regime repression continued right up through yesterday, as a pretext for larceny, too:

On Saturday November 28 military soldiers raided the offices of small business collective RED-COMAL in Siguatepeque, Comayagua, a city approximately 2 hours north from the capital. The Police Commissioner issued a search warrant 15 minutes after the raid began with the purpose of looking for weapons, posters and any documents that call on the population not to vote. Ricardo Bueso, speaking to Radiodelosmenos.org, reported that the military and police stole four laptops along with money from some of the organization’s sales

The National Front Against the Coup d'Etat has called on its participants to remain indoors in a "voluntary curfew" in noncooperation with the fraudulent vote. Should any incidents of violence occur today it won't be from the Resistance, but, rather, the result of the regime's own provocateurs. National presidential candidate Carlos H. Reyes withdrew from the ballot last month, as did many Congressional candidates and one major-party vice presidential candidate: Santos' own running mate on the Liberal Party line is among those who reject this fraudulent process as illegitimate.
We'll keep you updated throughout the day and into tonight as the "mock election" reaches its culmination...
Update 12:16 p.m. Tegucigalpa (1:16 p.m. ET): US citizens and human rights observers in Honduras just made the following announcement:

U.S. Human rights observers from a dozen different organizations around the United States have been in Honduras for several days to observe the human rights environment in Honduras at this time of elections.
Some 20 U.S. Citizens have traveled throughout Honduras over the past 3 days to cities and communities such as Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Tocoa, Santa Rosa de Copán, Choluteca, Comayagua, Siguatepeque y Puerto Grande. In addition, they have visited police stations, hospitals and jails.
In each of these communities they have observed the sistematic abuse of human rights as evidenced by raids, detentions, threats, physical abuse, indimidation and persecution on the part of state security agents. These actions have been mostly directed against citizens identified with the Resistance movement.
These findings and concerns will be shared at a:
PRESS CONFERENCE
TODAY, SUNDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2009 3:00 P.M. (4 p.m. EST)
IN FRONT OF THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY, TEGUCIGALPA

3:33 p.m. Tegucigalpa (4:33 p.m. ET): Coup security forces, while attacking a peaceful demonstration in San Pedro Sula today, wounded the Reuters photographer Herbert Villarreal while he attempted to document the story. Villarreal received twelve stitches in the head as a result of the attack.
4:38 p.m. Tegucigalpa (5:38 p.m. ET): Strike up the Grand Wurlitzer of spin as the Honduras regime tries to take what is, today, looking like 70 percent abstention from the vote and call it "70 percent turnout." They're issuing statements to the press about running out of ink (the indelible sort that voters get on their thumbs so they can't vote twice), polls remaining open an hour later to handle the supposed heavy demand, floated false turnout numbers. But here is what it really looks like this afternoon at polling places throughout Honduras:

Yup. Mostly empty ballot boxes, no lines, polling places as ghost towns. The first media war to be fought tonight will be over which version of the story is accurate. The official sources, of course, will do everything to claim high turnout and a successful "election." Set your BS detectors to the red zone tonight.
4:46 p.m. Tegucigalpa (5:46 p.m. ET): Coup security forces surrounded and arrested Spaniard journalist Mario Gascón Aranda this afternoon as he was reporting the day's events, accused him of meddling in the internal affairs of Honduras and announced they would expel and deport him from the country, according to Radio Globo.
7:31 p.m. Tegucigalpa (8:31 p.m. ET): Exit polls have - and no surprise to readers of these pages - National Party candidate Pepe Lobo as the "winner" of today's mock elections in Honduras with over 50 percent of the vote to 38 percent for Liberal Party candidate Elvin Santos. Various Latin American nations have already said they do not recognize Lobo as a legitimate president, including Uruguay which today elected former guerrilla leader José Mujica in real elections today, not to mention a vast number of Honduran citizens. Claims of voter turnout, results, all of it, of course, can't and shouldn't be believed. And won't be. Nothing is resolved. Today's act of electoral theater was an exercise in futility...
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefiel...aign-rally