Events In Honduras

[Magda Hassan]

Call the State Department (202-647-4000) and the White House (202-456-1111)

Photo: Honduran President Manuel Zelaya addresses thousands of supporters who have gathered in front of the Brazilian embassy on Monday, September 21, 2009 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

President Manuel Zelaya, after over eighty days in exile, has returned to Honduras. In a BBC interview, Zelaya said "[We travelled] for more than 15 hours... through rivers and mountains until we reached the capital of Honduras, which we reached in the early hours of the morning. We overtook military and police obstacles, all those on the highways here, because this country has been kidnapped by the military forces."

The coup regime has imposed a curfew for the entire country from 4pm yesterday afternoon until 6pm this afternoon. Media outlets are being silenced and cell phone and email correspondence is being limited, in a repeat of the tactics immediately following the June 28 military coup by SOA graduates. Thousands defied the orders and gathered in front of the Brazilian embassy, where Zelaya is currently staying. Radio Globo reported from the convergence in front of the Brazilian embassy: "We are here peacefully, unarmed because we are the people and don't fear the military. The military must serve the people and their democratically elected president, Mel Zelaya."

However, the SOA graduate-led Honduran military and the police moved this morning against the peacefully assembled crowd in front of the Brazilian Embassy and disbursed them with bullets and water tanks. Supporters of the constitutional president of Honduras are being attacked and beaten. The embassy is now surrounded by the military. The coup regime leader, Roberto Micheletti, threatened to cancel the embassy's immunity if Zelaya were not handed over to the de facto regime. An overall atmosphere of insecurity is now being imposed. President Zelaya called on the armed forces not to attack their own people and encouraged the Honduran people to continue mobilizing for peace and the restoration of constitutional order. The National Resistance Front Against the Coup has sent out a call for a national strike today, and for people to come from all parts of the country to the capital to continue the show of popular support for the return of the democratically elected president.

Our fear that the coup authorities would crack down even harder, now that their end is near, is materializing.

Click here to contact your Member of Congress to demand that they take a stand for democracy and against the SOA-graduate-led military coup.

Please take a couple minutes and call the State Department at 202-647-4000 to deliver the following message: "Work for the unconditional immediate reinstatement of President Zelaya and pressure the SOA graduate-led Honduran military to stop the violence against the people and their democratically elected president, Mel Zelaya. Ensure that the coup plotters will be held responsible for their actions. Any bloodshed will be on the hands of the coup government and security forces."

Call the White House comment line at 202-456-1111 with the same message.