No pasaran!

From La Via Campesina. I dream of a farmers' movement like La Via in the Arab World.

The social movements of Honduras, ready to fight to reestablish constitutional order in the country, demand the reinstatement of President Zelaya.


Popular and social movements agreed to meet in front of Universidad Pedagógica Francisco Morazán in Tegucigalpa at 8am. There, thousands of people from the different social movements that exist in the country, wearing red and black shirts, hats, caps and neckerchiefs and holding up banners, posters and flags, continue to protest on the streets of Honduras demanding the reinstatement of President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales, who has been expelled from power since the early hours of 28 June by power groups in the country with the involvement of the army, the police and other state powers who undertook the Coup d'Etat in Honduras.


The protestors have demonstated their decision to keep fighting and do all that is necessary to suceed in establishing constitutional order in the country. At the same time, a group of people, who claim to defend democracy and want peace in the country but who in reality are Micheletti's followers, protested in front of the governmental buildings but these people were highly protected by army elements and the national police and the media were broadcasting their protest live although actually these people had to be brought in from the centre of country and were paid to take part in the protest. However, the people from the social sectors are making a lot of sacrifices to continue in this struggle and each person is paying for their own expenses.


The slogans that the social movements shout when passing the authorities and media buildings are the following: no somos cinco, no somos cien prensa vendida cuéntalos bien (There's not five of us, there's not one hundred of us, the sell out press should count us properly); traidores (traitors); golpistas, golpistas fuera de Honduras (coup supporters get out of Honduras); traidores a la patria el pueblo los repudia, pueblo que escuchas únete a la lucha (traitors to our country, the people condemn you, you can hear the people, unite in the struggle) amongst others.


Juan Barahona leader of the Popular Bloc in Honduras states “that popular resistence against the coup d'état will continue until whenever necessary. Today we have undertaken constant protests for six days now and at the moment we are meeting in front of the teaching university in order to move on towards the centre of Tegucigalpa city, then we'll head towards the headquarters of the Organisation of American States (OEA from it's intials in Spanish) where social and popular leaders will have a meeting with the Secretary of this organisation Miguel Insulsa at 3pm. In the meantime, our other supporters will remain outside the OEA buildings to show their backing of the organisation's decision. We will take a letter signed by all social movement representatives that we will hand to Mr Insulsa where we clearly demonstrate our support for President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales and state that we our grateful for the solidarity that the country has shown towards us. In addition, we call for the reinstatement of our President Zelaya.”


The social movement representatives state that this action will continue for the whole day across the whole country and that inicially this was just in Tegucigalpa, but as time has gone by this has spread to other departments in the country such as El Paraíso, Choluteca, Cortes, Olancho, Yoro etc. and will continue until constitutional order in Honduras is restored.


Today we've heard from San Pedro Sula that eight of our members who had been seized yesterday while they were protesting were released during the night.


By Mabel Marquez (Vía Campesina communications in Honduras)