[HNA] Emergency Resolution on the Current Crisis in Honduras – S.F. Labor Council

[Tom Loudon]

*Emergency Resolution on the Current Crisis in Honduras – S.F. Labor 
Council*
 
Whereas, following the June 28, 2009 military coup in Honduras, the San 
Francisco Labor Council and AFL-CIO National Convention both passed 
resolutions in September demanding immediate reinstatement of President 
Manuel Zelaya, restoration of all labor and democratic rights, and an 
immediate halt to all U.S. aid to the coup government. The Honduran 
labor movement is at the heart of the National Resistance to the coup; 
and  
 
Whereas, since that time President Zelaya is still taking refuge in the 
Brazilian Embassy; the Honduran people led by the National Resistance 
Front against the Coup continue to mount massive daily demonstrations 
against the coup regime; and the coup government continues to deploy the 
U.S.-trained army and police in an attempt to suppress the popular will 
and prevent the exercise of democratic rights; and
 
Whereas, a U.S.-brokered deal [the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accords] to 
reinstate President Zelaya by November 5th – in preparation for the Nov. 
29th elections – has unraveled. Nov. 5th came and went and the coup 
regime refused to restore Zelaya to the Presidency. As a result 
President Zelaya, denouncing the “bad faith” of the U.S. government, 
said the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accords were “a dead letter”. The National 
Resistance Front confirmed it could not participate in nor recognize the 
legitimacy of the Nov. 29th elections under these conditions; and
 
Whereas, mass tear-gassing and beating of protesters has continued. 
There is a total lack of political space for opposition candidates to 
campaign and for the expression of any dissident political opinion. 
Under the current coup regime, conditions for free, fair and open 
elections are non-existent; and
 
Whereas, the National Resistance Front has denounced the Nov. 29th 
elections as a scheme by “the de facto regime that is repressing the 
people and violating the civil and human rights of its citizens, with 
the goal of validating the dictatorship of the oligarchy.” It said that 
participating in such an electoral exercise “would give legitimacy to 
the coup regime or its successor.” The Front also stressed that “our 
stance in opposition to the electoral farce will remain firm even if 
President Zelaya is reinstated between now and Nov. 29th, since 20 days 
or less is too short a time to dismantle an electoral fraud many months 
in the making,” and since there is no time for opposition candidates to 
mount a campaign.
 
*Therefore be it resolved*, that the San Francisco Labor Council stands 
in solidarity with the heroic people of Honduras as they resist the 
savage repression of a military dictatorship, and fight to win real 
democracy and sovereignty for their country;
 
*And be it further resolved*, that the Council send official letters to 
Congressional representatives and President Obama demanding that the 
U.S. government take strong measures against the repressive coup 
government in Honduras – and whatever government may succeed it as a 
result of the “electoral farce” scheduled for Nov. 29th. These measures 
should include: 1) Immediately break off all political and economic ties 
with the coup government; 2) Recall the US ambassador; 3) Establish an 
economic embargo on all trade and aid to Honduras; 4) Freeze the U.S. 
bank accounts of the coup plotters and deny them visas for U.S. travel; 
5) Shut down U.S. military bases in Honduras;
 
*And be it further resolved*, that the Council demand that the U.S. 
denounce and refuse to recognize the results of the Nov. 29th elections 
or any electoral process organized under the repressive coup regime;
 
*And be it finally resolved*, that the Council make common cause with 
other labor and community organizations, to develop a reliable support 
network for the National Resistance Front against the Coup, and for the 
labor unions that are at the center of the Resistance movement in Honduras.
*/[Adopted Nov. 23, 2009 by unanimous vote of the San Francisco Labor 
Council.]/**//*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://hondurasresists.org/pipermail/announce_hondurasresists.org/attachments/20091124/6884c091/attachment.html>