[HNA] Elections in Honduras

[Kaveri Rajaraman]

    [image: Latin American Working Group]     *Support Democracy in Honduras
*

Dear Kaveri,

Elections took place yesterday, November 29th, in Honduras with National
Party leader Porfirio Lobo declared the winner. But elections carried out

*under a state of emergency
*with visible military and police presence
*by a government installed by a military coup
*with a significant civil society movement opposed to the coup calling for
abstention
*and with the deposed President *still deposed* and holed up in the center
of the capital city in the Brazilian Embassy

are no cause for celebration.
*
If you haven't sent a message to our own U.S. government about Honduras,
click here now!<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=bdZRMU%2BqMxfh1Xr%2BbNaV7i37eePfMC2B>
*

With your help, we delivered a strong message to the State Department before
the elections. We and the Washington Office on Latin America sent the State
Department a *joint
memo*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Ze76jjQgEDVB%2BPJSo9Recy37eePfMC2B>about
the lack of conditions for fair elections, and we were backed up by
over 800 messages sent in by activists like you. But the U.S.  government
has chosen to ignore the serious problems with the elections. So, we've
adapted our message and now you can send them a fax telling them what the
next steps should be.

We need to make sure that they can't ignore the restrictions of civil
liberties and human rights violations that marked election day and the
months leading up to it, chronicled
*here*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=54rhl%2B%2FyKsWCuf7x4Hwi7pvHKrHyiZG%2B>by
the Center for Justice and International Law. They need to hear
reports
like this one that the *Quixote
Center*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=rEgKCRaB8Zsy8ZAYaNRzIy37eePfMC2B>'s
delegation sent out at 1:30 pm on election day:

"A peaceful march of over 500 people was just culminating at the Central
Park of San Pedro Sula when a large armored tank with high pressure water
cannons mounted on the top pulled up at the rear of the march--along with a
large truck full of military troops. The 500 peaceful, unarmed protesters
turned around to face the tank and troops--and in unison, they sat down in
the middle of the street. The truck retreated 2 blocks. The soldiers got off
the truck, and began to put on gas masks. Everything went silent--and
suddenly the crowd was attacked with water cannons and gas. People are
fleeing. There are wounded and detained."

How can any government even pretend that under these conditions the election
could be fair?

*Click here to tell our government to stick to its principles, and not lift
the sanctions on Honduras until civil liberties and human rights are
respected, violations are investigated, and an inclusive national dialogue
is launched to strengthen Honduran
democracy.*<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=4LCRk5q7LXAP9l%2BKxxxEfy37eePfMC2B>

If the United States chooses to go ahead with business as usual, it not only
will be going against the majority of nations in the hemisphere, but will
also be sending a message to the whole world that we will quickly trade in
our principles for expediency when it comes to democracy and human rights in
our foreign policy.

Let's make them listen before it is too late.

Best,

The LAWG Team
(Lisa, Mavis, Paulo, Vanessa, and Brian)

*P.S. Click here<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2BGIOdJ2dHW%2FZJ%2B6IFvWqGZvHKrHyiZG%2B>to
subscribe to our blog so you get up to date information emailed to you
as
soon as we put it out!*

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Latin America Working Group
424 C Street NE, Washington, DC 20002     Phone: (202) 546-7010     Email:
lawg at lawg.org<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=3ZB%2FjZC2b0DTsLV0FnCDsC37eePfMC2B>

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