[HNA] Snipers firing on Zelaya: Honduras update - mercenaries arriving, urgent situation

[Kaveri Rajaraman]

 *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/honduras_delegation100609/


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



 ------------------------------

For daily photos and reports from the delegation, see
http://hondurasdelegation.wordpress.com.

To follow reports from the delegation on Twitter, go to
http://twitter.com/iacenter.
    --
------------------------------

*International Action Center
Boston*
617-522-6626
iacboston at iacboston.org
http://www.iacboston.org

*National Office*
212-633-6646
http://www.iacenter.org

*Troops Out Now Coalition*
http://troopsoutnow.org

*Stop War on Iran*
http://stopwaroniran.org

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