A most pleasant birthday, Roger. Sunday is also the 13TH birthday of
our eldest granddaughter. My birthday was two weeks ago on April 13,
Thomas Jefferson's birthday.
Sad to say, Cathy's eldest nephew was born on April 20TH, Adolph
Hitler's birthday.
James Monroe, (born April 28, 1758, Westmoreland county, Virginia
[U.S.]—died July 4, 1831.
Carl Jarvis
On 4/26/19, Roger Loran Bailey <rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx> wrote:
That reminds me of something. Remember James Monroe? That's the Jamesevidence. ???
Monroe of the infamous Monroe doctrine that virtually declared the
entire western hemisphere to be U.S. property. His birthday is coming up
in a couple of days. I remember that because I was born exactly 200
years?? after he was born. I also share a birthday with Saddam Hussein,
but I forget how long it was after he was born that I was born.
---
Christopher Hitchens
??? What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without
evidence. ???
??? Christopher Hitchens,
On 4/26/2019 1:30 PM, Carl Jarvis wrote:
Once the USA muscled Spain out of the picture the gates were thrown
open into all of South America, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the
Philippines and on across the Pacific.
If ever democracy might flourish, it would be through the protection
of a People who understood what Colonial Oppression felt like.
Carl Jarvis
On 4/26/19, Roger Loran Bailey <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
https://socialistaction.org/2019/04/25/before-venezuela-there-was-the-coup-in-honduras/
Before Venezuela, there was the coup in Honduras
/ 11 hours ago
April 2019 Honduras (Sandra Cuffe-Berk. Review)
Police attack protesters in July 2009, following the Honduran coup.
(Photo: Sandra Cuffe / Berkeley Review of Latin American Studies)
By LAZARO MONTEVERDE
???The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror, and the United States in
the Aftermath of the Coup,??? by Dana Frank. (Chicago: Haymarket Books,
2018).
Activist and scholar Dana Frank has given us a useful book to help us
understand the present events in Honduras, at the U.S.-Mexico border,
and elsewhere in Latin America. The 2009 coup in Honduras that toppled a
democratically elected and mildly progressive government was engineered
and sponsored by the U.S. government under President Obama and Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton.
Frank gives us an analysis of the coup and subsequent resistance
movement, as well as a first-person account of the activists and events
since the coup. The book is readable and fact filled, but it is also
necessary to any understanding of events in the so-called backyard of
the United States.
Frank is a professor emerita of history at the University of California
at Santa Cruz. She is best known in academic and labor circles for her
insightful history of women workers in the banana industry,
???Bananeras:
Women transforming the Banana Unions of Latin America,??? published by
South End Press in 2005. She has extensive personal connections with
unions and feminist organizations in Honduras and has a strong grasp of
the scholarly research on Honduras in both Spanish and English.
The coup against the democratically elected president of Honduras Jose
Manuel Zelaya Rosales took place on Sunday, June 28, 2009. The Honduran
military, with the support of the Honduran Supreme Court and Congress,
arrested the president and flew him to Costa Rica. The book explores the
reasons for the coup and the popular struggle to restore democracy in
its aftermath.
The coup was orchestrated by the U.S. with the support of the Honduran
elite and military, both groups with close ties to Washington. When
Obama took office in January 2009, the administration turned its
attention to Latin America, an area that had been somewhat neglected
under the Bush administration, which was focused on the Middle East.
Noting the significant erosion of U.S. economic and political
domination, the U.S. sought to reassert imperialist control over the
empire???s traditional ???backyard,??? a pejorative expression in Latin
America.
President Zelaya was a member of the traditional Honduras elite. Elected
in 2006, he started moving in a reformist direction. He joined the
Venezuelan and Cuban-led ALBA, supported a 50% increase in the minimum
wage, and blocked efforts by the wealthy to privatize publicly owned
ports, schools, and electrical systems.
These efforts at reform generated enormous resistance from the U.S. and
the Honduran elite. In response to this resistance, President Zelaya
proposed a non-binding survey question to be included on the ballot for
elections held on June 28. The survey asked if voters wanted to include
in the upcoming November ballot a question on authorizing a vote for
delegates to a constitutional convention, to be held at some unspecified
time in the future. Notice that this was not a vote to authorize a
constitutional convention, nor was it an election of delegates to such a
convention. All of this, by the way, was completely legal under the
Honduran Constitution.
This tepid exercise in democracy was clearly too much for the empire and
its clients. The U.S. and Honduran elite feared that the spread of
democracy would undermine neoliberal policies in Honduras and challenge
U.S. and elite control. The army, legally responsible for distributing
ballots, refused to do so. Instead, on the morning of the elections,
they grabbed President Zelaya and kicked him out of the country. The
president of the Honduran Congress, Roberto Micheletti, declared himself
president.
Now events unfolded following the typical U.S. script. The army seized
government buildings. Demonstrations against the coup started almost
immediately all over the country. In response, the government declared a
state of siege, imposed a curfew, and sent tanks and soldiers into the
streets. The resistance escalated in turn.
On July 2 (four days after the coup), hundreds of thousands demonstrated
in the streets of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, Honduras???s two
largest
cities. World leaders around the world condemned the coup, except for
Obama.
One week after the coup, Zelaya tried to fly into the Tegucigalpa
airport, along with the president of the United Nations General
Assembly, the presidents of Argentina, Ecuador, and Paraguay, and the
Secretary General of the Organization of American States. The Honduran
military blocked the runway, preventing the plane from landing while
Honduran army snipers killed Hondurans who had come to welcome home
their president. Estimates of the crowd ranged from several hundred
thousand to one million.
Frank highlights the geopolitical reasons for the coup. Honduras was the
weakest link in the chain of regimes moving toward independence from
U.S. imperialism, or to use her metaphor, ???Honduras was the first
domino
that the United States pushed over to counteract the new governments in
Latin America??? (p. 19).
Honduras is the home of the Soto Cano Air Base, one of the largest U.S.
Air Force bases in all of Latin America. Honduras is also the source of
super-profits for several major transnational corporations. For all of
these reasons, in addition to the fact that U.S. imperialism tolerates
no dissent no matter how mild, the U.S. wanted Zelaya overthrown.
Much of the book details the emergence and struggles of the popular
resistance to the post-coup government. Within weeks of the coup,
opposition groups coalesced into the Frente Nacional de Resistencia
Popular [National Front of Popular Resistance] or FNRP.?? The FNRP was
commonly called simply La Resistencia [the Resistance] and included a
broad range of groups, including the traditional Marxist groups, labor
unions, and peasant organizations, as well as feminist groups,
environmental groups, and LGBT groups. The FNRP organized non-violent
demonstrations and strikes while the government stepped up its crackdown
on all political dissent.
The U.S. played for time by manipulating negotiations between Zelaya and
Micheletti in Costa Rica. The negotiations paved the way for the Nov.
29, 2019, presidential elections while excluding Zelaya. The elections
were a textbook example of a ???demonstration election,??? an election
in
form without the substance of any democratic participation. The election
of Porfirio Lopez, a coup supporter, was almost a forgone conclusion.
Weeks after the election, which the U.S. hailed as a triumph of
democracy, assassinations and early morning raids on political activists
increased. At the same time, the U.S. re-opened the aid spigots that had
been shut off during Zelaya???s presidency. President Lopez began to
privatize major government owned assets.
In spite of the slow and steady slaughter of Honduran political
activists, the Resistance continued until dealt a surprising body blow.
The presidents of Colombia and Venezuela (Juan Manuel Santos and Hugo
Chavez, respectively) had negotiated the Cartagena Accords between
Zelaya and the Honduran government. The accord included first, dropping
all charges against Zelaya and his ministers; second, a commitment on
the part of the Honduran government to human rights; and third, creating
a legal path for the FNRP to become a political party. This agreement
was negotiated behind the backs of the Resistance, who both called for a
constituent assembly to write a new constitution and opposed
participation in the corrupt and undemocratic election process.
The Cartagena Accords split the FNRP and paved the way for a new
U.S.-backed dictator to emerge. Part of the Resistance formed LIBRE, a
political party based on Zelaya???s supporters. LIBRE ran Xiomara
Castro,
President Zelaya???s wife and a popular figure in the country, in the
November 2013 elections. The final results, unsurprisingly, gave the
election to Juan Orlando Hernandez, the U.S.???s man in Tegucigalpa.
Hernandez proceeded to increase political repression and purge the
Honduran judiciary and police, especially of those who opposed
corruption or Hernandez???s rule (Hernandez and segments of the Honduran
ruling class have strong connections to the drug trade).
The U.S. appointed General James Nealon, a former head of SOUTHCOM, as
ambassador to Honduras. And so it goes: the U.S. and the Honduran ruling
class are back in control while the Honduran people face repression,
crime, and brutal capitalist exploitation in a seemingly never ending
long Honduran night. Is it any wonder that Hondurans seek a better life
in the center of the capitalist system?
For more information, contact the Honduras Solidarity Network, at
http://www.hondurassolidarity.org.
Share this:
???Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
???Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
April 25, 2019 in Latin America. Tags: Honduras
Related posts
Clinton, Kissinger and the coup in Honduras
Disputed election stirs protests in Honduras
Popular movements organize in Honduras
Post navigation
??? Polluted water near air bases endangers Pa. communities
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives Select Month April 2019?? (10) March 2019?? (13)
February 2019?? (10) January 2019?? (16) December 2018?? (12) November
2018?? (15) October 2018?? (10) September 2018?? (8) August 2018?? (12)
July
2018?? (13) June 2018?? (11) May 2018?? (19) April 2018?? (15) March
2018??
(17) February 2018?? (14) January 2018?? (13) December 2017?? (13)
November
2017?? (13) October 2017?? (16) September 2017?? (15) August 2017?? (16)
July 2017?? (17) June 2017 (16) May 2017?? (17) April 2017?? (14) March
2017?? (13) February 2017?? (19) January 2017?? (13) December 2016??
(12)
November 2016 (19) October 2016?? (12) September 2016?? (10) August
2016??
(10) July 2016?? (14) June 2016?? (14) May 2016?? (9) April 2016?? (12)
March 2016?? (14) February 2016?? (8) January 2016?? (11) December
2015??
(11) November 2015?? (9) October 2015?? (8) September 2015 (10) August
2015?? (7) July 2015?? (13) June 2015?? (9) May 2015 (10) April 2015??
(12)
March 2015?? (9) February 2015?? (11) January 2015?? (10) December
2014??
(12) November 2014?? (11) October 2014 (9) September 2014?? (6) August
2014?? (10) July 2014?? (11) June 2014?? (10) May 2014?? (11) April
2014??
(10) March 2014?? (9) February 2014?? (11) January 2014?? (11) December
2013?? (10) November 2013?? (11) October 2013?? (17) September 2013??
(13)
August 2013?? (10) July 2013?? (11) June 2013?? (15) May 2013?? (14)
April
2013?? (14) March 2013?? (12) February 2013?? (10) January 2013?? (17)
December 2012?? (7) November 2012?? (8) October 2012?? (19) September
2012??
(2) August 2012?? (27) July 2012?? (18) June 2012?? (3) May 2012?? (19)
April 2012?? (14) March 2012?? (17) February 2012?? (19) January 2012??
(17)
December 2011?? (3) November 2011?? (33) October 2011?? (14) September
2011?? (13) August 2011?? (34) July 2011?? (24) June 2011?? (19) May
2011??
(19) April 2011?? (15) March 2011?? (15) February 2011?? (15) January
2011??
(15) December 2010?? (17) November 2010?? (1) October 2010?? (6)
September
2010?? (3) August 2010?? (8) July 2010?? (7) June 2010?? (2) May 2010??
(10)
April 2010 (3) March 2010?? (8) February 2010?? (3) January 2010?? (9)
December 2009?? (6) November 2009?? (5) October 2009?? (16) September
2009
(3) August 2009?? (2) July 2009?? (5) June 2009?? (2) May 2009?? (7)
April
2009?? (6) March 2009?? (16) February 2009?? (9) January 2009 (10)
December
2008?? (11) November 2008?? (8) October 2008?? (16) September 2008??
(14)
August 2008?? (18) July 2008?? (12) June 2008 (3) May 2008?? (2) April
2008?? (3) March 2008?? (14) February 2008 (11) January 2008?? (11)
December 2007?? (8) November 2007?? (1) July 2007?? (1) June 2007?? (1)
April 2007?? (1) March 2007?? (1) February 2007?? (3) December 2006??
(11)
November 2006?? (11) October 2006 (13) September 2006?? (15) August
2006??
(11) July 2006?? (18) June 2006?? (7) May 2006?? (14) April 2006?? (6)
March
2006?? (14) February 2006?? (5) January 2006?? (2) December 2005?? (9)
November 2005?? (8) October 2005?? (13) September 2005?? (12) August
2005??
(9) July 2005?? (16) June 2005?? (16) May 2005?? (16) April 2005?? (12)
March 2005?? (14) February 2005?? (19) January 2005?? (15) December 2004
(14) November 2002?? (17) October 2002?? (19) September 2002?? (22)
August
2002?? (21) July 2002?? (15) May 2002?? (21) April 2002?? (21) February
2002?? (15) January 2002?? (15) December 2001?? (17) October 2001?? (24)
September 2001?? (18) July 2001?? (19) June 2001?? (18) October 2000??
(17)
September 2000?? (21) August 2000?? (19) July 2000?? (16) June 2000??
(26)
May 2000?? (21) April 2000?? (22) March 2000?? (28) February 2000?? (18)
January 2000?? (20) December 1999 (20) November 1999?? (26) October
1999??
(25) September 1999?? (18) August 1999?? (40) July 1999?? (38) June
1999??
(24) May 1999?? (27) April 1999?? (25) March 1999?? (26) February 1999??
(29) January 1999?? (24) July 1998?? (12)
Search
???View socialistactionusa???s profile on Facebook
???View SocialistActUS???s profile on Twitter
???View SocialistActionCT???s profile on YouTube
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
Category Cloud
Actions & Protest Africa Anti-War Arts & Culture Black Liberation Canada
Caribbean Civil Liberties Cuba East Asia Economy Education & Schools
Elections Environment Europe Immigration Indigenous Rights International
Labor Latin America Latino Civil Liberties Marxist Theory & History
Middle East Palestine Police & FBI Prisons South Asia Trump / U.S.
Government Uncategorized Women's Liberation
View Calendar
Blog at WordPress.com.
Follow
--
---
Christopher Hitchens
??? What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without
James Monroe, (born April 28, 1758, Westmoreland county, Virginia [U.S.]—died
July 4, 1831,