[News] Honduras Marks 8 Years Since US-Backed Coup Against Zelaya

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Honduras-Marks-8-Years-Since-US-Backed-Coup-Against-Zelaya-20170628-0034.html 



  Honduras Marks 8 Years Since US-Backed Coup Against Zelaya

June 28, 2017
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Wednesday marked eight years since the coup against former Honduran 
President Manuel Zelaya. His removal, supported by the administration of 
former U.S. President Barack Obama, was carried out by the Honduran 
military and oligarchy.

In 2009, Zelaya arranged plans to hold a popular consultation to convene 
a national constituent assembly with the intention of amending the 
constitution of 1981. The move was intended to empower 
historically-marginalized groups — like Black, Indigenous and LGBT 
people — and workers.

However, conservative elements within the Supreme Court of Justice, the 
Supreme Electoral Tribunal and the National Congress opposed the move. 
Honduras’ business elites, aligned with the aforementioned groups, also 
opposed the national constituent assembly.

Zelaya also began forging ties with progressive Latin American 
governments — like Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Cuba and Bolivia — 
while joining the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, ALBA.

“The elites were threatened,” Honduran activist Raymond Sanchez told 
teleSUR during a recent interview.

“What they saw was an ascension of a revolutionary left movement in 
Latin America and Zelaya getting closer to them. Under Zelaya, Honduras 
was marching toward reducing poverty and eliminating foreign debt.”

By June 28, high ranking army officials received orders issued by the 
Supreme Court to detain Zelaya. The military complied with the measure 
and transferred him, by force, to Costa Rica.

Zelaya's removal was condemned by many in the international community, 
especially by ALBA member states. Former Venezuelan President Hugo 
Chavez was one of the fiercest critics of the coup, calling on world 
leaders to cut relations with the unelected government.

In 2010, Zelaya was allowed to return to Honduras, a country that 
plunged into rampant violence following the coup. Since then, hundreds 
of social activists and dozens of journalists have been killed by 
suspected right-wing death squads.

The coup also gave birth to the National Popular Resistance Front and 
the Liberty and Refoundation Party, leftist organizations which continue 
to fight the right-wing government and participate in national politics.

-- 
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