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<font size=3>Honduran Elections: Over 240 Academics and Experts on Latin
America Call on Obama to Denounce Human Rights Abuses by Honduran
Dictatorship<br><br>
Free and Fair Elections Are Possible Only After the Coup is Reversed,
They Say<br><br>
November 13, 2009 By Authors Many <br>
<a href="http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/23123" eudora="autourl">
http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/23123<br><br>
</a><i>For Immediate Release: <br><br>
</i>Claremont, CA - Over 240 academics and experts on Latin America sent
a letter to President Obama yesterday urging him to denounce the ongoing
human rights violations perpetrated by the coup regime in Honduras ahead
of the planned November 29 elections. They also urged him to demand the
immediate restitution of President Manuel Zelaya and to support a full
three months of electoral campaigning after the coup has been overturned
and "debating, organizing, and all other aspects of election
campaigns can be conducted in an atmosphere that is free from fear; in
which all views and parties are free to make their voices heard - not
just those that are allowed under an illegal military occupation."
This would mean that this month's elections - which Latin America and the
European Union have said they will not recognize - would need to be
rescheduled.<br><br>
"With only days left before the scheduled November 29 elections, the
U.S. government must make a choice," the letter states. "It can
either side with democracy, along with every government in Latin America,
or it can side with the coup regime, and further isolate the United
States in the hemisphere." <br><br>
Last Thursday, the Rio Group, which includes all of Latin America and
most of the Caribbean, issued
<a href="http://consuladohondurasmontreal.blogspot.com/2009/11/xxviii-grupo-rio-reunion-de-ministros.html">
a statement</a> declaring that they would consider the November 29
elections to be illegitimate if Zelaya is not first reinstated.<br><br>
The current letter continues: "Moreover, the U.S. cannot afford to
maintain its deafening silence regarding the innumerable and grave human
rights abuses committed by the coup government in Honduras - a silence
that has become a conspicuous international embarrassment."<br><br>
Numerous press reports have described human rights abuses and violations
of civil liberties during the three-month period in which electoral
campaigning is allowed under Honduran law, including illegal mass
arrests, beatings, torture, and shootings by state security forces,
attacks on the freedoms of assembly, speech, and of the press. This
repression has been widely documented and denounced by Honduran and
international human rights organizations, including the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty
International.<br><br>
Despite this, the Obama administration has yet to condemn the human
rights violations, or to threaten sanctions or other strong action to
force the coup regime to stop them.<br><br>
Last week, Bertha Oliva, the head of Honduras' most well-known and
respected human rights organization, the Committee for Families of the
Disappeared and Detained in Honduras (COFADEH),
<a href="http://www.cepr.net/index.php/press-releases/press-releases/honduras-human-rights-expert/">
also called on</a> the Obama administration to denounce the "grave
human rights violations" in Honduras, and declared that "It's
too late to have elections on November 29."<br><br>
The full text of the letter follows:<br><br>
_______________________________________<br><br>
November 11, 2009<br><br>
President Barack Obama<br>
The White House<br>
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW<br>
Washington, DC 20500<br><br>
Cc.: <br>
Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State<br>
Thomas Shannon, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere
Affairs<br>
Dan Restrepo, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of
Western Hemisphere Affairs, National Security Council<br><br>
<br>
Dear President Barack Obama,<br><br>
We are writing to urge you to stand with democracy and human rights in
Honduras. With only days left before the scheduled November 29 elections
the U.S. government must make a choice: it can either side with
democracy, along with every government in Latin America, or it can side
with the coup regime, and remain isolated. Moreover, the U.S. cannot
afford to maintain its deafening silence regarding the innumerable and
grave human rights abuses committed by the coup government in Honduras -
a silence that has become a conspicuous international embarrassment. The
U.S. must forcefully denounce these abuses, and match its words with
action as well. It must make the coup regime understand that the United
States government will no longer tolerate the violence and repression
that the Micheletti government has practiced against the Honduran people
since seizing power on June 28, 2009.<br><br>
Honduras now stands at the edge of a dangerous precipice. The coup regime
remains determined - in the absence of significant pressure from the U.S.
government - to move forward with the elections, in the hopes that the
international community will eventually recognize the results. In so
doing, they hope to legitimize their illegal and unconstitutional
government.<br><br>
Free and fair elections on November 29 are already impossible, as more
than two-thirds of the campaign period allowed under Honduran law has
already passed, under conditions in which freedom of assembly, freedom of
speech, and freedom of the press have all been under attack throughout
the country. This repression has been widely documented and denounced by
Honduran and international human rights organizations, including the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, and
Amnesty International. <br><br>
The Rio Group of 23 nations, which includes nearly all of Latin America
and much of the Caribbean, had forcefully declared that it will not
recognize the November 29th elections if President Zelaya is not first
re-instated. Thus the United States is at odds with the rest of the
Hemisphere in its stated willingness to recognize these illegitimate
elections.<br><br>
Free and fair elections can only be carried out in a climate in which
debating, organizing, and all other aspects of election campaigns can be
conducted in an atmosphere that is free from fear; in which all views and
parties are free to make their voices heard - not just those that are
allowed under an illegal military occupation. We therefore call on the
U.S. government to support an electoral process in Honduras that allows
for a full three months - as mandated under Honduran law - for electoral
campaigning, to take place after the restoration of President Manuel
Zelaya. Only in this way can the electoral process achieve legitimacy in
both the eyes of the Honduran people and the international community.
<br><br>
In the months that have transpired since the April Summit of the
Americas, we are saddened to see that your promise of treating Latin
American nations as equals is evaporating. You declared at that time,
"I just want to make absolutely clear that I am absolutely opposed
and condemn any efforts at violent overthrows of democratically elected
governments, wherever it happens in the hemisphere." In remarks that
were recorded, cited, and broadcast all over the world, you asserted:
"The test for all of us is not simply words, but also deeds."
Since then, your government has failed to match these words with deeds
regarding the coup d'état in Honduras. As a result, the United States is
once again isolating itself in the Americas.<br>
<br>
The U.S. must also match its rhetorical commitment to democracy with
concrete deeds, and support the immediate restoration of Manuel Zelaya to
the presidency of Honduras and full guarantees of a free and fair
election.<br><br>
Sincerely,<br><br>
Thomas A. Abercrombie New York University<br><br>
Leisy Abrego, University of California, Irvine<br><br>
Alexis Aguilar, Salisbury University <br><br>
Jordi Aladro, University of California, Santa Cruz<br><br>
Ece Algan, California State University, San Bernardino<br><br>
Paul Almeida, Texas A&M University <br><br>
Mark Anderson, University of California, Santa Cruz <br><br>
Tim Anderson, University of Sydney (Australia)<br><br>
Tom Angotti, Hunter College/City University of New York <br><br>
Craig Auchter, Butler University <br><br>
William Avilés, University of Nebraska at Kearney <br><br>
César J. Ayala, University of California, Los Angeles<br><br>
Nikhil Aziz, Executive Director, Grassroots International<br><br>
Beth Baker-Cristales, California State University, Los Angeles<br><br>
Teo Ballvé, North American Congress on Latin America <br><br>
Rosemary A. Barbera, Monmouth University<br><br>
Francisco J. Barbosa, University of Colorado, Boulder<br><br>
John Beverley, University of Pittsburgh <br><br>
Michelle Bigenho, Hampshire College <br><br>
Maylei Blackwell, University of California, Los Angeles<br><br>
Andy Bliss, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Aaron Bobrow-Strain, Whitman College<br><br>
Blasé Bonpane, Office of the Americas<br><br>
Jules Boykoff, Pacific University <br><br>
Rachel Brahinsky, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Rosalind Bresnahan, Latin American Perspectives<br><br>
Laura Briggs, University of Arizona<br><br>
Sandy Brown, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Joe Bryan, University of Colorado, Boulder<br><br>
Alicia del Campo, California State University Long Beach <br><br>
Frankie Cardamone, Prescott College<br><br>
Barry Carr, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Jennifer Casolo, University of California, Berkeley <br><br>
Julie A. Charlip, Whitman College<br><br>
Ronald Chilcote, University of California, Riverside<br><br>
Aviva Chomsky, Salem State College<br><br>
George Ciccariello-Maher, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Christopher Clement, Pomona College<br><br>
Nathan Clough, The University of Minnesota<br><br>
Fernando Coronil, City University of New York, Graduate Center<br><br>
Dominic Corva, Sarah Lawrence College <br><br>
Raymond B. Craib, Cornell University<br><br>
Altha Cravey, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill <br><br>
Julie Cupples, University of Canterbury<br><br>
Antonia Darder, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign <br><br>
Juanita Darling, San Francisco State University<br><br>
Pablo Delano, Trinity College<br><br>
Guillermo Delgado-P., University of California, Santa Cruz<br><br>
Jennifer Devine, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Mônica Dias Martins, State University of Ceara, Brasil <br><br>
Paul Dosh, Macalester College <br><br>
Alex Dupuy, Wesleyan University<br><br>
Jordana Dym, Skidmore College<br><br>
Marc Edelman, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of
New York<br><br>
Steve Ellner, University of Oriente (Venezuela)<br><br>
Ben Ehrenreich, Journalist and Author<br><br>
Laura Enriquez, University of California, Berkeley <br><br>
Arturo Escobar, University of North Carolina<br><br>
Alicia Estrada, California State University, Northridge<br><br>
Nicole Fabricant, University of South Florida<br><br>
Mario Fenyo, Bowie State University <br><br>
Sujatha Fernandes, Queens College and the Graduate Center, City
University of New York <br><br>
Raul Fernández, University of California, Irvine<br><br>
Ada Ferrer, New York University <br><br>
John Finn, Arizona State University<br><br>
Allan Fisher, City College of San Francisco<br>
<br>
Bill Fletcher, Jr., BlackCommentator.com<br><br>
Cindy Forster, Scripps College<br><br>
Jonathan Fox, University of California, Santa Cruz<br><br>
Dana Frank, University of California, Santa Cruz<br><br>
John D. French, Duke University<br><br>
Gavin Fridell, Trent University, Ontario, Canada<br><br>
Victoria Furio, Conference Interpreter & Translator<br><br>
Alberto J. Garcia, California State University, Northridge
California<br><br>
Kim Geron, California State University East Bay<br><br>
Asher Ghertner, University of California, Berkeley <br><br>
Shannon Gleeson, University of California, Santa Cruz <br><br>
Michel Gobat, University of Iowa<br><br>
Marcial Godoy-Anativia, New York University<br><br>
Walter L. Goldfrank, University of California, Santa Cruz<br><br>
Armando González Caban, Latin American Perspectives<br><br>
Gilbert Gonzalez, University of California, Irvine<br><br>
Evelyn Gonzalez-Mills, Montgomery College <br><br>
Jeffrey L. Gould, Indiana University<br><br>
Daniel Graham, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Laura R. Graham, University of Iowa<br><br>
Greg Grandin, New York University<br><br>
Richard Grossman, Northeastern Illinois University <br><br>
Peter Hallward, Middlesex University (U.K.)<br><br>
Nora Hamilton, University of Southern California <br><br>
Zoe Hammer, Prescott College<br><br>
John L. Hammond, City University of New York<br><br>
Tom Hayden, Author <br><br>
Mark Healey, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Daniel Hellinger, Webster University <br><br>
Adam Henne, University of Wyoming <br><br>
Luis A. Hernández, School District of Philadelphia<br><br>
Eric Hershberg, Simon Fraser University<br><br>
Doug Hertzler, Eastern Mennonite University, Washington Community
Scholars' Center<br><br>
Derrick Hindery, University of Oregon<br><br>
Raul Hinojosa, University of California, Los Angeles<br><br>
Katherine Hite, Vassar College<br><br>
Jen Hofer, poet, translator, interpreter<br><br>
Aaron Hogue, Salisbury University<br><br>
Katherine Hoyt, Nicaragua Network<br><br>
Forrest Hylton, Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá)<br><br>
Dale L. Johnson, PhD<br><br>
David Johnson, Xavier University<br><br>
Susanne Jonas, University of California, Santa Cruz<br><br>
James Jordan, Campaign for Labor Rights<br><br>
Gilbert Joseph, Yale University<br><br>
Nadine Jubb, York University<br><br>
Karen Kampwirth, Knox College<br><br>
David Kane, Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns<br><br>
Chuck Kaufman, Alliance for Global Justice<br><br>
Robin D. G. Kelly, University of Southern California<br><br>
Norma Klahn, University of California, Santa Cruz<br><br>
Sara Koopman, University of British Columbia <br><br>
Glen David Kuecker, DePauw University <br><br>
David Kunzle, University of California, Los Angeles <br><br>
Victoria Langland, University of California, Davis<br><br>
John Lear, University of Puget Sound<br><br>
George Leddy, Los Angeles Valley College<br><br>
Winnie Lem, Trent University <br><br>
Sidney Lemelle, Pomona College<br><br>
Deborah Levenson, Boston College<br><br>
David Lloyd, University of Southern California <br><br>
Rick Lopez, Amherst College<br><br>
Tehama Lopez, Duke University<br><br>
Agnes Lugo-Ortiz, University of Chicago <br><br>
Sharon Luk, University of Southern California<br><br>
Sheryl Lutjens, California State University, San Marcos<br><br>
Milton Ricardo Machuca, Pitzer College<br><br>
Kathleen A. Mahoney-Norris, Air Command and Staff College<br><br>
Maya Manzi, Clark University<br><br>
Greta Marchesi, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Peter E. Marchetti, Researcher, AVANCSO, Guatemala<br><br>
Lourdes Martinez-Echazabel, University of California, Santa Cruz
<br><br>
Kathleen McAfee, San Francisco State University<br><br>
Kendra McSweeney, The Ohio State University<br><br>
Breny Mendoza, California State University, Northridge<br><br>
Frederick B. Mills, Bowie State University <br><br>
Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Ellen Moodie, University of Illinois<br><br>
Stephanie Moore, Salisbury University<br><br>
Dorinda Moreno, Hitec Aztec Communications/FM Global<br><br>
Lena Mortensen, University of Toronto Scarborough <br><br>
Robert Naiman, Just Foreign Policy<br><br>
Guillermo Narvaez, University of California-Irvine<br><br>
Joseph Nevins, Vassar College<br><br>
Enrique Ochoa, California State University, Los Angeles<br><br>
Gilda L. Ochoa, Pomona College<br><br>
Elizabeth Oglesby, University of Arizona <br><br>
Almerindo E. Ojeda, University of California at Davis <br><br>
Andrew Orta, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign<br><br>
Paul Ortiz, University of Florida<br><br>
Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, University of Connecticut<br><br>
Tanalis Padilla, Dartmouth College <br><br>
Yajaira M. Padilla, The University of Kansas<br><br>
Pramod Parajuli, Prescott College<br><br>
Sirena Pellarolo, California State University, Northridge<br><br>
Anthony Pereira, Tulane University <br><br>
Héctor Perla, University of California, Santa Cruz<br><br>
Brandt Peterson, Michigan State University<br><br>
Adrienne Pine, American University<br><br>
Martín Plot, California Institute of the Arts<br><br>
Aaron Pollack, Instituto de Investigaciones Dr. José María Luis
Mora<br><br>
Deborah Poole, Johns Hopkins University<br><br>
Suyapa Portillo, Pomona College<br><br>
Margaret Power, Illinois Institute of Technology <br><br>
Vijay Prashad, Trinity College <br><br>
Mary Louise Pratt, New York University<br><br>
Marina Prieto-Carrron, University of Portsmouth<br><br>
Sean Purdy, Universidade de São Paulo<br><br>
Kathryn S. Quick, University of California, Irvine<br><br>
Marie Phillips Rayanne, Prescott College <br><br>
Marcus Rediker, University of Pittsburgh <br><br>
Daniel Reichman, University of Rochester<br><br>
Gerardo Renique, City College of the City University of New York<br><br>
Kenneth Roberts, Cornell University<br><br>
William I. Robinson, University of California, Santa Barbara<br><br>
Dylan Rodríguez, University of California, Riverside<br><br>
Victor M. Rodriguez, California State University, Long Beach<br><br>
Cristina Rojas, Carleton University<br><br>
Sarah T. Romano, University of California, Santa Cruz <br><br>
Renato Rosaldo, New York University<br><br>
Karin Alejandra Rosemblatt, University of Maryland <br><br>
Jan Rus, Latin American Perspectives<br><br>
Ricardo Daniel Sánchez Cárdenas, Northwestern University<br><br>
Rosaura Sanchez, University of California, San Diego<br><br>
Mario Santana, The University of Chicago<br><br>
Felicity Schaeffer-Grabiel, University of California, Santa Cruz
<br><br>
Ellen Sharp, University of California, Los Angeles<br><br>
Freya Schiwy, University of California, Riverside <br><br>
Aaron Schneider, Tulane University<br><br>
Tammi J. Schneider, Claremont Graduate University<br><br>
T.M. Scruggs, Professor Emeritus, University of Iowa<br><br>
Adam Shapiro, Prescott College <br><br>
Ellen Sharp, University of California, Los Angeles <br><br>
Kirsten Silva Gruesz, University of California, Santa Cruz<br><br>
Victor Silverman, Pomona College<br><br>
Richard Simpson, Stanford University <br><br>
Julie Skurski, City University of New York, Graduate Center <br><br>
Darryl A. Smith, Pomona College <br><br>
John Soluri, Carnegie Mellon University <br><br>
Dale Sorenson, Director, Interfaith Task Force of the Americas<br><br>
Rose Spalding, DePaul University<br><br>
Susan Spronk, University of Ottawa <br><br>
Richard Stahler-Sholk, Eastern Michigan University <br><br>
Lynn Stephen, University of
Oregon <br><br>
William S. Stewart, California State University, Chico<br><br>
Steve Striffler, University of New Orleans <br><br>
Estelle Tarica, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Diana Taylor, New York University<br><br>
Miguel Tinker Salas, Pomona College<br><br>
Sinclair Thomson, New York University<br><br>
Steven Topik, University of California, Irvine<br><br>
Mayo C. Toruno, California State University, San Bernardino<br><br>
David J. Vázquez, University of Oregon <br><br>
Jocelyn S. Viterna, Harvard University<br><br>
Steven S. Volk, Oberlin College <br><br>
Hendrik Voss, School of the Americas Watch<br><br>
Christine J. Wade, Washington College <br><br>
Diana B. Waters, Goddard College<br><br>
Penny Waterstone, University of Arizona<br><br>
Jamie Way, Venezuela Solidarity Campaign<br><br>
Jeffery R. Webber, University of Regina, Canada<br><br>
Barbara Weinstein, New York University<br><br>
Mark Weisbrot, Center for Economic and Policy Research<br><br>
Kimberly Welch, University of Redland <br><br>
Allen Wells, Bowdoin College<br><br>
Marion Werner, University of Minnesota<br><br>
Eliza Willis, Grinnell College<br><br>
Tamar Diana Wilson, Independent Scholar<br><br>
Sonja Wolf, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) <br><br>
Justin Wolfe, Tulane University<br><br>
John Womack, Harvard University <br><br>
Megan Ybarra, University of California, Berkeley<br><br>
Susy Zepeda, University of California, Santa Cruz<br><br>
Chris Zepeda-Millan, Cornell University<br><br>
Marc Zimmerman, University of Houston<br><br>
* Institutions listed only for identification<br>
<br><br>
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