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Honduras Repression Continues September 2, 2010

Posted by rogerhollander in Honduras, Human Rights, Latin America.
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Honduras

The teachers resistance and collective strength was shown over the past month. Due to their grassroots organizing against the oppressive regime of Honduran President Porfirio Lobo, on August 31, the Latin American Herald Tribune reported that Honduran teachers have ended their month-long strike on the promise that the government will pay 3.6 billion lempiras, about $189 million, which is only part of what is owed to the educators’ pension fund. It is still unclear though what will occur with the general strike, which is still in its preparatory stages.

Images shows repression and aggression used by police and military against peaceful teacher protests in TEGUCIGALPA, the capital of Honduras.

The illegitimate regime of has proven this August that it has little respect for human rights and democracy. The militarization of the country under this regime has a direct connection to U.S. military training. Gen. Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez, who overthrew democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya in a military coup on June 28, 2009, was educated at the School of the Americas which promoted a mind set advocating for military solutions and lack of respect of democracy and civilian leadership. “We’re not surprised. Vásquez is one of the key players, an SOA grad who’s keeping alive the school’s nickname, the School of Coup,” says Father Roy Bourgeois, founder of School of Americas Watch.

The teachers of Honduras have been on strike in opposition to the Lobo military regime – a last resort to get the respect they deserve. According to human rights advocates, violence against the strikers has increased dramatically during the past couple of weeks. In protests on August 26 and 27 outside the presidential residency and the National Pedagogical University Francisco Morazan in Tegucigalpa, police countered the peaceful strikes with tear gas and rubber bullets, detaining some and denying medical access to the wounded.

The Honduras Solidarity Network (HSN) has expressed that “the recent brutal attacks by government forces against non-violent protests show that there has been no reconciliation after last year’s coup d’etat, and the U.S. government’s policy of support for the current government must be changed.” But while the relationship between the people and the government is becoming more conflicting, the masses are joining together in opposition. Members of campesino organizations, trade unions and student groups joined the teachers in solidarity. Although they have different struggles, all are joining together under the umbrella of the National Popular Resistance Front (FNRP) to oppose Lobo’s military regime and his attempts to privatize public sectors, including education.

“Our protests are in opposition to the actions and intention of the dictator to apply laws that favor the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, that abolish social conquests and hand over public goods and natural resources to corrupt business people and transnational corporations.” -FNRP Comminique No. 17

Among the protestors were women and children who were shown no mercy at the hands of the military and police brutality. Some of their demands include:

  • Return of stolen money. National Institute for Teacher Welfare (Inprema) was plundered by the coup masters “of more than four million two hundred thousand lempiras (approximately US $221,965) worth of contributions and pay deductions to teacher loan repayments.” The missing money is suspected to be used to fund the military regime.
  • Prevent passage of General Law of Education. This law has already passed through two revisions in the National Congress and awaits final approval. It will restrict education access for children up to 15 years of age, while providing only privately run high schools. This will further increase the gap between rich and poor while the profits will go directly into the hands of the oligarchy.
  • Demand increases to minimum wage. Currently minimum wage does not come close to a daily living wage.

    The National Popular Resistance Front (FNRP) “calls on all people to continue permanent actions of peaceful resistance in order to weaken the regime and require the convocation of a constituent assembly in accordance with the contents and structure defined by the Frente.”

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