Arriving in the capital of Honduras one would not suspect that this country is in the midst of a serious political crisis.  The everyday bustle and excitement of a Latin American city is apparent:  the venders still bellow, the helpless still plead and the hordes of people still rush around the streets with smiles and kind eyes.  It is business as usual here in the capital of Honduras. 

Upon closer inspection however, the fully armed soldiers sprinkled across the city, and the abundance of posters and graffiti illustrate a nation under tension and a thriving resistance against an illegal oligarchic military regime.  For five months now the legal and constitutional president of the country, Manuel Zelaya, has been officially powerless after being ousted by a military backed elitist regime.  While his official duties as president have been taken away from him, his will to lead the people remains, and his followers have not given up despite fierce repression. 

    At one point months ago, when the resistance first became necessary, the people came out in thousands to express their anger and frustration at the attack on their democracy, but as time carried on and the repression increased, fear and hopelessness began to overpower the spirit of resistance.  Ironically, this government that claims to be protecting the constitution of the country, swiftly took measures to stifle the rights of the people. 

Just days after the coup Decree # 001-2009 was issued by the de facto President Roberto Micheletti which suspended the constitutional rights of personal liberty; freedom of association and assembly; the right to freedom of movement; and the right to leave, enter, or stay within national territory. 

These rights can all be found in the Honduran constitution under articles 69, 71, 72, 78, 79, 81, 84, and 99.  Under the veil of this “legal” decree and the apparent need to maintain peace within the country, a series of systematic human rights abuses have been carried out by the de facto regime.  Such abuses include extrajudicial executions; arbitrary detentions and assaults; disappearances; torture; and the use of death threats.  Various leaders of social movements have gone into hiding or exile after severe persecution by the military and police. 

Furthermore, a media blackout has been carried out against any media outlets critical of the regime.  Journalists have been attacked and threatened; radio transmissions have been blocked and stations have been shut down, basically freedom of expression has been discontinued.  The political and constitutional dynamics or the legality of the entire situation is a different subject altogether.  Political and ideological affiliations aside, these are severe and blatant human rights violations that continue to be carried out in this country; they have been confirmed and verified by various international bodies including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations.
 

The repression has certainly instilled fear within the people, but it has not silenced them.  Upon my arrival I was taken to a local Union headquarters where the National Front against the Coup has been meeting every Sunday to discuss plans and actions.  As we got out of the taxi the driver asked us if we were part of the resistance, when we told him that we were there to support them he told us that he too was a resistance supporter but that he was too scared to say or do anything.  There was a man at the front door searching people – several months ago a bomb exploded during one of the meetings.  I was surprised when I was told that this meeting was a small turnout, as the excitement and vibe in the room left me feeling hopeful.  Later as we walked down a street we came across some graffiti that really spoke to both the repression and the spirit of resistance in this country right now.  “When the media is shut down, the walls speak”. 

I’ve been in Honduras for two days now, and my preconceptions have been verified.  It would be misleading to say that there is not a division of society here, but the reasons for this division are complicated and are a largely the result of propaganda, misinformation, and simple political apathy.  What is clear is that there is in fact a large, vibrant and organized movement of people that are against the current regime, that only desire for democracy to be restored in their nation.  Although the resistance has dwindled somewhat over the months, it is speculated that over the next week, as the controversial elections approach, the people are going to rise up.  There is also speculation that the coup regime will take whatever measures necessary to suppress their voices.  In the meantime we can only watch and wait and spread the word about what is happening here in Honduras.