Statement in Solidarity with the people of Honduras

Submitted by admin on Sat, 07/04/2009 - 00:41

July 3, 2009

Statement in Solidarity with the People of Honduras, by Vancouver based Latin American and allied Organizations

We express our collective outrage and condemn the coup d’état that has taken place in Honduras by leaders of the right wing military junta-that have been trained as mercenaries and dictators in the School of the Americas.

We express our deepest sentiments of solidarity with the people of Honduras, who have taken to the streets to demand their democratically elected president José Manuel Zelaya be allowed to return and finish his term in office. Taking the led from the people of Honduras, who are defending their democratic rights and the depending of their democratic process, we demand the following from the international community and the Canadian government:

-That they refuse to recognize the de-facto government of Roberto Michelletti or any other government of a similar character.

-That coup leaders recognize President Zelaya as the
constitutional president of Honduras and accept his return. If this
does not occur, Canada must withdraw its ambassador, following the
example set by Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, and
Nicaragua.

-The immediate lifting of the State of Emergency and the end to all acts of repression again the Honduran people. Canada should demand the liberty of all the democratic leaders that have been detained illegally.

-That Canadian companies active in Honduras, like Gildan Activewear, Goldcorp Inc, Breakwater Resources, and Yamana Gold halt all operations in Honduras until the democratically elected president returns to his post.

- That Canada immediately halt all Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the Central America Four (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador)

Endorsed by La Surda Latin American Collective, Canada-Bolivia Solidarity committee, Café Rebelde Collective, Coalition against Intervention in Latin America

European Union Urged to reconsider its role in Central America

Submitted by dawn on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 13:46

Brussels, Belgium, July 1st, 2009 - On the day that the European Union was expected to announce the suspension of its new free trade negotiations with Central America, Friends of the Earth International calls for an end to the process of free trade negotiations that the EU is promoting in Central America, and recommends a full reconsideration by the EU of its role in the region. [1]

“The entire free trade model promoted in Central America by the EU with the Association Agreements must be stopped immediately, and its impacts on human rights and the environment must be assessed. Transnational corporations have been strengthened by this model, but not people’s rights. In the case of Honduras, it is evident that the interests to deepen free trade even further are behind the coup d’état, because the corporate sectors have explicitly supported the attack on democracy. The coup is carried out precisely in a moment when Zelaya’s administration was intending to address this free trade model with specific measures”, stated Sebastián Valdomir, international co-coordinator of the Economic Justice- Resisting Neoliberalism Program at Friends of the Earth International

Friends of the Earth International recommends:

1) The EU should not negotiate with any government guilty of violations to human rights, and this applies for the regime installed after the coup in Honduras, and also for the cases of Peru and Colombia, where violations to the rights of indigenous people, peasants, unionists and the population in general, are part of everyday life. The main goal of the relations between the EU and the Central American countries should be the realization and absolute respect for human rights, and thus, the process of free trade negotiations in the framework of the Association Agreement must be stopped. There is strong evidence that they only worsen the internal fractures of Central American societies, favouring some sectors, to the detriment of the popular majority.

Acceptable Versus Unacceptable Repression: A Lesson in Canadian Imperial Hypocrisy

Submitted by dawn on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 13:31

June has been a difficult month for progressive activists around the world. Mass protests in Iran and indigenous blockades in Peru were met with heavy repression, while a left-of-centre President in Honduras was ousted in a military coup. What these tragic events do offer us, however, is a very clear perspective on Canadian foreign policy.

Consider the Canadian response to the events in Iran. Canada issued three press releases on the events in Iran, all by Foreign Affairs Minister, Lawrence Cannon. The first was on June 15 after the repression against the protests challenging electoral fraud began. It called for an investigation into the allegations of fraud by the Iranian government and condemned the government’s move to ban protests.

On June 21, after perhaps the worst day of violent repression of protesters in Iran up to that point by government security forces and the government-aligned militia, in which more than a dozen people were killed, Canada issued a sharp condemnation of the Iranian government. In the press release, Cannon stated that:

“Canada condemns the decision of the Iranian authorities to use violence and force against their own people ... The Iranian people deserve to have their voices heard, without fear of intimidation and violence. Canada condemns the use of force to stifle dissent, and we continue to call on Iran to fully respect all of its human rights obligations, both in law and in practice, and to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the fraud allegations.”

A third statement was released on June 25 calling for the release of political prisoners and personally criticizing the Iranian official put in charge of the investigation of the detained reformist leaders.

Canadian mines in Honduras

Submitted by dawn on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 00:00
Reuters ran a short piece today indicating that the two operating Canadian owned mines in Honduras are still in production despite the military coup. Toronto based Yamana Gold and Breakwater Resources both have operating mines in the Central American country. Social and environmental conflict has peaked around Canadian mines over the past few years. Vancouver mining giant Goldcorp shut its San Martin mine in the department of Francisco Morazón over a year ago.

Gildan Activewear, from Haiti to Honduras

Submitted by dawn on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 22:42

Following a media blip after the 2004 coup in Haiti, Montreal's Gildan Activewear has again scored media attention in Canada, this time for its operations in post-coup Honduras.

The National Post reported today that:

While the day-to-day operations of Gildan’s manufacturing facilities are unlikely to be affected, an estimated 60% of its activewear and more than 50% of its socks are made in Honduras.

So after 30 years of peaceful democracy, [Desjardins Securities analyst Martin Landry] now believes investors will apply a geopolitical risk discount to Gildan. The analyst sees little risk that the country’s assets will be nationalized and suggested the coup may turn out to be a positive for Gildan if it brings back a more business-friendly government.

(Emphasis mine). I think it's time to set the Canada Haiti Action Network's team of intrepid researchers on Honduras, following the scent of a sweatshop-made t-shirt.

[Photo by Oswaldo Rivas.]

Military Coup unfolding in Honduras

Submitted by dawn on Sun, 06/28/2009 - 14:05

According to reports from national human rights organizations, at
approximately 1am the president of Honduras, Mel Zelaya and his family were captured by the military. He was taken to a military airport. He denounced the military coup and his capture to TeleSur over the telephone from Costa Rica.

It is also reported that other members of the government,
particularly the ministers, are being arrested, and that cars with
diplomatic license plates are being stopped and searched to facilitate
the detentions.

Robert Michelletti, one of the strongest opponents of the president
and president of the Congress, is rumored to be backed by the military
to assume the presidency.

Communications have been interrupted. The national press, all
strongly opposed to the president, is silent. Channel 8, established
by President Zelaya after years of press censorship, and was shut
down. Community radios have been cut off.

Nationally the national telephone system was shut down, and the
national energy grid has been shut down in many areas.

The national telephone system was temporarily cut off, and in some
areas cellular phones are not longer operating.

The military is occupying the entire county, and has established
checkpoints in the entry and exits of towns, presumably to restrict
protesters and possibly to facilitate detentions.

Despite the military occupation there are protests throughout the
country and repression is being report.

We are extremely concerned for the safety of the human rights
organizations that have supported the President and the efforts for
Constitutional Reform.

Currently there are reports of the military pursuing civil society
leaders in the street. COPINH, the National Council of Indigenous
Peoples has strongly backed the constitutional reform effort. The home
of Bertha Caceres, a leader of COPINH, has been under military and
police surveillance for several days. Today leaders of COPINH have

Peace Surge

Submitted by Eileenonline on Wed, 06/17/2009 - 18:53

If the vote at City Council is to preserve Ottawa's ban on arms shows, then it will require a widespread, grassroots surge of support from scores of peace-minded citizens.

GroundWire 2009 June 12 Edition

Submitted by GroundWire on Wed, 06/17/2009 - 01:02

GroundWire is a twice-monthly dose of grassroots independent journalism from the campus community radio sector of Canada.

This is the first bi-weekly edition of GroundWire, thanks to a grant from the Canadian Media Fund.

Presenting the June 12, 2009 Features:

- Akwesasne Mohawks stand off against the Canadian Border Services Agency | Laurin Liu (CKUT)

- Riot police evict squatters at the Autonomous Social Centre in Montreal | David Koch (CKUT)

- Toronto commemorates Injured Workers Day, June 1st | Krisitn Schwartz (CHRY)

- Opposition to the Alberta Tar Sands is on the rise | Chris Albinati (CKUT)

- Alberta continues to debate the controversial Bill 44 | Joe Burima (CJSW)

The following are the Headlines for June 12, 2009:

Stop the Raids campaign launched in Toronto. | Omme Rahemtullah (CHRY)

Montrealers called on the government to bring Abousfian Abdelrazik home. | Andrea Macnevin (CKDU)

We are looking for contributions for our next edition. Interested in participating? email news@ckdu.ca to find out how.

The June 12 edition of GroundWire was produced at the National Campus and Community Radio Conference in Montreal, June 8-13, 2009.

For more information, visit: groundwire.ncra.ca

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