The situation in Honduras may be coming to a head, as today is what may be the last mediation session in Costa Rica. The people on the streets of Honduras are staying strong and mobilized in support of the return of president Zelaya.
One of the tactics which should be supported here in the US is a House of Representatives Resolution, H Res 630, calling for president Zelaya’s return. It can be read on the Thomas/Library of Congress website, at http://thomas.loc.gov. (just type in the information into the website search engine).
Everybody should be calling, faxing and writing their Congresspersons to ask them to co-sponsor and support these resolutions, which are being promoted by numerous progressive organizations including School of the Americas Watch, Latin American Working Group and others. The resolution has 21 cosponsors so far; it needs many more very quickly to have any impact. The right wing has also introduced a resolution applauding the coup.
Below is a copy of a letter I sent to my two Senators, Jim Webb and Mark Warner, asking them to sponsor a companion resolution to H Res 630 in the Senate.
Dear Senator Webb:
I am concerned about the situation in the Republic of Honduras, where, on June 28, the military overthrew the legally elected president, Manuel Zelaya.
Unlike the practice of previous administrations, President Obama took a correct stand by recognizing the illegitimacy of the coup, and calling for President Zelaya’s return to office.
But meanwhile, we are getting reports of serious human rights violations within Honduras, while the de-facto regime installed by the coup has shown itself intransigent against demands from the OAS, the UN General Assembly and others that they return to the constitutional order. They have put out a lot of false stories and have even sent a delegation to Capitol Hill to try and get the support of your colleagues for their illegal ultra-right regime. And although I salute President Obama’s clear statement on the Honduras issue, it is also clear that the U.S. Department of Defense is continuing to support the Honduran armed forces, and various kinds of aid are going to Honduras which can only help the coup regime.
Some of your colleagues in the House have introduced a resolution, H Res 630, that I believe expresses a very correct position toward the situation in Honduras. It calls, among other things, for a cutoff of military and other non-humanitarian aid to the coup regime headed by Roberto Micheletti until the latter steps down and President Zelaya is returned to office.
As a Virginia voter and taxpayer, I would like to ask you to introduce a similar resolution in the Senate, or to support such a resolution if another of your colleagues should introduce it.
Sincerely
Emile M. Schepers PhD.
Virginia
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