Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Dear JASS friends,

Yesterday, we anxiously followed the news of the return to Honduras of democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted by a coup 13 weeks ago. His bold return, supported by the Brazilian government, was greeted by the mobilization of thousands of Hondurans from all over the country to the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Throughout last night and today, we have received numerous calls for help and solidarity from our Honduran allies as reports of brutal military and police crack-downs pour in. Citizens who have come to support Zelaya, or to call for the return to constitutional order, have been met with tear gas and bullets. Hundreds have been detained - many transported to a stadium in the capital city. The de facto government has shut down the media, blocked cell phone coverage and imposed mandatory curfews. Women from the Honduran Feminists in Resistance and numerous other Hondurans are under siege without food, water or electricity and are asking for solidarity from the international community.

We ask you to communicate with your government leaders, elected representatives and the international community to denounce the violence in Honduras. To those of you who are American citizens, we urge you to take action by contacting President Obama, the US State Department, and your Congressional Representatives, urging the US government to send a firm message to the coup leaders that the US will not accept the removal of a democratically-elected government. While the US government has condemned the coup publicly, it has not taken the decisive steps necessary - such as economic sanctions - to communicate unequivocally that we stand with democratic institutions and against violence.

We welcome your comments, and thank you for your action.

The JASS team

To hear live interviews (in Spanish) with women under siege in Honduras, visit Radio Feminista's website

The Road to Zelaya's Return: Money, Guns, and Social Movements in Honduras by Benjamin Dangl

Clinton, Speak Clearly Now to Avoid a Massacre in Honduras by Laura Carlsen

Democracy Now - Report from Honduras: Ousted President Manuel Zelaya Returns to Honduras in Defiance of Coup Government