Costa Rican leader blasts Honduran civil rights decree

[struggle4progress]

Costa Rican leader Oscar Arias said a restrictive decree suspending some civil rights in Honduras remained in place despite promises by the nation's de facto leader.

BY FRANCES ROBLES
[email protected]

Condemning the Honduran coup as a throwback to Latin America's ugly history, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias said Tuesday that the country can't have free and fair elections until its de facto government lifts a repressive decree that silenced opposition media and forbade public gatherings.

Speaking at the Americas Conference in Coral Gables, the Nobel Peace Prize winner said he spoke Monday with Honduras' acting President Roberto Micheletti, who assured him that he would withdraw a restrictive decree that suspended some civil rights. But despite Micheletti's promises, the decree issued Sunday remains in place, critical news stations remain shut down, and opponents are worried.

``What kind of democratic elections are these, in which public meetings cannot take place without the authorization of the army?'' Arias said.

``What kind of democratic elections are these, in which the media can be closed for opposing unspecified `government resolutions?' ...

http://www.miamiherald.com/1477/story/1258651.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. The election really must be postponed. At this point, even if the Junta decides, in its infinite

solicitude for the human and civil rights of the Honduran people, to 'restore' their human and civil rights, there is only one month to the election. Campaigning officially began in August. All leftist candidates and leftist organizers have been severely disadvantaged, and all of the voters have been denied objective information since June. Further, the country is under a terrorist siege. People are being dragged or tear gassed out of their homes--the military is doing this in numerous barrios (sounds like Iraq, actually), and they and protestors are being viciously beaten. Some have been killed. There are thousands of political prisoners--some whose location and fate are unknown--with reports of torture including rape. Many government leaders have demanded immediate cessation of this "executive order" of the so-called 'president' suspending all civil rights in Honduras, and Mitcheletti sarcastically said he would do it in a week or so, "if necessary." IF NECESSARY. Maybe next week.

This is a foul game, I must say. These bastards think they can get away with "permitting" civil rights at the last moment and pushing some puppet forward as the new "elected" face of the backgrounded Junta, and there are likely some bastards here telling them that they can. The spin will be spun.

Honduras needs to become an OAS or UN protectorate, right now, before these criminals start dropping leftists out of airplanes over the Caribbean, or forcing them to dig mass graves. I know there are risks with UN peacekeepers--and this whole thing could even be a US rightwing strategy (or an administration strategy? --unsure yet) to get more US troops into Latin America, to continue the Junta's work of stopping the widespread leftist democracy movement in Honduras, under the mask of international police action. I certainly wouldn't put that past the Bushwhack moles that our government is still riddled with, and fascist operatives like John McCain. I do think, though, that South American leaders like da Silva in Brazil and Chavez in Venezuela--in fact, all of them--Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Nicaragua, etc.--and the OAS, would not let it be a US war/occupation. And I hate--I REALLY, REALLY HATE--the further militarization of this situation, and the use of force. But I'm beginning to think there is no alternative--unless the Honduran people are able to do the impossible: get past all the military checkpoints and roadblocks, all over the country, avoid the military shooting the tires out on their protest busses, evade arrest, and successfully gather in massive numbers in the capitol for a non-violent civil resistance action involving millions. They need to shut down the capitol and literally, and peacefully, seize the reins of their government.

"V."