Honduras Update 10/22/09: Day 117 of the Coup

Action Alert from IFCO/Pastors for Peace on behalf of the National Resistance Front Against the Coup in Honduras:
“DIALOGUE” IS AT A STALEMATE; REPRESSION CONTINUES;
SEND POSTCARDS TO OBAMA!

1) Since October 7 a misleading process of “dialogue” has taken place
in Honduras between the illegal coup forces and representatives of
President Zelaya and the Resistance Front. The coup government has
tried to use these so-called "negotiations" to delay the return of
democracy while continuing to maintain a state of siege. The
representatives of the National Resistance Front Against the Coup left
the dialogue after it was made clear that the most important issue to
the people of Honduras, the restitution of President Zelaya, was not to
be discussed. The people’s right to a Constitutional Assembly was also
not to be discussed. President Zelaya and the Resistance Front entered
the "negotiations" in good faith and have been met with the Micheletti
forces’ unwillingness to discuss the most fundamental issues of the
coup.

2) Reactionary forces within the United States such as the
International Republican Institute and its chair, Senator John McCain
(R-AZ), Congresspersons Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Lincoln
Diaz-Balart (R-FL), still seek to legitimize the coup government and
all its undemocratic measures. In repeated statements during these
troubled times for the Honduran people they have called for the US to
fully recognize the coup government and its illegimate elections
scheduled for November 29th. Through expensive lobbying and well
crafted lies they also want to convince the Congress and the US people
of the US that “nothing has changed” in Honduras. Their tactics have
included congressional delegations to meet with the illegitimate
president Roberto Micheletti as well as holding briefings inside the US
Capitol building with fraudulent members of the coup government and US
businessmen who support the coup. They have even been able to submit
two resolutions in Congress (HR 619 & HR 749) whose intention is to
formally call the illegal military coup a democratic and constitutional
transition of power.

The people of Honduras continue to be in resistance to the brutal and
illegal coup regime in Honduras. Thousands of courageous Hondurans are
in the streets every day demonstrating for the restoration of
democracy, even in the face of massive repression. President Zelaya,
along with a group of his supporters, is still in refuge inside the
Brazilian Embassy. But the US government still has not taken a clear
stand against the coup. President Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize,
but has done nothing to condemn the gross miscarriage of justice and
constitutional law in Honduras.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
We’ve designed a postcard that you can send to President Obama urging
that he condemn the human rights violations in Honduras and place
stronger sanctions against the illegitimate coup regime. Lets flood the
White House with this urgent message! (Contact IFCO/Pastors for Peace
for postcards, reply to this email to let us know how many we can send
you to distribute in your community!)

ASK YOUR REP TO SIGN ON TO REP GRIJALVA'S LETTER ABOUT HONDURAS!
Rep Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus, has
taken leadership on this issue by writing several strong letters to
President Obama. His current letter urges the Obama administration to
"clearly and unequivocally reject and denounce the repression by this
illegitimate regime," to state that the elections planned for November
"cannot and will not be considered free and fair by our government,"
and to "step up its efforts to bring about a prompt restoration of
democracy in Honduras."

Ask your representative in the House to sign on to Rep Grijalva's
letter — and let him/her know that we OPPOSE the coup in Honduras, and
that the US must be on the side of democracy and constitutional process
in Honduras — not on the side of the thugs and murderers perpetrating
this illegal coup.

CALL CONGRESS! CALL THE WHITE HOUSE! CALL THE STATE DEPARTMENT! Demand
that they stop the violence and bring about an end to the coup!
Congressional switchboard: 202/225-3121
President Barack Obama 202/456-1111 www.whitehouse.gov
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: 202/647-9572 secretary@state.gov

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