VSC Statement on military coup in Honduras

VSC Statement on military coup in Honduras

Today (Sunday June 29, 2009) there was to be non-binding national consultation as to whether the people of Honduras agreed to hold referenda at the end of the year for a new Constitional Assembly and for a new constitution. Just on Saturday June 28, President Zelaya was meeting international observers regarding details of today's (29 June) referendum.

Early this morning -June 29- (about 5:45 am Honduran time) heavily armed units of the military (according to eye witnesses, about 200 soldiers) occupied the presidential palace, arrested democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya in his personal residence, kidnapped him, taking him to an unknow destination. Eye witnesses inform that President Zelaya's personal residence is surrounded by soldiers. Telesur report that President Zelaya confirmed by phone that he is in Costa Rica.

The military then proceeded to close down Channel 8, the state TV channel to prevent it from informing the population.

President Manuel Zelaya's supporters are congregating in the streets of the capital and are moving to surround the presidential palace to demand the return of their president.

We totally and absolutely condemn the coup against democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya and demand his immediate and unconditional release as well as the immediater release of anybody else that might have been arrested by the plotters.

We demand:

1.- The immediate restitution of the constitutional order interrupted by the military coup underway in Honduras.

2.- No violence of any kind to be unleashed against the civilian population, or any of the those arrested by those carrying out the coup d'etat. There are worrying reports emerging from Tegucigalpa -Honduras cpital city- of military violence against civilians.

3.- We also urge the UK government to unequivocally condemn the coup and demand the release of President Zelaya, and the immediate return to the constitutional order.

4.- We also call upon President Barack Obama to demonstrate with acts his expressed desire to inaugurate a new period of respectful relations with the republics in Latin America, by also unreservedly condemning the coup d'etat, stating that the US will not recognise any other government in Honduras except that of the democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya.

Ken Livingstone, the former Mayor of London, and President of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, has condemned the military coup in Honduras and demanded the release of the democratically elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya.

Ken Livingstone said:

'I totally condemn the military coup and kidnapping of the democratically elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya.

'President Zelaya was working to free his country from decades hunger and poverty. This military coup is an illegal attempt to use armed force to overturn the course of democracy and social progress chosen by the Honduran people at the polls.

'The world should unite to stop this attempt to return Latin America to the bloody past of military coups to block the will of the people.

'I call particularly upon the British government to unreservedly condemn this military coup and to demand the immediate release of President Zelaya and to urge President Obama, who has promised a new era of relations between the US and South America, to do everything in his power to support the release of President Zelaya and restoration of democracy in Honduras.'

Francisco Dominguez
Secretary Venezuela Solidarity Campaign