Sunday, June 28, 2009

Barrio Nuevo's Statement on the Coup in Honduras

Barrio Nuevo continues to strongly condemn and oppose the military coup d’état carried out in Honduras forcibly removing the democratically-elected President, Manuel Zelaya. We call for the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of President Zelaya and for those responsible for ordering and carrying out the coup d’état to be brought to justice. Barrio Nuevo stands in solidarity with the Honduran people as they mobilize in the streets to denounce the coup in the face of violent repression from the military.

The Canadian government’s position remains unacceptably ambiguous. Although it has denounced the coup, the Canadian government continues to qualify its position by referring to an alleged and unsubstantiated violation of the Honduran constitution by democratically-elected President Zelaya as a possible justification for the illegal actions taken by the Honduran military. For example, in the OAS, Peter Kent, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs, is insisting this is not a simple one-sided problem, “that Mr. Zelaya was a highly polarizing figure who clashed with the Supreme Court, Congress and army,” that “there has to be an appreciation of the events that led up to the coup.” This equivocal position of the Canadian government must be rejected. Such implied justification for the coup from the Canadian government is dangerous and irresponsible at best. At worst, it bolsters the current illegal government in Honduras, a regime that has suspended various civil rights and is detaining without charge leaders and members of Honduran civil society. There is and can be no justification for the Honduran military coup and militarization of the country.

Please call or send a message to Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, demanding that the Canadian government unconditionally 1) denounce the coup d’état; 2) not recognize any illegal government in Honduras; 3) call for the immediate reinstatement of President Zelaya. Please send copies of any correspondence to Minister of State for the Americas, Peter Kent, and to the leaders of the three opposition parties. Finally, we call on allies and progressive organizations to support Honduran democracy, to demand President Zelaya’s reinstatement, and to remain vigilant as further actions and demonstrations are organized.

Contact:
Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Tel: 613-992-5516
Fax: 613-992-6802
Email: CannoL@parl.gc.ca

Peter Kent, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas)
Tel: 613-992-0253
Fax: 613-992-0887
Email: Kent.P@parl.gc.ca

Michael Ignatieff
Leader, Liberal Party of Canada
Email: IgnatM@parl.gc.ca

Gilles Duceppe
Leader, Bloc Quebecois
Email: DucepG@parl.gc.ca

Jack Layton
Leader, New Democratic Party of Canada
Email: LaytoJ@parl.gc.ca

For more information or to get involved, contact Barrio Nuevo, barrionuevo.canada@gmail.com