Latin América
Social and Political
Struggles of Honduras
By Carlos Quintanilla
The Honduran National Popular Resistance Front surpassed its goal of collecting 1.25 million signatures to demand the return of former President Manuel Zelaya.
According to community station Globo Radio, the signatures were collected in cities, towns and villages of the country’s 18 provinces.
The aim of the resistance movement is to convene a Constituent Assembly to change the constitution in effect since 1982, and to rebuild the country after the 2009 coup. The Resistance Front is demanding that the government of Porfirio Lobo guarantee the former President safe return to Honduras.
Meanwhile, according to El Heraldo newspaper, Honduran Telecommunications Company (Hondutel) workers have warned of progressive strikes if management continues to hire independent labor in order to dodge its obligations to collective contracts.
Hondutel employees charge the state company with hiring independent workers while firing more than 600 technicians during recent months. They have declared that if the state company does not stop undermining union workers they will go on a progressive strike which could result in a national mobilization.
Violence continues against media personnel.
Globo Radio has denounced the attack on its journalist, Luis Galdamez, who escaped uninjured after gunmen shot at him in the doorway of his home around midnight during September, when he was returning home after finishing his broadcast.
“This year alone, one dozen journalists working in different media and different regions have been killed violently. Others left Honduras after being threatened,” announced Radio Progreso, another community station.
Radio Progreso added that journalists are one of the groups most affected since the June 28, 2009 coup against Zelaya. “There have been 300 attacks, ranging from assaults and abuse, to intimidation, censorship and the shutdown of news agencies,” the community radio station reported.
Carlos Quintanilla writes about Latin American issues in Los Angeles. Who isn’t on KPFK at the moment.
———-
