Honduras Accompaniment Project

Honduras Accompaniment Project works to accompany the nonviolent social movement in Honduras in the face of the repression begun by the coup.

Message from President Zelaya to the Honduran people July 4, 2009

 Announcing his return to Tegucigalpa today (Sunday, July 5th)

TEGUCIGALPA, July 4 (PL).—President Manuel Zelaya sent a message to the Honduran people today assuring them that he is prepared to make any effort and any sacrifice to obtain the freedom that the country needs.

Below is President Zelaya’s proclamation prior to his return tomorrow to this Central American nation to reoccupy his post after the coup d’état on June 28.

Coup d’état in Honduras elicits International Condemnation

Sunday June 28, 2009  Tom Loudon
A National Constitutional Referendum had been scheduled in Honduras for today, sparking tensions between the President and other branches of the government; the Congress and Supreme Court had ruled against the referendum during the past week.   Last Wednesday General Romeo Vasquez refused to cooperate in conducting the referendum and President Zelaya fired him. The next day President Zelaya and supporters stormed the base where the ballots were being kept, and removed them. The situation was tense, but it was expected that the referendum would be conducted today without major incident.

Military Coup in Honduras – Urgent Action Needed

On Sunday, a coup d’état was carried out against President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras by military and political forces hostile to his government. Heavily armed, hooded soldiers arrived at his residence at 5am and, after a scuffle with his security forces, kidnapped Zelaya and flew him to Costa Rica.

Later Sunday afternoon, the Honduran Congress convened an emergency session, where a letter of resignation, supposedly signed by Zelaya was read, and the previous head of Congress, Roberto Micheletti, was sworn in as the new President. Most of Zelaya’s Cabinet has been taken into custody, including Foreign Minister, Patricia Rodas, who was kidnapped by the military despite efforts on the part of Ambassadors from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to prevent her arrest.