Yesterday the police entered the National Autonomous University of Honduras, firing rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons, and beating students, teachers, and even the rector, as she had the temerity to approach the police to engage in dialogue. It should be noted that latin america takes great pride in a certain noble tradition: university space is never to be violated by the armed representatives of the state. It is viewed as sacred space, much like the refuge offered by a church sanctuary. So when the police entered that space yesterday, they broke an invisible barrier.
Much to their credit, the students fought back with rocks, and eventually forced the police to retreat. But the damage has been done. In the second article posted below, Union president Rene Andino states that now the people need to begin to arm themselves for self defense, and human rights defender Andre Pavon applauds the actions of the students which forced the police to retreat from the campus. Of course, it was the same Andre Pavon the other day who alluded to the possibility of a direct US military intervention as a machiavellian response to the possible onset of civil war. The US military industrial complex helps to plan the coup, (which is also perhaps a soft coup against Obama), then steps back and lets Clinton play the role of disinterested mediator between two equal sides, and then is forced, reluctantly, to use force to bring an end to the violence which it wrought in the first place. Ah, such are the heavy burdens of empire! Whether or not that scenario is played out in all of its cynical and tragic implications, we may be nonetheless entering a new phase of popular struggle for popular democracy in Honduras. Recently one could discern murmurs of discontent, that "other more profound methods" of struggle were needed to confront the military dictatorship. i am reminded of a popular radio ad run frequently on radio globo, advertising the need for women to arm themselves to protect against violence. "Una mujer armada es una mujer segura", goes the refrain (An armed woman is a safe woman). This brings to mind the t-shirts some of my friends had printed up while I was a graduate student at the University of Florida, in response to a spate of rapes and violence against women on campus. The shirt had a picture of a 38 special pointing straight ahead, with the slogan emblazoned underneath "you can't rape a 38". Indeed. As the honduran citizenry comes to the profound realization of their collective political rape at the hands of what now appears to be a US backed military dictatorship, they may be on the verge of employing a similar response. Greg McDonald For video of the police invasion see: http://hondurasoye.wordpress.com/ and: http://mimalapalabrahn.blogspot.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://hondurascoup2009.blogspot.com/ Honduras Coup 2009 Responses to the Coup d'etat in Honduras on Sunday June 28, with special emphasis on producing English-language versions of commentaries by Honduran scholars and editorial writers and addressing the confusion encouraged by lack of basic knowledge about Honduras. Wednesday, August 5, 2009 While State Department Waffles, Honduran University Members are Beaten As news comes that the State Department has assured Senator Richard Lugar that they do not actually support President Zelaya (confirming the opinions of most of my Honduran correspondents), that they blame him for "provoking" the coup (recalling other forms of blaming the victim whose actions draw violent responses), and that they have no intention to use their economic leverage (reassuring the Micheletti regime that they can dig in and wait and eventually they will get away with their coup), the regime's threatened escalation of violence comes to fruition, unfolding as I write in the National University campus in Tegucigalpa. Here, reports from multiple correspondents, echoed by Telesur and Tiempo (of Hondurs), note that the National Police are using tear gas, beatings, and shooting at students and faculty who were engaged in peaceful protest of the illegitimate regime that is stealing their freedoms. Among those victimized by this violence: Julietta Castellano, Rector (equivalent to Chancellor) and respected symbol of the integrity of this institution. According to Olvin Rodriguez, member of the Junta Directiva (executive committee) of the university, as they were exiting with their hands up in response to police demands, they were set upon, beaten, and thrown to the ground. He writes that "Not even in the epoch of repression by the bloody General Alvarez Martinez in the 1980s was the autonomy of the university violated as it was today." The reference is to the dictator who preceded the period of almost thirty years of constitutional rule destroyed in the coup of June 28. As Honduran commentators have argued, the damage being done to the fabric of civil society will not easily be repaired. An email report from the scene sent to me at 1:45 describes a scene of horror: A half hour ago, the police force and military of the dictatorial regime imposed on Honduras, has initiated a vandalistic offensive against the National Autonomous University of Honduras. With the pretext of dissolving a peaceful demonstration of resistance that the students were carrying out at the entry to the University in Tegucigalpa, they began to throw tear gas, and as the students fled to the interior of the university grounds, they have pursued them and continue their human hunt at this moment, with SHOTS. The Rector and members of the Junta Directiva of the University, who had come out to dialogue with the police and military, have been assaulted in their physical integrity, thrown on the ground, grabbed with blows. There are wounded, the cruel repression continues in the present moments. Colleagues, students and administrators from within the University are calling us, anguished, they cannot exit, they are shooting at them, breaking in the windows and walls, the tear gas has entered the university halls, they feel they are suffocating and are afraid to come out and be shot with bullets. Meanwhile, a second correspondent, whose father is among those trapped on the campus, writes that Radio Globo is reporting that at least three wounded have been transported by a Red Cross ambulance for medical care. These reports also say the Police Commander Somoza, supposedly in charge, disclaims any knowledge of whoever is giving orders to this contingent of police and military. Radio Globo reports that students have armed themselves with stones and are attacking the police and commandos, pushing them back, but that strong reinforcements are coming for the military. It is imperative that the US State Department NOT BE ALLOWED to ignore these latest acts of violent repression by the Honduran regime. The State Department MUST DENOUNCE these actions, and must take action to punish the regime and induce it to cease its campaign of terror against its citizens. {When pigs fly} http://www.rlp.com.ni/noticias/general/58025 Bestial represión enfurece a dirigentes populares (audio) Tegucigalpa. Por Dick Emanuelsson, Radio La Primerísima. | agosto 6, 2009 El hastío por la represión colma la paciencia de los dirigentes populares en Honduras. Ante la bestial represión que este miércoles desataron los militares con los estudiantes universitarios, ya hay voces pidiendo otras formas de lucha. Andrés Pavón, presidente del Comité de Derechos Humanos de Honduras (CODEH) , confiesa que "hoy he recibido una lección de la resistencia en la Universidad. Los muchachos han ganado, han triunfado acá hoy". Pavón habló así de la enconada resistencia de miles de universitarios y trabajadores del a Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH), cuyo recito fue mancillado hoy por las hordas militares de la dictadura de Michelleti. Ellos resistieron y expulsaron a los policías antimotines que no solamente atacaron a las desarmadas masas hondureñas en el territorio de Alma Mater, sino violentó ese territorio atacando brutalmente disparando por lo menos 150 balas de gomas más los gases lacrimógenas, contaba Pavón. Ni siquiera la vicerrectora de la UNAH, Rutilia Calderón, se salvó de la represión cuando intentaba de negociar con la fuerza uniformada y fue golpeada en su pecho por un agente y tirada a la calle. La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras no apoyaba oficialmente la manifestación de los estudiantes, pero cuando los policías empezaron a atacar a los jóvenes y estos a responder con piedras, la rectora, Julieta Castellanos, salió a mediar. Se acercó a los uniformados para hablar, pero la empujaron hasta que se cayó. "No tenían por qué entrar hasta el campus universitario, vamos a demandar por eso a la policía", se quejó. Esta es la entrevista con Andrés Pavón (en mp3) René Andino, presidente del Sindicato de Trabajadores de la UNAH, Sitraunah advierte al régimen de facto de Micheletti que el pueblo puede empezar de armarse para defenderse. "Ni en la época más oscuras de la década -80 cuando había un régimen represivo, habían entrado como han hecho hoy. Vamos a luchar hasta las últimas consecuencias para que el país vuelva a la institucionalidad en nuestro país." El pueblo y los universitarios se defienden, con piedras contra francotiradores y uniformados con todo tipos de armas. "Hoy lamentablemente solo contamos con piedras que encontramos, pero mañana puede ser que contamos con armas y la situación va a ser diferente", asegura Andino. ________________________________________________ YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: [email protected] Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
