Call Today to Support Democracy in Honduras

From:            Vivien Sansour

Call Today to Support Democracy in Honduras

On June 28, 2009, democratically elected Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was dragged out of bed, abducted, and sent to Costa Rica. This is the first military coup in the past 25 years in Central America. The Organization of American States and governments around the world, including the United States, have condemned the coup. 

Take action today to help ensure that the White House stands firmly for democracy in Honduras, condemning the military coup, the killing of five people (including a journalist and a trade unionist) and oppression of thousands of peaceful protesters, of whom 180 have been detained and 18 accused of sedition. 

A delegation of Guatemalan human rights organizations (including several of GHRC's close partners) traveled to Honduras to investigate on July 8.Rigoberta Menchu led the delegation, remarking "to live in Honduras is like living in a dark room, they don't know what is going on outside, the only available information legitimizes the coup, there is no other perspective. The coup brings back memories of persecution, fear, dread, and death.."

*Please call your congressional representative. Tell her/him to support the Delahunt-McGovern House Resolution on Honduras! The Delahunt- McGovern resolution calls for the reinstatement of Manuel Zelaya as President of Honduras and for international observation of the November elections. See text of the House Resolution and a list of the original co- sponsors here. 

ACTION:

*Call the Capitol switchboard, 202.224.3121 and ask to speak to your representative's foreign policy aide.

The Message:

I urge Representative _ to join in co-sponsoring the resolution introduced by Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-MA) and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) calling for Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to be returned to office, and welcoming the mediation efforts of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. It is important to your constituents in ______________ that the U.S. Congress be loud and clear in condemning this military coup and supporting democracy in Honduras--and the Latin American region.

*Or send an e-mail to your representative's office with this same message here.

Thanks to the the Latin America Working Group for organizing this initiative. Go to www.lawg.org, for updates on this legislation and on the current situation in Honduras more generally.