Honduras
Honduras: Agreement signed for democratic rights
By Felipe Stuart Cournoyer and John Riddell
May 24, 2011 -- http://johnriddell.wordpress.com, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal with permission -- On May 22, Hondura's president Porfirio Lobo Sosa and former president José Manuel Zelaya Rosales signed an agreement 'For National Reconciliation and the Consolidation of the Democratic System in the Republic of Honduras".
Lobo was elected in November 2009 in a rigged vote organised by the regime installed through the June 28, 2009, military coup that overthrew Zelaya. The majority of Latin American and Caribbean nations refused to recognise the legitimacy of the Lobo government, despite the strong support it received from the United States and Canada.
The present agreement, finalised in Cartagena, Colombia, also bears the signatures of Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos and Venezuela's foreign minister Nicolás Maduro (on behalf of President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías) as witnesses.
This agreement opens the door to significant changes in the Central American political landscape and to the re-entry of Honduras into the Organization of American States (OAS) and SICA (Central American Integration System).
Ecuador, Venezuela: Danger south of the border
Supporters of Ecuador's President Rafael Correa celebrate his return following defeat of the attempted coup.
Ecuador: Coup attempt encouraged by Washington
Huge numbers of people took to the streets of Quito, demanding the liberation of their president.
By Mark Weisbrot
October 1, 2010 -- the Guardian -- In June of last year, when the Honduran military overthrew the social-democratic government of Manuel Zelaya, President Rafael Correa of Ecuador took it personally. "We have intelligence reports that say that after Zelaya, I'm next," said Correa.
Why the left should support the boycott of Israel -- a reply to the US Socialist Workers Party
Costa Rican election result hides complex reality
By Elena Zeledon, Costa Rica
April 16, 2010 -- Costa Ricans have the highest standard of living in Central America including universal free education and health care and a social safety net of workers’ unemployment benefits and pensions that is the the envy of Central America. However, these hard-won gains are threatened by the capitalist crisis, the implementation of the Central American Free Trade Agreement and other pro-capitalist policies of the governing social democratic National Liberation Party. The NLP won re-election in February with Laura Chinchilla succeeding Oscar Arias as president. What does this mean? Will intensified attacks spark social struggles?
The reality of Costa Rican politics is always more complex than can be summed up in a few simple sentences. Such is the case when analysing the results of the February 7, 2010, election in Costa Rica.
Photo essay -- Repression in Honduras: History repeats
Photos and text by James Rodriguez
(Version en español aquí.)
February 7, 2010 -- Tegucigalpa, Honduras -- MiMundo.org
“The 1980s were characterised by a wave of violence in several countries in Latin America. Our country, Honduras, was not an exception. Even though the phenomenon of ‘disappearances’ occurred mostly during the military dictatorships, many people also vanished during democratically elected governments.”[1]
Honduras: Obama's new puppets on display; Massive demonstration as Lobo takes power
By Felipe Stuart Cournoyer, Managua
January 26, 2010 -- During the dubious Honduran election process leading up to voting day on November 27, 2009, the people would chant “Santos[1] de santo no tiene nada. Lobo de lobo lo tiene todo” ["(Elvin) Santos gets nothing from the saints; Lobo’s taken it all from the wolf.”]
Honduras: `The election was a farce, new regime will not be recognised' -- National Resistance Front
By the National Resistance Front against the Coup d'etat
Communiqué number 41
November 30, 2009 -- The National Resistance Front Against the Coup d'etat, to the Honduran people and the international community communicates:
Honduras: Why the resistance will boycott the November 29 election; Zelaya on accord
November 10, 2009 – LeftClick/Latin Radical – Ricardo Salgado, an Honduran analyst of the “
Honduras: Deal to restore Zelaya collapses under weight of US-coup regime's duplicity
Real News Network report, November 5, 2009: `US-brokered agreement looks to have strengthened coup instead of reversing it'
See also ``Honduras: Why the resistance will boycott the November 29 election; Zelaya on accord''
By Stuart Munckton
November 8, 2009 -- The accord signed on October 30 to resolve the crisis that has brought Honduras to a standstill since the June 28 military coup has collapsed. The coup leader Roberto Micheletti has continued to refuse to accept the accord’s insistence that elected President Manuel Zelaya be reinstated.