War on Want partner speaks out against the coup in Honduras
06 July 2009
On Sunday 28 June, the Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was kidnapped from his home and flown to Costa Rica in what is being referred to as a coup. Zelaya has vowed to return to the country, but his attempt last night to fly into Tegucigalpa, the capital, was thwarted by the military. Roberto Micheletti, the previous speaker of Congress, has taken power.
Codemuh has described the coup as a violation of the nation's constitution and a breach of democracy. The actions of the army have led to serious political and social unrest within the Central American republic. Since the coup, Codemuh has reported the blocking of TV and radio channels, as well as the internet, limiting citizens' access to information. On top of this, the thousands of people who have taken to the streets in protest of the coup have faced an aggressive and violent response from armed forces.
War on Want supports Codemuh's call for the international community to facilitate dialogue between the different Honduran state apparatus involved in the crisis. This should bring about an agreement which will return not only peace and stability to the country but see the enforcement of true, participatory democracy.
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