The San Francisco, California Labor Council passed a new Honduras resolution denouncing the Nov. 29 “elections,” and demanding that Washington refuse to recognize any election organized by the repressive coup regime.

 

Emergency Resolution of the San Francisco Labor Council – Adopted Nov. 23, 2009 by unanimous vote

Whereas, following the June 28, 2009 military coup in Honduras, the San Francisco Labor Council and AFL-CIO National Convention both passed resolutions in September demanding immediate reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya, restoration of all labor and democratic rights, and an immediate halt to all U.S. aid to the coup government. The Honduran labor movement is at the heart of the National Resistance to the coup; and

Whereas, since that time President Zelaya is still taking refuge in the Brazilian Embassy; the Honduran people led by the National Resistance Front against the coup continue to mount massive daily demonstrations against the coup regime; and the coup government continues to deploy the U.S.-trained army and police in an attempt to suppress the popular will and prevent the exercise of democratic rights; and

Whereas, a U.S.-brokered deal [the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accords] to reinstate President Zelaya by November 5th – in preparation for the Nov. 29th elections – has unraveled. Nov. 5th came and went and the coup regime refused to restore Zelaya to the Presidency. As a result President Zelaya, denouncing the “bad faith” of the U.S. government, said the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accords were “a dead letter”. The National Resistance Front confirmed it could not participate in nor recognize the legitimacy of the Nov. 29th elections under these conditions; and

Whereas, mass tear-gassing and beating of protesters has continued. There is a total lack of political space for opposition candidates to campaign and for the expression of any dissident political opinion. Under the current coup regime, conditions for free, fair and open elections are non-existent; and

Whereas, the National Resistance Front has denounced the Nov. 29th elections as a scheme by “the de facto regime that is repressing the people and violating the civil and human rights of its citizens, with the goal of validating the dictatorship of the oligarchy.” It said that participating in such an electoral exercise “would give legitimacy to the coup regime or its successor.” The Front also stressed that “our stance in opposition to the electoral farce will remain firm even if President Zelaya is reinstated between now and Nov. 29th, since 20 days or less is too short a time to dismantle an electoral fraud many months in the making,” and since there is no time for opposition candidates to mount a campaign.

Therefore be it resolved, that the San Francisco Labor Council stands in solidarity with the heroic people of Honduras as they resist the savage repression of a military dictatorship, and fight to win real democracy and sovereignty for their country;

And be it further resolved, that the Council send official letters to Congressional representatives and President Obama demanding that the U.S. government take strong measures against the repressive coup government in Honduras – and whatever government may succeed it as a result of the “electoral farce” scheduled for Nov. 29th. These measures should include: 1) Immediately break off all political and economic ties with the coup government; 2) Recall the US ambassador; 3) Establish an economic embargo on all trade and aid to Honduras; 4) Freeze the U.S. bank accounts of the coup plotters and deny them visas for U.S. travel; 5) Shut down U.S. military bases in Honduras;

And be it further resolved, that the Council demand that the U.S. denounce and refuse to recognize the results of the Nov. 29th elections or any electoral process organized under the repressive coup regime;

And be it finally resolved, that the Council make common cause with other labor and community organizations, to develop a reliable support network for the National Resistance Front against the Coup, and for the labor unions that are at the center of the Resistance movement in Honduras .

Submitted by delegates Alan Benjamin, Allan Fisher and Dave Welsh, and adopted Nov. 23, 2009 by unanimous vote of the San Francisco Labor Council.