Honduras – June 29, 2009
Democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya was forcibly removed from his office and his country when he tried to hold a poll of public opinion to ratify the country’s constitution. A move, opposers of Zelaya, deemed unconstitutional. However, in the months following this military backed coup the de facto government, run by Roberto Michelleti, has moved to suspend Articles 69, 72, 81, and 84 of the Honduras Constitution, articles that protect the most basic of rights.
Article 69: Personal liberty is inviolable and only through law can it be restricted or suspended temporarily.
Article 72:The expression of thought by any media, without censorship, is free. Those who interfere with this right or through direct or indirect means restrict or impede the communication and circulation of ideas and opinions will held responsible by the law.
Article 81:Every person has the right to circulate freely, leave, enter and remain in national territory.
No one can be obligated to move from his home or residence except in special cases in accord with the law.
Article 84:No one can be arrested or detained except through written order by competent authorities, executed through legal formalities and for motives established by law.
Zelaya, was able to regain entry back into the country and has been bunkered down in the Brazilian embassy. He is currently in talks to initiate his return to presidential seat in time to complete his term as president, which ends in Jan 2010.
Haiti – March 2009
Thousands of supporters and members of Jean Bertrand Aristide’s party Fanmi Lavelas take to the streets in peaceful protest to demand the return of Aristide who was forcibly removed from office in February 28, 2004, by U.S. military forces. Five years after his removal the people still seek for their suffering to be over and remember the actions he took to improve the conditions of the poor working class.
Post coup Haiti has been one plagued with U.N imposed embargoes with U.S. and other foreign military forces occupying the country. On Oct. 13 The U.N Security Council unanimously voted to extend its U.N “peacekeeping” mission in Haiti for another year; citing that it has been the only entity providing real security to the country, fighting gangs, cracking down on kidnappers and helping develop local police since the coup.
