[Peace-discuss] More Militarization Expected in Honduras for 2015

[David Johnson via Peace-discuss]

Don’t forget that there WAS a democratically elected progressive populist
President in Honduras who was rapidly changing things for the better for the
majority of Working people in Honduras until he was deposed in a military
coup in 2008 / 2009 that was supported by both the Bush and Obama
administrations. They denied it but Julian Assange via Wiki-Leaks published
the State Dept. and U.S. embassy in Honduras e-mails that proved otherwise.

A local Honduran Woman has told me recently that the drug cartels have
bought-off (regular and systematic bribery ) the entire officer corp of the
Honduran military and that violence and murder has increased exponentially
just in the last year. She also stated that her mother in Honduras is
frightened to talk on the telephone about anything politically related out
of fear of being arrested or murdered.

Just like in Mexico, Honduras will likely receive new weapons from the U.S.
government claiming that they need them to fight drug traffickers, when in
fact they are in alliance with the cartels and want the weapons to use
against political dissidents, independent journalists and striking Union
members.

Lastly I find it interesting that there seems to be an emerging pattern
where privatization of public schools and other public services and support
of drug cartels are working hand in hand.

David J.

  

 

 

 

More Militarization Expected in Honduras for 2015

Description: The government´s propaganda is based on repeating that security
has improved with militarization

The government´s propaganda is based on repeating that security has improved
with militarization | Photo: teleSUR

 
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Published 24 December 2014 (17 hours 26 minutes ago) 

According to social movement leaders, next year will see massive dismissals
of public sector workers, reductions in health and education spending, and
the unity of the political opposition against President Hernandez.

In Honduras, after one year of President Juan Hernandez's term, there has
been an increase in privatization, militarization and budget cuts in public
services, with social movements saying they expect more of the same in 2015.


Juan Barahona, coordinator of the National Resistance Front, explained:

“We see that the budget which was recently approved in the National
Congress, is a budget that in 2015 cuts millions off the health system,
education, and millions off agrarian programs. There is not even a cent for
wage increases or for new jobs. And as a response to this national budget,
there is going to be a great deal of social protest, but also there is going
to be strong repression and that's why they (the government) are preparing
themselves with the militarization of security forces.”

Repression

According to Barahona, in Honduras there will be more persecution of social
movement leaders, stronger repression during public demonstrations, and more
presence of military intelligence agencies in surveillance of government
dissidents next year.

However, in the last two months of 2014, new resistance fronts have been
created in Honduras. The Rural Women’s front has been demanding cheap credit
and true agrarian reform, such as the titles of the land they have been
working on. Also, the Public Workers Front faces the privatization of public
services and the dismissal of more than 8,000 workers. Furthermore, the
National Resistance Front is calling on people to go into the streets, while
opposition political parties have pledged unity.

Salvador Nasralla of the Anti-Corruption Party said, “If we continue along
this path, it is going to be a dictatorship. When there is a dictatorship
people don’t have the right to an opinion. And we three opposition political
parties believe that this is going to get worse.”

While the national media, which for the most part supports the government,
claims that violence has been reduced and that the forthcoming decisions
will bring solutions for the profound crisis in Honduras, everyday there are
more and more expressions of discontent among the population. Confrontation
is expected to be ongoing all through Honduras during 2015.

 

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