, .

la
[d8 viVir sin t8nar ]

of Ideological Political Forma­

tion, is part of the discussion
spaces of the most historical
political organizations in the
country even though the ave­
rage age is less than thirty
years and has incorporated
into political debate agendas
normally invisible such as
sexual rights, gender equity,
We all are Resistencia
respect for the environment
Discussion Paper on the Frente Nacional de Resistencia Po­ and the original culture of the
pular of Honduras people.
Organizacion Politica Los Necios (OPLN)
For further information regar­
The Organizacion Politica Los rica in the twenty-first century. ding the OPLN please visit:
Necios (OPLN) has become WIN\'V.losnecios.com or write
one of the principal pillars of The OPLN has been part to the email: contacto@los­
the Ideological-Political For­ of the most important social necios.com. If you seek more
mation of the Social Move­ structures of the country such information regarding the
ment and Alternative Politi­ as the Bloque Popular and Frente Nacional de Resisten­
cal Movements of Honduras. the Coordinadora Nacional cia Popular (FNRP) visit their
Created in November 1999 it de Resistencia (CNRP) and is official website: www.resisten­
took its name precisely from part of the Frente Nacional de ciahonduras.net
the necessity that implied not Resistencia Popular (FNRP)
ceasing to fight for a fairer since its creation. This is part of the work under­
world even when we lived the taken by Los Necios to provi­
days of the collapse of para­ The Frente supports the Poli­ de knowledge of the struggle
digms, the end of history and tical Formation, Popular Orga­ that today concerns us as
neoliberalism as the only op­ nization, the cohesion of youth Honduran people.
tion for people. organizations in Resistance,
the creation of Alternative Long Live the Resistencia!
The tenth anniversary was Media and International Re­ We will Defeat!
celebrated in the middle of the lations. The OPLN maintains Necedad!
first Coup d'Etat in Latin Ame- on a weekly basis its School
 1. Honduras before the 28th
The Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular strengthens the class struggle
Alexis Flores Williams

Honduras before June 28th of The Bloque, as it is commonly Mel and the beginning of a
2009 was already an agitated known, assumed the task of new path
country with strong clashes fighting against neoliberalism
between the business class and privatizations. During his inauguration as
and the majority working class President, Manuel Zelaya
of the country. Of this little is In 2003, virtually all regions of "Mel" passed the Ley de Par­
known. the country had an assembly ticipaci6n Ciudadana (Law
of grass roots organizations of Citizen Participation) that
The conditions previous to the with a similar style to the Blo­ three years Jater would use
military coup were achieved que. The 26th of August of to promote the cuarta urna
as a result of unified actions that year saw the March of (fourth ballot box). During the
of the social movement's stru­ National Dignity which was the initiation of his government he
ggle, against the neoliberal founding moment of the Coor­ did not step out of the strate­
model, which searched for dinadora Nacional de Resis­ giC plan of the dominant class
structural and social trans­ tencia Popular, which became and transnational companies;
formations, and on the other the largest umbrella organiza­ however, within a short period
hand, the actions of Manuel tion of grassroots movements of time was in confrontation
Zelaya who as President of in the country, meeting on a with them for their intransi­
the Republic placed himself monthly basis with all the re­ gence to allow small changes
in opposition to the Honduran gional organized expressions to strengthen the national pro­
oligarchy and the imperialist with a unique, unified agenda ductive apparatus and brake
intervention the United States of struggle. the privatization of the last re­
of America (U.S.A). sources that still remained to
The Coordinator gathered the State.
The Popular Movement the most important demands
of the pueblo (people). Since Subsequently government
During the early '90s with 2003 national mobilizations policies were radicalized.
the imposition of the neoli­ grew and placed in precarity The President, guided by his
beral model many of the for­ the continuity of government of human sensitivity sided with
ces of the social movement Ricardo Madura (2002-2006), the pueblo. More progressi­
were dislocated, resulting in posing a difficult scenario to ve measures were promp­
its subsequent weakening. the ruling elites. Throughout ted, such as a sharp increase
The new century was greeted this process the Honduran oli­ (40%) in the minimum wage,
with the creation of the Bloque garchy took a more repressive incentives for agricultural pro­
Popular (May 1st 2000) as a role as the social movement duction, strengthening of sta­
space for bringing together grew, in a manner in which te owned companies and an
diverse social sectors with a in a few years may have sur­ independent foreign policy.
base conformed of the most passed economic demands While Zelaya became closer
combative trade unions of the and advanced to political po­ to the pueblo, he moved away
Federaci6n Unitaria de Traba­ sitions. from the oligarchy. Actions
jadores de Honduras (FUTH). such as the signing of oil im-
 portation contracts with Petro­
caribe, the adhesion of Hon­
duras to the ALBA (Bolivarian
Alliance for the Americas), the
threat to convert the U.S mili­
tary base in Soto Cano to an
airport, the delay in accepting
the U.S. ambassador Hugo
Llorens and the refusal to sign
an IMF agreement touched
the interests of U.S imperia­
lism and questioned their to­
tal control of Honduras as a
geopolitical country of much
importance in the region.
The popular movement which
at first had confronted the
neoliberal policies with which
Zelaya had begun, were by
the second year of gover­
nment introducing some of
their demands in the agenda
of Government, to the point of
working together on the most
important project: the installa­
tion of a National Constituent
Assembly.
The business class of Hondu­
ras
Honduras suffers from an
economic dependence on the
U.S.A:70.6% of exports go
to U.S.A, 53% of imports are
from the U.S.A and remittan­
ces from Hondurans living in
the U.S.A are 21.2% of the
annual Gross Domestic Pro­
duct (GDP).
During the administration
of Zelaya the country regis­
tered an economic growth
of approximately 5% GDP, lation. The visible face of the
however the poverty rate business class is evident in
showed a very slight reduction the councils and associations
with an increase in inequality of private business that has
and a greater concentration of representations at aU levels of
wealth. The neoliberal system government. Past Presidents
that Honduras is subject to of the new era of "Oemocra­
has not worked for the majo­ tic Representation" were fai­
rity, the 75% of the population thful defenders of private en­
that live in poverty, and there terprise and interests of U.S.
has been a huge detriment in imperialism. Transnational
working conditions, environ­ corporations in the oil, textile,
mental destruction and sale of pharmaceutical, mining, agri­
the productive sectors of the culture and food sales sectors
state. represent the cowardly sale of
human and natural resources
An important factor in the de­ by the business class to inter­
velopment of the Honduran ests foreign to that of the Hon­
conflict has been the oligar­ duran nation.
chy that controls the means
of production and shares the Birth of the Resistance
economic, political and me­
dia power between 10 fa­ The week before June 28
milies. It is significant to see 2009 strong rumors circula­
that while the rest of Central ted that Manuel Zelaya was to
American countries managed be ousted by a military coup.
to establish a dominant class Wednesday (25 June) of that
through coffee production, in week several members of the
Honduras the dominant class Bloque and activists working
revolved around importation on the project of the Cuarta
and as an agent of the mining Urna received the call to arri­
and banana enclaves. ve at the Presidential House
to advert a coup attempt. But
This situation led to the weak­ it was not until the early hours
ness of the national oligarchy of June 28 that the oligarchy
and their submission to impe­ composed of conservative po­
rial interests. liticians, military, religious and
business sectors undertook
The Honduran business class the military coup of Manuel
maintains its control of the Zelaya. The same June 28 on
means of production through the streets of the Presidential
corruption, manipulation and House the Frente Nacional
creation of laws, drug traffic­ de Resistencia Popular was
king, and use of police and mi­ born.
litary force against the popu-
In Honduras
The first actions of the puebloParty that Mel with his ac­
were improvised and in line tions had snatched from the
with what the social struggles traditional and corrupt polities
the domi­ had successfully experienced of the country. To the streets
for several years: direct ac­ went citizens which previously
tion. The hours and days af­ had not been organized and
nan t class ter the coup saw road blocks, who today are Resistencia,
marches and demonstrations. present in every corner of the

re v olv e d Through these acts against country.

the violent and repressive
coup the Resistencia grew The new agenda of the ex­
around i m­ quantitatively and qualitati­ ploited and marginalized sur­
vely demonstrating that the passed qualitatively what was

por ta tion
struggle was not conjunctural, available prior to the coup.
but the maximum expression The need to achieve political
of the class struggle of which power and control the state
and as an the country has not yet freed has become much clearer.
itself. With this friends and enemies

agent of the
of social transformation have
The Resiste been uncovered.

minin g and
• •

ncia was created around the

structure of popular organi­
zations that counted with the
banana en­ diversity of forces that formed
the National Coordinator of

claves. Popular Resistance, as well

as a large part of the Liberal
 2. Faces of the Resis tencia
The following is a brief in­
ventory about the major sec­
tors of Honduran society that
have historically struggled
for a more just and egalita­
rian society. Struggles and
processes that are today all
key parts of the Frente Na­
cional de Resistencia Popular
(FNRP) (National Front of Po­
pular Resistance).
The growth of these move­
ments shows that the contes­
ting sectors in Honduras had
great political achievements
long before 2009, this directly
threatened the oligarchy and
pushed them to use violence
to defend their interests.
The most recognized sectors
are exposed here but please
be aware that it is impossible
to list completely in so small
a document all organizations,
associations, groups and
communities that today are
part of the resistance. Howe­
ver, this brief review is pre­
sented to help build a general
idea about the current situa­
tion.
All sectors have been influen­
cing in one way or another
giving a little of its personality
and creating a really particular
movement in the history of La­
tin America.
A Review of the Resistant Sectors in Honduras
Luis Aguilar
Native Peoples Organizations After June 28, 2009, two large
The representatives of mino­ organizations emerged; the
rity populations of Honduras Women in Resistance and the
who do not belong to the mes­ Feminists in Resistance, they
tizo masses or to the euro­ not only make sure their pre­
creole minority have been sence be felt on the streets,
organizing without precedent calling for equal political par­
since the early 1990s, for­ ticipation at national level but
ming solid organizations that aroused other allied move­
also acted as transnational ments in Latin America in su­
platforms as the Coordinating pport. The Resistencia is now
Council for Civic Popular and impregnated with the spirit of
Indigenous Organizations of struggle of women through
Honduras (COPINH) and the gestational idiosyncratic ex­
Honduran Fraternal Black Or­ pressions.
ganization (OFRANEH). Their
lawsuits have been as basic Sectors related to freedom,
as to be included in the pre­ protection and respect for the
sent Constitution of the Re­ rights of women had reached
public where they are legally the end of this decade at a
invisible being 7% of the po­ peak in terms of organization
pulation. Other smaller gras­ and unification especially re­
sroots organizations have garding the fight for policies
come together in the FNRP and structural reforms in so­
through the regional repre­ ciety. The academics, intellec­
sentations. tuals, militant artists and acti­
vists established alliances not
The Women and Sexual Di­ seen in other fronts of struggle
versity Movements in the country and even inter­
nationally forming what might
Some of these movements be called a true feminist and
have also been involved in the women's movement in Hon­
liberation process of oppres­ duras.
sed peoples by an unprece­
dented destructive capitalism, Center for Women's Studies
mostly through active partici­ Honduras (CEM-H)
pation in favor of popular de­ Women's Rights Center
mands in recent years, inclu­ ( CDM)
ding the Cuarta Urna (Fourth Young Women's Network
•
Ballot Box). (REDMUJ)
Adult Women's Network
•
 (REDMUCR)
• Collective of University Wo
men (COFEMUN)
• Movement of Socialist Wo
men, Las Lolas
• Convergence of Women of
Honduras
• Independent Feminists
On the other hand and in re­
cent years, the gay, lesbian,
transvestites, transsexuals
and bisexuals (LGTTB) com­
munities decided to face not
only a criminal but also openly
homophobic State .This group
accounts for the largest num­
ber of martyrs of the resistan­
ce (over 20). The LGTTB in
Resistance Platform celebra­
tes unity by holding the rain­
bow flag in the streets. The
pueblo welcomes whoever
fights against any form of re­
pression and discrimination.
and thus opens political spa­
ces and the few media avai­
lable for these organizations;
an unprecedented situation
in Honduras, and that reflects
the openness and diversity of
the FNRP. The following are
some of the groups of the Pla­
tform:
• Las Cattrachas
• Kukulcan
• Rainbow of Honduras
•Youth in motion
• Group litos
•Casa Renacer
•Violet Collective
•Collective TTT
• Sampredrana Gay Commu·
nity for comprehensive health
'AMAS most combative sector of the
country and is the backbone
Teachers Organizations of the mobilizing forces of the
Resistance, which is why they
The Teachers Organiza· are one of the targets that are
tions Federation of Hondu­ more attacked, slandered,
ras (FOMH) is the political persecuted and murdered, in
platform representing all particular the leaders.
teachers' unions. In 1997 it
achieved approval by Natio­ Organizations of the Agricul­
nal Congress in the form of tural and Rural Sectors
the Decree of Education Wor­
kers, a tool of labor rights for Since 2006, peasant unions
public school teachers which and other producer organi­
has signified the most impor­ zations, nongovernmental
tant universal achievement of organizations (NGOs) and
the guild. other organizations related
to the food sector including
The magisterial sector has his­ La Via Campesina Honduras
torically been one of the more founded the Alliance for Food
structured and in the last five Sovereignty and Agrarian Re­
decades six teachers' unions form (SARA) formulating law
have been created within the proposals from this platform to
various branches of public transform the agricultural and
education. Inside of these, po­ food policies in the country.
litical fronts have being taking
power intermittently, although The main proposal was wel­
its structure has had partisan comed by Zelaya which inclu­
dyes, progressive ideology des the immediate implemen­
dominates. The COLPROSU­ tation of a comprehensive and
MAH and COPEMH represent profound Agrarian Reform that
the largest sectors committed distributes national productive
with popular struggles. Other resources to eventually esta­
unions are the COMPRUM, blish a Food Sovereignty sys­
the COLPEDAGOGO and tem which radically changes
PRICMAH, the latter officially the market approach to food
allied to the regime, has as in the country. This market
affiliate the current Education approach creates poverty and
Minister, Alejandro Ventura. destroys the local culture.
and tries to boycott the efforts
of teachers who are in Resis­ The campesino (land worker)
tencia. movement has had law pro­
posals for agrarian reform sin­
The teachers have being du­ ce 2008. After June 2009 the
ring the last thirty years the campesina sectors have been
organized locally and regiona­
lly in the FNRP represented
by their respective unions.
Historically. campesinos have
been organized in more than
a dozen peasant unions
(the likes of CNTC, ANACH,
ACAN, etc.) with coverage
throughout the entire nation
focusing upon Aguan Valley,
the north coast and south­
western region which have
a large number of members,
some of these organizations
date back to the great strike of
1954.
They are represented by the
Coordinating Council of Land
Worker Organizations of Hon­
duras (COCOCH) and have
played a prominent role in
the functioning of the National
Agrarian Institute (INA), ensu­
ring the implementation of dis­
tributive agrarian policies from
the 70's.
the last decade.
Artistas Contra el Golpe (Ar­
tists Against Ihe Coup) and
subsequently Artistas en Re­
sistencia (Artists in Resistan­
ce) create not only a group
that had an impact with the
arts but that in general gives
personality to the movement
itself; thus creating a resistant
cultural pattern. A new identi­
ty that takes into account lo­
cal culture and national pro­
duction, breaking schemes
and making available to the
people the cultural products
that have been stolen from it.
Popular art is spread in the
streets; concerts, forums and
other meetings peaking with
event, a historic day for the
Honduran Resistance.
Workers' Organizations
The unionist forces in Hon­
duras are gathered into three
large confederations:
• General Confederation of
Workers (CGT)
• Confederation of United
Workers of Honduras (CUTH)
• Confederation of Workers of
Honduras (CTH)
These in turn, are formed by
trade union federations at the
national level and which joined
in the aftermath of the Coup.
There are also independent

Artists in Resistance

Cultural activity in Honduras

was increasing as the people
were acquiring a more ope­
ned sensitiveness about art
and popular culture; both had
been repressed in the coun­
try during the past decades.
With a weak institutional su­
pport, circles of filmmakers,
poets, musicians and painters
increasingly built resonant the organization of Voces federations such as the Uni­
spaces, which mixed social Contra el Golpe (Voices ted Federation of Workers of
protest as a means of cultural Against the Coup), on August Honduras (FUTH) to which
expression, especially during 23, 2009, a cultural - political belongs one of the unions that
has accompanied the popu·
lar struggle in Honduras, the
Workers Union of Beverage
Industry and Similar (STIBYS)
Ihat has set the tone at the
popular struggle and a unio·
nist engagement with popular
sectors. The headquarters of
this union in the Honduran ca­
pilal has become the shelter
tor the FNRP.
It is important to note that
Juan Barahona, who is cu­
rrently the FNRP coordinator
is also the coordinator of the
Popular Bloc and FUTH; ha­
ving a long history of struggle
with the people and the wor­
kers. Other outstanding figu·
re is Carlos H. Reyes, who
launched his independent
candidacy in unison with the
popular movement last year,
withdrawing it in support for
the return of Zelaya. Reyes
is one of the most important
political figures in the country
and he is the President
of STIBYS.
Political Organizations
After decades of struggle, in
2000 the Bloque Popular (BP)
is born as an umbrella struc·
ture for people's vindications
and a clear political purpose.
In 2003, a larger organization
that includes the teachers or­
ganizations, the campesino
and other trade associations
is formed with a large popular
consensus; the Coordinador
Nacional de Resistencia Po-
pular (CNRPXNalional Coor­ close to the areas where natu­
dinator of Popular Resistan· ral resources are more exploi­
ce) led by transnational and local
logging companies. The Movi­
Since several years events miento Ambiental de Olancha
entitled Encuentro de las Iz­ (MAO) (Environmental Move­
quierdas (Encounter of the ment of Olancho) stand out for
Lefts) have being taking pia· its vivid struggle in organizing
ce, where group a range of the historic Marches for Ufe,
socialist organizations and with an ecological approach
several revolutionary tenden­ that included walks from the
cies. some of these today province of Olancha to the ca­
comprise what is called the pital of the Republic (approxi·
Izquierda Unida (Uniled Left). malely 180 km). Father An­
The CNRP on the other hand. dres Tamayo, is the principal
remains vital to the internal leader of this movement and
structure of the popular stru­ has denounced to the world
ggle and was very active in the looting of natural
the years preceding the Coup, resources of Olancha through
using the Cuarta Urna project MAO.
as a strategy for changing the
country's economical structu­ Father Tamayo became a lea­
res imposed by a mix of a new ding figure against the dicta­
and an ancestral oligarchy. torship that bloodied Hondu­
The coup revived and acce­ ras and openly denounced the
lerated the social struggle in looting that occurred in front
Honduras and political organi­ of the eyes of the people who
zations have been able to im­ watched a ruthless oligarchy
pregnate revolutionary ideolo· conspiring with the Church to
gy within the people most of commit the worst sins in the
whom were without baseline name of God.
to interpret the events that
were unfolding in front of their Youth and Student Organiza­
very eyes, these explained the tions
nature of class struggle to the
political events occurring in Students are undoubtedly
Honduras since June, 2009. amongst the most combative
groups and have been in the
The Environmental Movement frontline in the demonstrations
and in clashes against the re­
The environmental movement pressive structures. Shortly
in Honduras has being formed after the Coup the Frente
through regional groups and Nacional de Jovenes en Re·
organizations, with commu­ sistencia (FNJR) (National
nity based structures mostly Front of Youth in Resistance)
 was organized; umbrella body

The growth of these m o ­

formed of several grassroots
organizations not necessarily

ve ments threaten ed the

students. The Youth in Resis­
tance are actively involved in

oligarchy and pushed

the resistance's activities and
assist in the collection of Sig­
natures for the Constituent
Assembly, organization of cul­ the m to use violen ce to
defend their in terests.
tural and political events na­
tionwide and others. They are
currently engaged in the task
of creating nuclei throughout
the country to support the ac­ training entity for the new lea­
tivities of the FNRP and as a ders in Honduras.

3. The Peoples Power, engine of

the Resis tance
Built, Built... Popular Power
Antonio Torres

Many clashes have been oc­ on the streets. But this argu­ aning People Power as the
curring in the streets of Hon­ ment was crushed because democracy of all, which comes
duras. On one side were the there was no money to pay a from the struggle and that to­
unarmed civilians and on the hundred of thousands to be day is built on the streets and
other side was the violence 200 days continuously in pro­ in the fields.
of the police and Honduran test.
army, which only acts under This work has been assumed
orders of the angry and vio­ For the coupists (golpistas) by the Frente Nacional de Re­
lent businessmen. there was no logical explana­ sistencia Popular (FNRP) that
tion, because they only un­ understands that its main for­
Many thought as incompre­ derstand things in monetary ce eradicates in the great po­
hensible that after a great terms and courage is out of pulation that never has been
massacre and violence the their capacity of analysis. organized before and its first
people would stili be in the experience was being on the
streets yelling slogans and The courage of the Hondu­ streets confronting the cou­
proclamations. The regime's ran people is obtained from pists. This process pushes the
media tried to ruin this pro­ the objective that commonly FNRP toward the re-founda­
cess, by announcing that the­ is yelled on the streets "built, tion of the country. This feeling
se people were paid for being built... People Power", me- of popular indignation brought
together the social movement
with the people not organi­
zed, forming by this way the
National Front of Resistance
Against the coup d'etat. Sub­
sequently this Front became
in what we know now as the
FNRP.
In this moment the FNRP is an
instrument of People Power
construction with full political
and ideological independen­
ce from political parties, reli­
gions and other organizations
or people, and it is integrated
by popular movements, social
organizations and political ins­
tances that search for social
transformation of the country
The principal axes of struggle
are:
a. The Political Formation as
definitive factor of the building
of participative democracy,
b. The Organization as defini­
tive factor of the consolidation
of forces at local, regional and
national level,
c. The permanent Movilization
in defense and protection of
the rights of the people.
Because of the importance of
the political formation of the
people that are part of the
Front, an organic structure of
the FNRP has been created,
which consists of:
a. Collectives of Resistance
(neighborhoods, rural com­
munities, popular organiza­
tions, social organizations)
b. the Municipal Assembly of
the representatives of the co­ necessities and interests of
llectives of resistance (exe­ every community. Also by this,
cutive body - Coordination of is enabled the autonomy of
the Municipal Resistance) the objectives and principles
of the FNRP.
c. the Departmental Assembly
of representatives of the mu­ The collective assumes toge­
nicipal resistance (executive ther with other democratic and
body - Coordination of the popular sectors the responsi­
Departmental Resistance) bility of working for the cons­
d. the National Assembly of truction, taking and exercising
representatives of the de­ of the power; The National
partmental resistance inclu­ Constituent Assembly and the
ding the representatives of Re-foundation of Honduras.
the social and political forces
(executive body - National Also within the CPR's is rai­
Coordination) sing the generation of spaces
for the cultural, artistic and re­
The Collectives of Popular creational expressions of the
Resistance (CPR) are the communities, and with this
basic unit of the FNRP that the FNRP could attract more
integrates people (militants people or it could obtain the
and followers) from all sectors support of the people for the
building participative propo­ Front's activities.
sals from their concrete reali­
ty. For a more efficient structu­
ring of each CPR, the number
To guarantee the equal par­ of participants per collective
tiCipation of all sectors of the would be between 5 to 50
populati on of the country, people. Also, every CPR has
without discriminations, the a weekly reunion and follows
CPR's are organized by ta­ a political formation plan to
king into mind the common achieve a better organic life.
 ( ��(
4. A Media War
Honduras and the revolution that wouldn't be broadcasted
As the military took their po­
sitions early in the morning of
June 28th, confusion reigned
in the Honduran capital. 2 mi­
llion people were expected to
participate in the non-binding
referendum that would take
place that day, Instead, the
country woke up to a coup
d'etat that had been attemp­
ted for the first time only 3
days before.
Throughout the morning, the
mass media (in the hands of
corporations) did their best to
conceal the historic events.
President Zelaya had remai­
ned in exile for seven hours
when Roberto Micheletti
made his first public appea­
rance, one of the few events
that was covered by the mass
l
Larissa Acosta
media. Later on that June 28th, Radio
Globo, among others, started
Despite disinformation, its underground broadcasts.
thousands of citizens sponta­ Depending on their location,
neously arrived at Gasa Pre­ people realized they had to
sidencial. In this very group trade the media they had trus­
were the first Hondurans to ted during generations for:
break the censure, using no­
thing but their cell phones • Radio Globo http://Www.ra
and cameras. They rushed to dioglobohonduras.coml
their homes or 'Nork places to • Radio Progreso http://www.
upload their amateur videos radiopragresohn. 0 rgl
to YouTube. • Radio Gualcho http://WWN.
radiogualcho.infol
Historic newspapers, radio, • Radio Uno http://www.ra
and TV stations became the dioun0830.es.tll
leading figures in a dirty dis­• Puente Sur (http://puentesur
information strategy, that con­ neU), a network of alternative
tinues even one year after the communicators with presence
coup. Any voice that opposes in Mexico, EI Salvador, Hon­
the de facto regime finds spa­ duras, Nicaragua, Colombia,
ce only in the independent Venezuela, Ecuador, Argenti­
media. na, Uruguay, Chile and Spain.
 Access to printed media has Nicaragua for the first time in www.quotha.neU

always been limited. For 1987. A passionate supporter • Los Necios Friends http://
seven years, EI Ubertador of the Sandinista movement, losnecios.coml?page_id;;;3 7
( http://www.ellibertador.hn/) he has denounced human • Honduras Culture and Poli
has been the only indepen­ rights violations committed tics http://hondurasculturepo
dent newspaper in the coun­ by multinationals like PAR­ litics. blog spot. co ml
try. MALAT. Currently, he works
for Rel-UITA. Two international news sites
As a result of the pOlitical insta­ that have given special cove­
bility, Honduras has received Of course. thousands of other rage to the events in Hondu­
periodic visits from hundreds combatants from different ras have been:
of international correspon­ parts of the world arrived at
dents. The Frente Nacional de this trench to join the quest for • The Real News http://www.
Resistencia Popular is deeply the truth. For their priceless therealnews.comIt2!
grateful to these independent contribution, they deserve • The Narco News Bulletin
journalists for their professio­ their own memoir. http://WNW.narconews.com!
nalism and commitment to the
truth. We would like to refer The New Media Our very own Media
specially to:
In a country with a predomi­ The Frente Nacional de Re­
• Dick Emanuelsson, the Swe­ nant young population, per­ sistencia Popular has laun­
dish reporter, who found his to haps the internet has been ched its website: http://re­
way to Honduras from Colom­ the most decisive tool to break sistenciahonduras.neU. This
bia, where he was threatened the media siege. dynamic site is updated twice
with death by the military esta­ every day. Besides editorials,
blishment. Emanuelsson has Dozens of news sites and forums, news, and press re­
been covering Latin America blogs have been created: leases. it broadcasts a live
since 1980. His blog, http:// conference that addresses is­
dickema 24. blogspot. coml, • Vos el Soberano http://vosel sues of key importance every
has been censored repeate­ soberano.comIv1! Wednesday at 5 pm. All the
dly by Google. • Honduras Laboral http://hon organizations that are part of
duraslaboral.orgl the movement have their own
• Ida Garberi, the Cuban co­ • Habla Honduras http://ha section. The English version
rrespondent of Prensa la­ blahonduras.com! of the site is ready and trans­
tina, spent a long time in lations will be available in
Honduras. She set the inter­ There are also several blogs many languages.
national alarm for the Aguan with content in English:
conflict. Her blog, http://www. In an effort to interact with
viejoblues.com/Bitacora/ida­ • Honduras Coup 2009 http:// other users, the Front has
garberi, also contains a lot of hondurascoup2009.blogspot. also launched its Facebook
information about the Cuban com! Profile. Frente Nacional Re­
Revolution. • Honduras Resists hUp:1I sis ten cia is managed by the
ho ndurasresists.blogspot. communications commission
• Giorgio Trucchi, the prizewin­ com! and we encourage you to fo­
ning Italian reporter, arrived in • Adrienne Pine's blog http:// llow us on Twitter, too.
 One of the most important
goals is to pass on the revo­
lutionary ideals of the move­
ment. Despite the enormous
challenges ahead, the Hondu­
ran Resistance has proven to
be up to the task.

5. From the Resis tance to

the Re-foundation of Honduras
The present and the future of a struggling Honduras
Gerardo Torres

The history of Honduras is have agreed to unify to build and pushing Manuel Zelaya
currently experiencing one of a just society, without discrimi­ out of home and sending him
its most turbulent times, the nation, where the exploitation to Costa Rica would end a
life of the country was split in over one another simply does project that had already beco­
two after the onset of Popular not fit me a collective desire.
Resistance in response to the
Coup d'Etat of June 28, 2009, The ultimate goal is the re- The miscalculation of the
foundation of the State, a army and the entrepreneurs
The National Front of Popular concept that is now following was believing that as in the
Resistance (FNRP) is the pla- as a nightmare the oligarchic past people would end up ac­
tform on which all political and entrepreneurial classes, who cepting the inevitable, people
social sectors in Honduras believed that by taking a rifle would cease to the power of
the usual and the country
would return to "normality".
The popular response was
very different and sectors that
have historically struggled for
popular causes put aside their
differences and consolidated
as a single force.
In the early days of the Coup,
clashes were immediate and
confrontations between unar­
med civilians and the forces of
State repression (police and
army) were attacking as if it
were a war, taken by surprise
that on the side of the civilians
not a single step backwards
was reported.
The slogan of demanding
the immediate return of the
legitimate president was em­
bedding through the historical
claims of a people crushed by
the interests of capital. Zela­
ya from abroad, invited his
countrymen not to abandon
the process of the National
Constituent Assembly and the
Resistencia held firm fighting
against the criminals who had
attacked not only the repre­
sentative of Hondurans but
also democracy, the Rule of
Law and the Nation in gene­
ral.
The Constituent Assembly,
the next step
Much has happened since
those early days. On the one
hand the coupists, sponsored
by the Department of State of
the United States, staged the When speaking about Demo­
spectacle of the elections to cracy it means that all citizens
be held while people in resis­ have equal opportunities to
tance were being imprisoned have an opinion and decide
and killed and the legitimate on the future of their country.
president was kept in captivi­ This new legal framework will
ty. have as central focus the po­
pular interests, in Honduras
With these elections they put never more there will be judi­
at the Presidential Palace a cial activity for businessmen
hypocrite Porfirio Lobo, who is and the Rule of Law will exist
the new face of violence and for the development of the
repression, and who spends human being and not for a
all his energies to invent a na­ handful of few companies that
tional reality in order to achie­ have survived through the
ve international recognition. plundering of public funds and
On the other hand there is overexploitation of resources
the Resistenaa that has be­ and people.
come stronger, which has
shifted from short-term ac­ It will be of participatory na­
tion to the structures and the ture as power must not be
strategy to take power and understood as a small group
change the country. Even the deciding over the majority, but
most reactionary sectors of the majority exercising power
the Honduran anachronistic with their own hands.
right recognize it and point it
as an imminent danger the This process has so far been
emergence of a new Popular the key to the success of the
Power, created and led from Popular Resistance, because
the FNRP. there is no corner of the coun­
try that has not been taken
Across the country there is into account and the pro­
Resistencia, people are orga­ blems of the community are
nized in committees for work expressed by the community
and by community, village, itself. Also part of this process
department and region as­ are the different agendas that
semblies are held which are enrich the political and social
the pillars on which the new spectrum of the country.
society will rest are built.
It takes into account the needs
The goal is clear: to con of indigenous peoples and
vene a National Assembly Afro descendants, workers'
to create a new Constitution struggles as well as those of
which has to be democratic, the campesino, the booming
popular and participatory. voices of the students are as
strong as the environmental
claims and the gay, lesbian,
transvestites, transsexuals
and bisexuals ( LGTTB) com-
munities demand their rights
at the same table on which
the Christian and religious
communities are inviting to
the struggle for justice.
Women led the struggle in
the street and today they take
their position of equality along
with men to go forward in this
process, that without saying,
shows at every step that it has
the momentum that has made
possible all impossible revolu-
lions.
not fit into the flawed structure
that governs Honduras.
Firstly, to negotiate with the
current government is to ne­
gotiate with murderers and
recognize violence as a legi­
timate act on behalf of busi­
nessmen when their econo-
mic interests are endangered.
The same people who kid­
napped the President and
have killed, beaten, raped and
imprisoned hundreds of Hon­
durans today enjoy privileged
positions within the public ad­
ministration. With those crimi-
nals we cannol speak,

The new Constitution is built

every day, but it is not the ulti­
mate goal of Hondurans_
The Constitution is only the le- the only way to address them
gal framework that will enable would be to declare their sen­
the construction of a new so- tences.
ciety.
Moreover, it is absurd to belie-
Re-founding, the goal ve that the Resistance could
be a kind of opposition to the ________________

Generally speaking during government of Lobo, becau-

the assemblies it is commonly se in essence it is not only
referred to re-foundation, cut- against this particular admi­ In Honduras a new State has
ling off any attempt to tamper nistration, but against any begun to be imagined, one
with or betrayal of the popular Rule of Law that crushes and that is completely antagonistic
project. Some voices propose impoverishes the majority to to those supporting the minis­
negotiation with Porfirio Lobo allow the profit of the compa­ tries and bureaucracy.
to make the Resistencia into nies and the looters.
one element of the current The population remains in
institutional framework, being That is the main danger of the a marked civil disobedience
unable to understand that for Popular Resistance for to the and the power of the coup
many reasons the FNRP does selfish interests. plotters is only kept by the
treacherous weapons of the Frente Nacional de Resis­ who today remains in combat
Armed Forces. The situation tencia Popular is kept; which though actions and ideas.
is unsustainable and that is is betting on unity, the cons­
known by the very entrepre­ truction of popular power, the
neurs who see the only way political education of all Hon­
out by trying to divide the Re­ durans and strengthening
sistance, distract it, and try to our own media, then victory
stop the momentum that has is unstoppable and the new
been taking force. society an utopia that has
Organizaci6n Polilica Los Necios
stopped to hide to become
Honduras, Centro America
If the current position of the the near future of a people