In These New Times

U.S. accused of double standards over military coup in Honduras

granma

Raimundo López

TEGUCIGALPA, August 3 (PL).—The National Front against the Coup in Honduras today accused the U.S. of practicing double standards in its policy on the military coup, aimed at allowing the coup regime to gain time and consolidate itself.

In an unusual press conference on the public highway and addressing thousands of teachers and professors, the Front’s leadership affirmed that those objectives were what was behind the behind the mediation of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.

Israel Salinas, general secretary of the Unified Workers Federation (FUTH), emphasized that the Front had been convinced of that double U.S. policy since the coup took place.

Large numbers of people in the crowd shouted repeatedly: “Double standards!”

Salinas added that, on the one hand, the U.S. government is publicly stating that it recognizes Manuel Zelaya as the only president, but on the other, it has not described what happened on June 28 as a coup d’état.

“In the meantime, a strategy is being developed to prolong the situation and allow the coup perpetrators to consolidate themselves.”

He stated that this is why the Front is calling on the U.S. government to adopt concrete sanctions and then the country can liberate itself “of these usurpers.”

In response to a question on Arias’ mediation, Juna Barahona, general coordinator of the Front and president of the FUTH, noted that the popular forces have rejected dialogue with the coup leaders from the outset.

He explained that so doing is to give legitimacy to a group of soldiers and business people who assaulted the state power in violation of the Constitution and broke with the state of law.

He rejected the lobbying activities of Enrique Iglesias, the Ibero-American secretary, undertaken in conjunction with Arias, adding that the former is very close to Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, one of the principal backers of the coup.

He stated that all of those delaying actions are operating in favor of the coup perpetrators.

Because of that, it is the resistance of the people that will lead to the defeat of the coup. “What we don’t do, nobody else will,” he affirmed.

Translated by Granma International