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Support House
Resolution on Honduras!
Urge your
Representative to become an original co-sponsor TODAY of House Resolution
demanding reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya in Honduras!
[This action
alert comes from the Alliance for Global Justice,
which has joined CISPES and other members of the Latin America Solidarity
Coalition (LASC) in taking action against the coup in Honduras.]
Representatives James McGovern (D-MA) and Bill Delahunt (D-MA) have sent
out a Dear Colleague letter to the other members of the House of Representatives
asking them to sign on as original co- sponsors to a House resolution calling
for the reinstatement of Manuel Zelaya as president of Honduras.
See text of the letter
and of the House resolution below.
Call your
Representative and ask him or her to sign on! The Capitol Switchboard number is:
202-224- 3121. All original co-sponsors need to be added before 5pm today. Here
is some suggested language for your call:
"Please tell Representative _________________ that I
urge him to be an original co-sponsor of the McGovern/Delahunt resolution to
oppose the military led coup in Honduras. The resolution calls for
the reinstatement of democracy in that country.
Please contact Cliff Stammerman or Ben Dailey in Delahunt's office before close
of business today as that will be the closing of original
cosponsors."
******************
Become an original co-sponsor of a resolution opposing
the coup d'état in Honduras
Deadline is close of
business Thursday, July 9, 2009
Dear Colleague:
We
ask you to join us in co-sponsoring the resolution below condemning the coup
d'état in Honduras, demanding that Honduran President Manuel Zelaya be returned
to office, and welcoming the mediation efforts of Costa Rican President Oscar
Arias.
As you are no doubt aware, an internal political dispute in
Honduras degenerated into a coup d'état on June 28, 2009, in which the
democratically-elected President of Honduras was seized by the Honduran military
and sent into exile. This move was swiftly condemned by the United States,
the Organization of American States, the European Union, and the United Nations,
all of whom have demanded that President Zelaya be reinstated to office.
It is critical that Congress be crystal clear that coups are
unacceptable. This is particularly important in Latin
America, a region which has suffered greatly in the past from
military interference in politics but over the last 30 years has generally moved
towards democracy. To accept the overthrow of a democratically-elected
government is to wipe away the progress that has been made - progress that has
been supported by both Democratic and Republican Presidents and Congresses.
To sign on, please contact Cliff Stammerman or Ben Dailey in Congressman
Delahunt's office at (202) 226- 6434 or at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Sincerely,
Bill Delahunt
James P. McGovern
The Resolution:
Condemning the June
28, 2009 coup d'état in Honduras, calling for the
reinstatement of President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, and for other purposes.
Whereas Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales was elected President of Honduras in
November 2005 in elections that were deemed free and fair by international
observers;
Whereas President Zelaya and other political actors in
Honduras became embroiled in a political dispute over whether to hold a
non-binding referendum asking Honduran voters whether they wanted a constituent
assembly to be established to amend the Constitution;
Whereas on June
28, 2009, the day that the non- binding referendum was to take place, Honduran
military forces stormed President Zelaya's residence, apprehended him, sent him
out of the country, and seized the materials for the referendum;
Whereas
the Honduran Congress named Roberto Micheletti, the head of the Congress, as
President and subsequently suspended a number of constitutional rights,
including the freedom of association and of movement;
Whereas the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has expressed its concerns regarding
human rights abuses by the de facto Micheletti government, including the
arbitrary detention of Zelaya supporters;
Whereas the Organization of
American States, the United Nations, and the European Union - representing
governments from across the political spectrum - have condemned the coup d'état,
refused to recognize the de facto Micheletti government, and demanded the
unconditional return of President Zelaya to office;
Whereas on July 1,
2009, the Organization of American States voted unanimously to suspend Honduras
from participation in the OAS unless President Zelaya was returned to office
within three days;
Whereas, on July 4, 2009, the OAS unanimously voted
to suspend Honduras;
Whereas the Administration of President Barack
Obama has condemned President Zelaya's removal, supported the OAS resolutions
regarding Honduras, and demanded that he be returned to office;
Whereas
the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank have suspended aid and loans
to Honduras;
Whereas national elections are scheduled in Honduras for
November 29, 2009;
Whereas President Zelaya has said that he will only
serve until his term ends in January 2010;
Whereas it is critical for
the stability of Honduras that the November 2009 elections be free, fair, and
transparent; and
Whereas U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
announced on July 7, 2009, that Costa Rican President Oscar Arias would seek to
negotiate a solution to the crisis, and President Zelaya and the de facto
Micheletti government have agreed to the mediation of President Arias.
Therefore, the House of Representatives:
1) Condemns the June
28, 2009 coup d'état in Honduras and refuses to recognize the
de facto Micheletti government installed by that coup d'état;
2) Calls on the
Obama Administration to continue to refuse to recognize the de facto Micheletti
government;
3) Calls for the reinstatement of President Zelaya as President
of Honduras;
4) Urges the Obama Administration to suspend non-humanitarian
assistance to the de facto Micheletti government as required by U.S. law and as
it deems necessary to compel the return of President Zelaya to office;
5)
Calls for extensive international observation of the November 2009 elections
once President Zelaya is returned to office to ensure that his successor is
elected freely, fairly, and transparently; and
6) Welcomes the mediation of
Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and encourages the Obama Administration to
provide any assistance President Arias requests in his efforts.
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