FITUN condemns coup in Honduras, calls for immediate restoration of president Zelaya and expresses solidarity with the Honduran people
 
 
The Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs (FITUN) of Trinidad and Tobago joins with countless other social movements, hemispheric organizations and numerous international governments in condemning in the strongest possible manner the unlawful ousting of the Honduran President, Manuel Zelaya, on June 28, 2009. Furthermore, we call for the immediate restoration of Mr. Zelaya to the Presidency of Honduras, a position to which he was rightfully elected.   
 
The mere fact that a democratically elected leader was forcefully and illegally removed from his duly elected position is reason enough for organizations and governments from across the world to express disapproval and condemnation. However, the particular manner of President Zelaya’s ousting is cause of even stronger criticisms of this illegal coup. On Sunday, June 28 some 300 soldiers entered Mr. Zelaya’s home in the dead of night. According to reports, Mr. Zelaya, the lawfully elected President of Honduras was presented with an ultimatum; surrender or be killed. Mr. Zelaya was then taken to the airport, suffering further humiliation of not even being allowed to change his clothes and put on a plane to Cost Rica. No leader who has been justly elected by his fellow citizens should be treated in this manner.  
 
The unconstitutional government which was installed following the overthrow of President Zelaya has refused to heed the consistent calls from governments and institutions the world over to restore the duly elected government of Honduras. The Organization of the American States (OAS) demanded that Mr. Zelaya be reinstated by July 4, or Honduras would be expelled from the OAS. The US has halted military operations in Honduras. Additionally, the World Bank has suspended its financial aid to the Central American nation. Countries across Latin America and the Caribbean have demanded that the democratically elected of Honduras be immediately reinstated to his duly elected position. Some have even withdrawn their ambassadors.
 
However, the atrocities of Honduras’ unconstitutional government do not end there. As citizens of Honduras take to the streets to voice their opposition to this breach of democracy they have been faced with police violence, some protestors have even been detained. Journalists who were in Honduras covering the unfolding story also suffered at the hands of the interim government. Adriana Sivori of teleSUR was detained by the military in Honduras.  
 
Demands for Mr. Zelaya’s immediate reinstatement have also come from social movements and civil society organizations across the hemisphere. Social movements have also expressed their solidarity with the Honduran people and especially workers, farmers, the poor and marginalized who have supported President Zelaya and his attempts to bring about progressive reforms to the economic, social and political system. In fact it is this that has brought about the coup as the traditional power structure in Honduras – the owners and managers of big capital, large landowners and the military – has opposed the reforms which challenge their position of wealth, privilege and power. This is against the background of many decades of repression and military dictatorship by and on behalf of this very ruling class. The coup is clearly meant to return Honduras to those terrible days.
 
FITUN wishes to reiterate its condemnation of the illegal ousting of Mr. Zelaya by troops. We stand firmly in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the social movements in Honduras as they and the people of Honduras continue to heroically resist that country’s unconstitutional government and struggle for its immediate removal.  Furthermore, we also join the international calls which have come from many quarters demanding the immediate reinstatement of Mr. Zelaya to his rightful position as the democratically elected President of Honduras.  
 
 
In solidarity,
 
 
David Abdulah
President
 
2009 July 5.
 
 
FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT TRADE UNIONS AND NGOS (FITUN)
c/o Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union                                          tel: (868) 652-2701/3
99a Circular Road                                                                   fax: (868) 652-7170
San Fernando                                                                          email: fitun_tt@yahoo.com

Trinidad and Tobago