On December 14, the San Diego branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation hosted a forum on the roots of the border crisis in Central America, specifically in Honduras. It was held at the San Diego Justice Center and attended by members and friends of the party alike. Its purpose was to teach people about the historical conditions leading up to the refugee crisis and illustrate the current struggles through testimony from PSL members, refugees and journalist Bartolo Fuentes.
The forum began with a historical analysis of the crisis presented by PSL San Diego member Jose Cortes. He discussed the roots of the instability in countries like Honduras: the United States and its imperialist violence. The United States’ vested interest in corporations such as the United Fruit Company, existing currently as Chiquita Bananas, required U.S. backed leadership. As is the pattern of U.S. interventionism, dictatorships were implemented with reckless abandon and instigated instability and the horrific conditions we see in these countries today.
The next speaker was Adan Plascencia of the PSL Los Angeles branch. Plascencia had the opportunity to travel with the migrant caravan and thus was able to convey first hand knowledge of the crisis. He noted the desperation and simultaneous determination of the Caravanistas who are simply fighting for their right to live free of violence. He later showed recordings of testimony from both the caravanistas and journalist Bartolo Fuentes.
Fuentes strongly disputed charges that he is leading the caravan. In his recorded address to citizens in Honduras, he stated that the caravan is the result of decades of neoliberal, anti-Indigenous policy backed by the U.S., and that the government of Honduras, lead by Juan Orlando Hernandez, is only shifting blame for making the problems from policy visible.
It is critical that socialists and indeed all progressive people lend our support, both materially and otherwise to these people fleeing U.S. implemented instability and violence. It is critical that we fight for the destruction of borders and of U.S. imperialism entirely.
