Recently released communications from
the U.S. Embassy in Honduras shine new light onto the role played by
the U.S. government in the 2009 coup that overthrew democratically
elected President Manuel Zelaya. It is now even clearer that U.S.
imperialism was seen as an important ally and power broker by forces
intent on preventing the people of Honduras from challenging the
unjust status quo.
U.S. diplomats immediately began
consulting Honduran capitalists and political elites the day of the
coup. On June 28, 2009, wealthy businessmen Antonio Travel, Emilio
Larache and Emin Barjum met Ambassador Hugo Llorens and urged him to
accept the coup. The head of the Cortes Chamber of Commerce phoned an
embassy official to inform him that the Honduran Private Enterprise
Council would be holding pro-coup demonstrations.
The cables also suggest that
reactionary forces overthrew Zelaya under the assumption that they
would enjoy U.S. support. It appears that the embassy initially took
a cautious approach, concerned that the coup would unnecessarily
provoke popular outrage. A secret cable sent on June 29, the day
after the coup, reported that, “Virtually all political elites and
personal contacts have expressed surprise and dismay at the USG
[United States Government] response, stating that they feel abandoned
by the USG.”
A cable sent on July 17, 2009,
assessing the situation exposes the goals of U.S. imperialism in the
post-coup political negotiations. Former President and right-wing
newspaper owner Carlos Flores is described as “crucial” and the
communication declares that the “the small industrial and financial
elite … will need to be co[-]opted into any deal.”
On
the other hand, Rafael Alegria, a campesino leader, is judged to be
an “obstruction,” and leftist presidential candidate Cesar Ham is
deemed a “potential wrecker.” Clearly, the U.S. government
operated with the objective of maintaining the power of the
capitalist elite. In
spite of a U.S. client regime being installed after illegitimate
elections in November 2009, the struggle in Honduras continues.
Immediately after Zelaya was overthrown, progressive organizations
and social movements representing poor and working people formed the
National Front of Popular Resistance (FNRP) to oppose the coup
regime.
After
nearly two years of struggle, the FNRP finally secured the safe
return of Zelaya to Honduras after Zelaya and Honduran puppet
president Porfirio Lobo signed an agreement called the Cartagena
Accords allowing it. The signing was witnessed by Colombian President
Manuel Santos and Venezuelan President Chávez.
Roughly 1 million
people, the largest gathering in Honduran history, attended a
demonstration May 28 to welcome the overthrown president home.The
FNRP now plans to register as a political party, intensify its
campaign for a constituent assembly to rewrite the Honduran
constitution and finally win control of the government by taking part
in the 2013 elections. As the people’s struggle enters a new stage,
it is even more critical to show our solidarity by opposing any
further imperialist intervention in Honduras.
