Attack Against Offices of Via Campesina in Honduras

Written by Via Campesina
August 12, 2009

http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/2047/68/

Last night at 11:23 p.m., during curfew which began at
10 p.m., unknown individuals driving a cream colour
Toyota Turismo with the license plate PCA1981 fired
bullets at the office of Via Campesina located in the
Alameda neighbourhood of Tegucigalpa, Honduras which is
coordinated by Rafael Alegria. The act was a clear
attack against our social organizations and leaders who
are part of the National Front Against the Coup. In
addition to the recent attack on Via Campesina, a bomb
capable of killing 15 people went off in the building of
the Beverage Workers Union (STIBYS, by its Spanish
initials) on July 26th 2009. Both organizations are part
of the National Front Against the Coup.

We condemn this incident given that the activities of
Via Campesina and the National Front Against the Coup
are completely peaceful. It is important to mention that
during curfew only police are permitted to be in the
street.

Via Campesina of Honduras calls for support from
national and international human rights organizations to
remain attentive and to continue following attacks
taking place not only against these organizations and
their leadership, but also against the human rights of
the entire Honduran people and all those who have been
protesting in the streets against the coup for the last
46 days. Rafael Alegria comments, "People's rights are
being violated and it's a truly unfortunate situation at
the moment. People have been wounded, jailed and
killed."

According to a preliminary report from lawyers assisting
the National Front Against the Coup today, hundreds of
people were wounded and more than forty people detained
following violence occurring after a peaceful mass
mobilization in the capital city on Tuesday. The group
of lawyers is seeking the liberation of those arrested
through Habeas Corpus. The leadership of the Front
insists that the disturbances were carried out by people
who were not part of the protest, but rather
infiltrators interested in provoking confrontations and
disparaging the peaceful protests that the Front has
been mobilizing. The people detained are accused of
rebellion, terrorism and treason among other crimes.

AlegrA-a emphasizes that "The National Front Against the
Coup is not responsible for these incidents. On
principle the front supports peaceful marches, peaceful
demands and peaceful mobilization. At no point do we use
or call for violent acts. It appears that these
incidents are the responsibility of groups interested in
ruining the social mobilization and they have taken it
upon themselves to provoke this situation for which we
categorically deny any responsibility."

Given what has taken place in the last 24 hours,Via
Campesina of Honduras calls out to the entire Via
Campesina network, social movements, as well as national
and international human rights organizations to send
messages or delegations in solidarity with the
resistance against the coup and for the defence of human
rights in Honduras, and to assist in bringing about an
end to so much injustice and violence against the
Honduran people.

Please send complaints and messages of solidarity to the
following addresses:

State Secretary of Public Security

Coronel Jorge Rodas Gamero

Fax: (504) 237-9070/ 220-55-47

E-mail: sseg.06@hotmail.com

Special Prosecutor for Human Rights in the Attorney
General's Office

Lcda. Sandra Ponce

Fiscal Especial de Derechos Humanos

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Fax: (504) 221-3656

E-mail: ponce10s@yahoo.com.ar

Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CODEH)

President AndrAcs PavA3n

E-mail: andres@codeh.hn, codeh@codeh.hn

The Committee of Relatives of People Detained-
Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH)

Coordinadora Bertha Oliva

E-mail: mail@cofadeh.org

Via Campesina of Honduras

E-mail: laviacampesina@cablecolor.hn

Comunicaciones Via Campesina en Honduras