Honduras: the popular uprising put the government on tenterhooks JOH
Education reforms to public health systems and government of Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH) rejection they provoked.In late April, a major popular mobilization repudiated privatization measures. Led by the "Platform for the Defense of Health and Education" thousands of Hondurans took to the streets. The police have declared unemployed, They bowed to the protest transporters and other sectors, causing an uprising demanding the resignation of his entire government and JOH, those who have taken the army to the streets to try to hold.
Protests go back to the resistance waged by 10.000 doctors and 60.000 educators against two decrees approved by the president who both privatized utilities. Shares of teachers and health workers had broad popular support. He 2 of June, JOH repealed the decrees privatizadores. But the protests ceased. Doctors and teachers of the "Platform for the Defense of Health and Education", not only continued with the actions of struggle, but called for a "Citizen Dialogue alternative" in response to false dialogue led by the government and which were excluded.
The struggle in defense of public health and education, It gave way to a real uprising, after a stop "sitdown" Special Forces of Police launched, they launched a manifesto to raise the couple own claims, They declared that refused to suppress the just protests of the population. A police insubordination also added a strong strike carriers desabasteció fuel and other products in important areas of the country. Public transport stopped working and different sectors, including several farmers groups, They bowed to the protest.
Since Wednesday 19/06 "Insurrectionary outbreaks" They spread across different cities of the country: "In Tegucigalpa, avenues and outlets reported on the boulevard Central, The neighborhood Guancaste, Hato de Enmedio, Colonia Prados University and Kennedy. However, actions are reported nationwide. Following incidents between soldiers, The population reacted spontaneously and began to take bridges, streets and roads in the four cardinal points. Momentarily the population is being suppressed by the members of the National Preventive Police and the Military Police of Public Order. " (Kaos en la Red, 20/06/2019)
On Friday 21, Classes at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (extinct) and in all public schools they are still suspended while: "The obstruction of streets and roads with burning tires, like stones, continue to affect the population not only in major cities, but also in some rural areas. A nearby Workers' Union of Beverage Industry and Similar (Stibys), They gathered yesterday his supporters members instead of the Platform in Defense of the Health and Public Education in the Armed Forces Boulevard to protest with banners and slogans both. For several hours remained interrupted vehicular traffic at this location, not only by the agglomeration of protesters, but by objects they placed on the access roads. " (…) "On the road between Danlí and Jamastrán, like other axes, shots were deterred by police were given. While once again they took to raise their voices a group of people known as the March of the Torches, which began its journey from the church La Guadalupe, culminating in the headquarters of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OACNUDH).” (The Herald, 22/06/2019)
So for three days strong protests filled the streets of the Central American country. In response Hernandez took the army to the streets and fought with elements of the Military Police Public Order (PMOP). Repressions that the lives of three protesters charged, two Tegucigalpa and one in the village Yarumela department of La Paz.
Finally, after having negotiated the lifting of police insubordination at the cost of several concessions and repressive forces sent to break up protests, JOH in a weak attempt at political response to the popular uprising, He performed this Saturday 22 a march "for peace". This mobilization just met, counting on the governmental apparatus and the National Party in his favor, according to local media recount, a 4.000 protesters. In her, revile after opposition to his government, announced in an attempt to defuse popular anger, a reduction in electricity rates 15%.
Honduras: a poor and unequal country with a pro imperialist government, corrupt and illegitimate
With 9 million Central American country is known as one of the poorest and most unequal countries in Latin America. Although its GDP has grown a couple of points in recent years, with a sharp reduction in the fiscal deficit as they recommend neo liberal plans, by reducing basic services to the population, social inequality is the continent's largest and holds the number of 67,4 % poverty, the largest According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL).
Its political system is the son of the coup against President Zelaya given in the 2009, based on a deep corruption and electoral fraud and support of the armed forces. The current president José Orlando Hernandez, whose request for resignation is one of the key slogans of the Honduran protests, It has very good relations with the North love, you just sent 300 marines, to improve "humanitarian assistance" in case of environmental disasters "Because of climate change".
Hernandez has been reelected illegally 2017, since the constitution prohibits a second consecutive term. Accused in a fraudulent election, where for a few votes to the opposition leader Salvador Nasrallah and then violently repress the strong popular protests demanding that the triumph of the opposition prevailed recognition.
His government is dotted with allegations of corruption: "In June 2015, when the massive looting was discovered in the Honduran Institute of Social Security (IHSS), He confessed that his political campaign 2013 He received at least 150 thousand dollars from companies that participated in the embezzlement. Hernandez and their families have drained at least 4.500 million lempiras (local currency) State institutions using non-governmental organizations. " (rebellion, 22/06/2019)
And the enormous poverty, inequality, government corruption, neoliberal adjustment plans, etc. we add a severe case of social disintegration expressed that Honduras has cities and regions, and San Pedro Sula, where violence recorded the highest global indices. Armed gang-controlled territories, the Maras, with the connivance state, control entire regions imposing terror who are not subordinated to their mandates.
Honduras is a consequence of this table, one of the countries with the highest number of migrants to the United States with Guatemala and El Salvador. In fact, caravans recent migrants have originated in its territory and have a greater number of Honduran citizens in their ranks.
Honduran and Central American revolution uprising
The Central American isthmus has the characteristic of constituting a nation divided artificially in several countries: Guatemala, Honduras, The Savior, Nicaragua and Costa Rica formed a single nation, the Federal Republic of Central America, between 1824 Y 1839. This common past explains that we can talk about regional political phenomena, also including Panama, mark the pulse of the Central American revolution. In a recent article "Central America: New winds for revolution, Oct 11, 2018”, published in Anticapitalists Network pointed out that the April uprising nica 2018, He had ended by breaking the imperialist status quo in the region and changed the sign of the class struggle in the isthmus. This rebellion of the Honduran people confirms that forecast.
The open political crisis puts on the agenda the fall of the illegal government of JOH as it claims the majority of the Honduran people and rebuild the country on new foundations. Imperialism and the bourgeoisie in the country are already discussing variants replacement to avoid falling Hernandez dragged by the popular uprising. Nasrallah claims to take the presidency that would have been taken by fraud.
a program that at the same time lift the fall of JOH pose a comprehensive change to the regime and the dependent structure of the country is necessary. A simple replacement of the bourgeois faction that controls the other Honduras did not end with the evils background that plunge into poverty Honduras nor its dependence on imperialism. It needs to fight for a Constituent Assembly that recasts the country, democratizing its political system to service its control by popular majorities and develop a plan of anti capitalist, to break with US imperialism, eliminate mafias and on the basis of a strong impetus to the Central American revolution fight for a Federation of Socialist Republics of Central America, Cuba and the Caribbean.
For this purpose and on the basis of intervening with everything in the current mobilization against JOH thoroughly and develop organisms that drive mobilization and "Platform for the Defense of Health and Education", you need to build a revolutionary political tool with the best elements of the Honduran vanguard are taking the fight.
Gustavo Giménez
reproduced from International Socialist League | 24.6.2019
