On June 28, the Honduran army used weapons and force to take Honduras’ constitutional President Manuel Zelaya from his residence and send him to Costa Rica in what was the first military coup d'état in Central America in more than 30 years. This act of extreme violence can only bring more war and destabilization to the region.

Today the people of Honduras are courageously resisting and awaiting Zelaya’s return with tense excitement. Zelaya has been in Washington, DC attending the emergency meeting of the Organization of American States. The OAS unanimously condemned the coup and voted to eliminate Honduras from that organization until the constitutional order is reestablished and President Zelaya returns to office. Last week he addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations where he got tremendous support.

The Honduran army, the illegitimate government of Roberto Micheletti and their allies are threatening the people who are demonstrating for the return of Zelaya. These illegal forces vow to prevent the arrival of the airplane carrying President Zelaya and others accompanying him including OAS President Miguel Insulza. A massive deployment of police and army, including sharpshooters, are stationed at the airport, where more than 200,000 people are converging to welcome Zelaya.

Taking into consideration:

- the close association of the United States military with the Honduran army demonstrated by training and joint exercises;

- the role of the Soto Cano Military Base now under the command of Col. Richard A. Juergens, who was the Director of the Special Operations Command during the February 2004 kidnapping of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide;

- that Honduran army Chief of Staff General Romeo Vásquez was trained in the U.S. School of the Americas;

- that the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Thomas A. Shannon Jr. and U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, Hugo Llorens were fully aware of the conflicts leading to the military coup,

We conclude that the United States government has responsibility for the coup and is obligated to demand that the Honduran army return to constitutional order and avoid criminal actions against the Honduran people.

We therefore insist, for the benefit of the peace in the region, that President Barack Obama immediately cut off all aid and relations to the Honduran army and suspend U.S. relations with the government of Honduras until the constitutional president is returned to office.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Signed, (list in formation)

Ramsey Clark
Bishop Filipe Teixeira, Diocese Saint Francis of Assisi