Honduras

In the end, fear is not enough

Javier Suazo

23/11/2013

Opinión

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The elections called for November 24, 2013 in Honduras are without precedent, not only because of what is involved; power for some, bi-partisanship for others; but also because of the dirty campaign against the Partido Libertad y Refundación (LIBRE) and their candidate, Xiomara Castro.

For starters, even before the internal elections, LIBRE has been accused of being a creature of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, linking it with “21^st Century Socialism”. Nationalizations and expropriations of properties and businesses are just around the corner, the state would take over people’s property and their sons and daughters would be recruited to serve the cause of the revolution; and communism, without the intermediate stage of democratic socialism, would come to Honduras via LIBRE.

Public institutions have been advised to communicate to the beneficiaries of social programmes, such as the 10000 bonus, that if they do not vote for the candidate of the Partido Nacional they will no longer receive benefits, which would be eliminated by a LIBRE government were they to win the elections, even though Xiomara Castro has come out in favour of the aforesaid programme, but with structural reforms based on the Red Solidaria (Solidarity Network) that she directed under the government of President Zelaya Rosales.

Militarization of society and citizens' security has been employed to create terror and fear among voters. The leaders of LIBRE have been persecuted and they have been accused of being delinquents and drug traffickers. A large number of persons have "disappeared", particularly campesinos, human rights activists and journalists who have denounced infractions or have promoted fundamental rights.

Many employees in the private sector as well as government employees have been told to vote for the government candidate, under pain of losing their jobs. People are paid to go to political rallies and are told for whom to vote. ID cards are sold in neighbourhoods, areas and towns classified as territories free of golpistas, the credentials of other political parties such as the Christian Democrats and Unión Democrática are bought to be given to representatives of the Partido Nacional in voting centres.

The latest is that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) is attempting to muzzle international observers and the media so that they cannot publish information on the preliminary results of the election, since only this body can do this. Even at 6:45 PM on November 24, with less than 2% of the votes counted, the TSE can officially declare who are leading, and therefore, which candidate has won, which could generate chaos and a crisis of unprecedented magnitude.

In the end terror and fear are not enough. This is a people who demands a radical transformation of the economy, of society, and of public institutions, which have been captured by a group of families enriched on the backs of the people and through dirty business with the State.

Tegucigalpa, DC, November 22 2013

(Translated for Alai by Jordan Bishop)

https://www.alainet.org/en/active/69220?language=en