Honduras after the coup

By Julie Schwietert On June 30, 2009 · 11 Comments

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From Flickr photographer Yamil Gonzales (translated from the Spanish): “Photos of protests in front of the Presidential Home, taken on June 29, 2009. I edited/modified these as little as possible so that they appear as close as possible to what occurred.”

Graffiti reads: Get out, transnationals.

Grafitti reads: Mel [Zelaya's nickname], the people are with you until the end.”

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To learn more about the coup and events currently unfolding in Honduras, please visit Global Voices Online’s Honduras page.

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Julie Schwietert

Julie Schwietert Collazo is a writer, editor, researcher, and translator currently in New York, formerly of Mexico City and San Juan. She is Matador's managing editor and is the lead faculty member of MatadorU's travel writing program.

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Gabino Cuevas

Looks like a less than a couple of hundred less than stellar “marginal-types” protesting and causing destruction of private property without provocation (unlike the people in Iran – who were provoked by the Bisijis). Countere that with that 5,000+ well-dressed (and looking CLEAN) people that demonstrated PEACEFULLY in support of the Congress, Supreme Court, military, and CONSITUTION of their country. Better keep your day job if this is your idea of “fari and balanced” reporting!

http://collazoprojects.com/ Julie Schwietert

Gabino-

Thanks for your constructive comment. If you’d like to point us to photos of the “5,000 + well-dressed (and looking CLEAN) people that demonstrated…,” please feel free to do so. And not sure what well-dressed and clean has much to do with it.

http://ttravelguy.blogspot.com Jon Brandt

Powerful pictures. Thanks for posting these up in an article.
http://wayworded.blogspot.com/ Hal

Very powerful, very important photos. However you feel about the issue, you gotta admit that.

Also, all of these people look cleaner and better-dressed than I.
Gabino Cuevas

Jlie – my point was that these people are the common thugs found everywhere. They destroy private property (they obviously had NO respect for the owners of those buildings whose walls they covered in graffiti) and they react with violence. I come from Cuba, where the government uses these “marginal” people (I mean that to mean people of little education and cultural level) to beat up and suppress the dissidents and people not in agreement with the communist government. They are called the “rapid response brigades” and they look just like these people.

By contrast, you could’ve posted pictures of the 5,000+ people that gathered – dressed in white, the color of peace – in support of the government’s action to remove Zelaya. These people manifested without resorting to violence or the destruction of private property. I remain convinced that it is THESE people with whom the future of Honduras lies – not the rioters. I also believe that the vast majority of Hondurans agree with me. Thanks for allowing me to express myself.

Regards!
Alan

These are the people Gabino is talking about: http://laprensahn.com/content/view/section/244684

Just check underneath “Galería de Fotos”
Gabino Cuevas

Thank you Alan. The differences are like night and day. Who would you want as your neighbors?
http://zerotres.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/it-aint-what-you-do-its-the-way-that-you-do-it/ Ernesto

A coup is a coup, whether it comes from the left or the right, from the poor or the rich (http://matadorpulse.com/to-coup-or-not-to-coup/). Fact is, the authors of any coup will always think it is justified.

But the end does not justify the means.

Gabino Cuevas

Ernesto – the same holds true for a President that violated his nation’s constitution – no? You may disagree with the methods used (military), but the fact is that Zelaya violated the Honduran Constitution and put the Executive Branch above the Judicial and Legislative, a la Chavez. Luckily for Honduras, the Congress and Judicial branches took action. A coup implies a military takeover of a country. The fact is, Honduras has a functioning new President, and existing Congress that voted over 90% for Zelaya’s removal, and a functioning judiciary. What kind of coup is that? Maybe they should’ve arrested Zelaya, jailed him, and charged him with treason. Would that’ve helped the situation in the country?

Please, you people are so gullible!

http://zerotres.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/it-aint-what-you-do-its-the-way-that-you-do-it/ Ernesto

A “coup” does not imply a military takeover of a country. The Oxford English language dictionary says: coup d’état = a sudden violent seizure of power from a government. Read Julie’s article for more.

An impeachment would’ve been a TRUE win for democracy.

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Honduras after the coup

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