In Defense of Father Ismael "Melo" Moreno & of the Honduran Students

Statement of the Honduras Solidarity Networks In Defense of Padre Melo and the Honduran Students
En Español and in English 

Padre Melo
photo from Ignaciansolidarity.net

La Voz de los de Abajo is sharing the HSN Statement in Spanish and English at the link above. 
Students in Honduras' universities and high schools have been fighting the privatization of education and the authoritarian anti-democratic administration of the National Autonomous University of Honduras as well as the rule by the coup government's Ministry of Education in the public schools. When our delegation was in Honduras in March, we talked to students at the National Autonomous University of Honduras and learned about their movement.  Just as it does in the face of all the movements in resistance,  the government answers the students with violence and even assassination, reneging on agreements and refusing to dialogue. When human rights groups, political opposition members and members of the peoples' movements defend the students, they are threatened. La Voz de los de Abajo is a member of the Honduras Solidarity Network in North America and is working with other organizations in the US to cut off US aid to the repressive Honduran government and we also hold the Honduran government responsible for the safety of Padre Melo, Berta Caceres' family, Berta Oliva of COFADEH, Miriam Miranda of Ofraneh, Doris Gutierrez of PINU, the student leaders and the many many others at risk. 

University Student Protest
foto Honduras Tierra Libre

Progreso - Fighting Against Privatization and Repression

La Voz de los de Abajo has a fact finding and accompaniment commission traveling in Honduras this week.  We arrived Wednesday and driving from the San Pedro Sula Airport to Progreso we stopped to accompany the ongoing protests against the construction of a new toll road on the highway between these two important cities in the North at the invitation of some of the activists in this movement.   Recent protests on June 4, 8 and 11 have been repressed violently with tear gas, police beating participants and journalists and the detention of protesters who have set tires on fire to help block the road.  Wednesday the number of protesters was much smaller but they still blocked the highway, facing off against at least 50 armed National Police and Cobra riot police without any violence.  Organizations supporting the protests include the CNTC Progreso, ERIC-SJ, teacher activists, LIBRE, student groups and poor peoples organizations working together in the Mesas de Indignación.  The Chamber of Commerce of Progreso is joining in now;  they called for a civic strike Thursday the 23rd  of the small business owners and Progreso's population with a public assembly to discuss and debate what to do. More than 100 small and medium businesses supported the civic action.

Since taking power in January 2014 President Juan Orlando Hernandez has intensified the campaign of privatization of public goods and the cutting of services to the people. One of these campaigns is for the privatization of the major highways through the construction of toll roads. These toll road schemes bring in revenue for the private/public partnerships (Coalianza near Tegucigalpa and DASA in the North) that build and manage them through the contracts awarded to companies and the collection of the tolls themselves.  They cause immense hardship for the population and are widely hated and protested.  The cost of a toll is around $1 for a regular private car and approximately $10 for a large truck. At the same time the alternative roads are being blocked with drainage ditches and other construction. Toll roads have been completed on the highways in and out of Tegucigalpa and between San Pedro Sula and Choluma, and more are planned on the highways in and out of Progreso. There have been many protests blocking the road and refusing to pay the tolls but now people have decided to protest to prevent the construction of new tolls.

Padre Melo on the air Radio Progreso

Radio Progreso ERIC-SJ and the Teachers movement represented

LIBRE congressman Bartolo Fuentes, City council woman Araminta Pereira

One of the organizations working to build this rebellion against privatization of the roadways in Radio Progreso, and ERIC-SJ. We visited Padre Melo during his nightly show, America Libre. He was receiving calls from the public dennouncing the tolls and he called on the social movement organizations and resistance movement to make it a national movement. He believes that it is urgent for the popular movements to strengthen these broader civic protests so that they are less vulnerable to manipulation by the government.

Chance for Justice Day 5

Vicki Cervantes of La Voz de los de Abajo and HSN is accompanying Chabelo Morales' new trial for two weeks along with Karen Spring of the HSN and other international observers. 

Friday, October 2, 2015

V. Cervantes

Thursday evening the electric power went out in Guadalupe Carney and with no television, radio or lights for distraction, some folks went to bed very early, while some of us stayed up burning through candles, telling stories about the history of the community, and sharing rumors and gossip about the powerful military figures and oligarchs active in the Aguan. One of the young campesinos talked about how after taking over the land that had been a US military facility, the campesinos found graves, ammunition shells, and more on the lands. I remembered that not long after the land recuperation the La Voz de los de Abajo was given a copy of military documents found by the MCA campesinos at Guadalupe that included a list of Honduran, Nicaraguan and Salvadoran prisoners who had been held in the clandestine detention center run by the US and Honduran military at the base. The young campesino told us the story that circulated in Guadalupe in those early days about a campesino ghost with high rubber boots full of water who could be heard walking around near the village. For sure there are many ghosts, victims of the military, oligarchs, and big land lords past and present, who are still walking the valley, looking for justice.

Early in the morning Friday it started pouring rain and everyone was worried about how the rain might keep supporters away from the courthouse. Amazingly, the sky cleared and we piled into the back of a pick-up truck ourselves for the short ride from Guadalupe Carney to the court in Trujillo. When we got there Chabelo and the Morales family were happy to see that a sizable group of campesinos and campesinas from Guadalupe Carney and supporters from the San Alonzo Foundation and the Human Rights Observatory of the Aguan were there waiting for Chabelo to arrive. The defense team accompanied by members of ERIC-SJ and Radio Progreso arrived shortly and the trial began. 

Day 5 in Court:

Today two prosecution witnesses appeared but the testimony again was limited to forensic details regarding ballistics analysis and once again there was no evidence was presented linked to the accusations against Chabelo. After about an hour the testimony was complete and the judges announced that the trial would adjourn for the day and not convene again until October 19 because there were still problems in locating important prosecution witnesses and October 7,8, 9 are holidays and the court decided not to work those days. The defense lawyers objected to the fact that the prosecution witnesses,especially the key witness, Henry Osorto, were not complying with orders to appear in court and asked for the court to issue edicts requiring their presence and if they don’t show up to go ahead and let the defense present its case. They also proposed that if Henry Osorto fails to show up again he lose his status as victim (which implies a certain leniency towards his no-shows). After much conferring among themselves the judges agreed to set a schedule so that defense witnesses could know when they will be called and to issue edicts for all scheduled witnesses to appear. Under Honduran law ignoring the orders to appear can result in charges of “disobedience” to the court similar to “contempt of court” charges. 

PRESS CONFERENCE: “URGENT TO CONTINUE ACCOMPANIMENT AND SUPPORT”

After the court adjourned, the defense team, international and Honduran supporters and one of Chabelo’s brothers, Merlin Morales headed to Tocoa, the main city in the Aguan Valley, about an hour away from Trujillo, for a press conference that was facilitated by a lawyer from ERIC-SJ, Brenda Mejia who has been observing the trial since it began. 

At the press conference defense lawyers, Omar Menjiva and Sara Aquilar explained what was going on in the court and the significance of the delays. Sara spoke eloquently about the symbolic importance of Chabelo’s case for the campesino movement and emphasized the urgent need for international observers and local supporters to continue to accompany Chabelo, his family and the community despite the obstruction and delays.

The Guatemalan jurist accompanying the trial, Dr. Henry Monroy, also spoke and noted strongly his view that the case of Chabelo is an example of the criminalization of social protest, in this case the just struggle for land -- the agrarian movement. He called for a regional solidarity presence from Central America and denounced the fact that intimidations against the family and Chabelo continue, including strange men appearing in the community near family homes and following vehicles.

Protests in the Sula Valley

Información con "links" en español sigue el ingles

Protests in Progreso and San Pedro Sula

A lively protest movement in Progreso, San Pedro Sula and nearby towns is organizing against the increase in toll fees and government waste and corruption related to toll booth and road "upgrades".  Tolls have been increased 100% in the Sula Valley while the government has also created public-private partnerships to build new toll roads on the major highway connecting the capital city of Tegucigalpa in the Southwest to other cities. Private companies both domestic and foreign are making money from this privatization while costs keep rising for motorists, small agricultural producers trying to get their products to market, taxi drivers, and the public in general. Protests began in late December but in January have gotten bigger and frequent. A retired teacher was arrested at a protest on January 2nd, there were more protests and most recently, on January 13th, hundreds of people walked from Progreso to the San Pedro Sula toll booth in a protest march. 

The FNRP, LIBRE, ERIC-SJ, organizations of poor residents (pobladores), teachers, campesinos and more are participating in the protests which are part of the Honduran people's rejection of the current government's intense neoliberal economic offensive. 

Para información en español haz "clik" en los links abajo de Radio Progreso: 

http://radioprogresohn.net/index.php/comunicaciones/coberturaespecial/peaje
https://es-es.facebook.com/RadioProgresoPaginaOficial

No To Impunity! A Call for Solidarity - The Murder of Carlos Mejía

It has been more than three weeks since Carlos Mejía  Orellano from Radio Progreso in Honduras was murdered and despite the outcry both inside and outside of Honduras there is silence from the officials on the progreso of the investigation. Below is the latest statement (April 29, 2014) from Father Ismael “Melo” Moreno Coto, the Jesuit priest who is the director of Radio Progreso and of the social research organization ERIC-SJ. 
THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS THE ORIGINAL SPANSH. 

Por Ismael Moreno Coto SJ,  29 de Abril

Exigimos resultados de las investigaciones

Ya se cumplen tres semanas del asesinato de nuestro compañero de equipo, Carlos Mejía Orellana, y nadie de entre las autoridades responsables de las investigaciones se ha dignado en dar a conocer los resultados de las mismas. Uno de los investigadores llegó incluso a decirnos que los resultados iban por buen camino porque la Embajada Americana estaba presionando, quizá para dejar el consuelo de esa varita mágica de que si el gobierno de los Estados Unidos estaba detrás, los resultados serían efectivos. Tres semanas después, la varita sigue sin su “mágica” respuesta.

Nada de nada se nos dice, ni a nosotros ni a la familia. Todo va quedando en la penumbra. Y esto es altamente preocupante porque la experiencia en nuestro país nos dice que los crímenes alborotan por unos días a las autoridades, pero todo se va quedando luego en el olvido; los archivos se van empolvando con tan diversos argumentos, desde falta de pruebas hasta las carencias logísticas. Esto se llama impunidad. Y nos aterra que el asesinato de nuestro compañero sea un número más en esa interminable lista de casos perdidos en los archivos de los empolvando órganos responsables de perseguir y contrarrestar el delito.

Entendemos que las investigaciones tienen sus recovecos y que no se trata de llegar a cualquier conclusión con la intención de los investigadores de parecer eficaces ante quienes exigimos justicia. Los llamados investigadores locales decidieron quedarse con la más fácil de las hipótesis de crimen pasional, como en el primer momento lo difundieron algunos medios de comunicación sin duda alguna con la morbosa intención de desviar la atención y alimentar la homofobia extendida en muchos círculos sociales, entorpeciendo así una investigación profunda que conduzca a conocer la verdad, capturar y enjuiciar a los responsables materiales e intelectuales del crimen contra nuestro compañero Carlos Mejía.

Hacemos un vehemente llamado a nuestros amigos y amigas que se han hecho presente con tanta muestra efectiva de solidaridad y cercanía tras el asesinato de nuestro compañero Carlos Mejía. Seguimos necesitando que nos apoyen en esta exigencia de justicia. Sabemos que contamos con ustedes, tanto dentro del país como de muchos organismos internacionales. Pero lo decimos con humildad y franqueza: nos angustia quedarnos solos con nuestro grito, porque la impunidad es factor infalible para más violencia y criminalidad. Tenemos la obligación de luchar porque se conozca la verdad de lo que ocurrió y que se proceda contra los responsables de este crimen. Por la dignidad de nuestro compañero asesinado, por su familia, por nosotros, y porque este crimen no quede en la sombra de la impunidad, ¡¡exigimos prontitud y efectividad sobre los resultados de las investigaciones!!

——————————————-

We demand results in the investigation

It has already been three weeks since the assassination of our colleague, Carlos Mejía Orellana, and no one from the authorities responsible for the investigations have seen fit to make known the results of those investigations.  One of the investigators even came to tell us that the results were going well because of pressure from the the American Embassy, perhaps this was to be the consolation of the magic wand, if the government of the United States is behind it the results will be effective. Three weeks later, the wand continues without  any  “magic” answer. 

Nothing about nothing is told to us, neither to us, nor to the family. Everything remains in the dark. And this is very worrisome because the experience of our country tells us that crimes excite the authorities for a few days but then everything is forgotten; the files get dusty for a variety of reasons, from the lack of proofs to a shortage of resources. This is called impunity. And we fear that the murder of our compañero will be one statistic more in the interminable list of lost cases in the files of the unproductive agencies responsible for pursuing and stopping crime. 

We understand that investigations have their complications and that it is not about coming to just any conclusion with the investigators trying to look effective to those of us who are demanding justice. The so called local investigators decided to stick to the easiest hypothesis, a crime of passion, as they told some of the media in the first moments  with the morbid intention of distracting attention and feeding the homophobia that extends to many social circles, hindering in that way any deeper investigation that would lead to knowing the truth, and to the capture and trial of the material and intellectual authors of the crime agains our colleague Carlos Mejía

We make a vehement call to our friends who have been present with so many effective gestures of solidarity and closeness since the assassination of our compañero Carlos Mejía. We continue to need you to support us in this demand for justice. We know that we can count on you, both those inside the country and those from many international organizations. But we say with humility and frankness: we are anguished to remain alone with our cry, because impunity is an unfailing factor for more violence and criminality. We have the obligation to struggle so that the truth about what happened is known and that those responsible for this crime are prosecuted. For the dignity of our murdered compañero, for his family, for ourselves, and so that this crime doesn’t remain in the shadows of impunity, we demand speed and effectiveness in the results of the investigation!

Report from Honduras - January 31 - Chabelo's Trial Day 4

Go here for background information on Chabelo’s case

The court session today continued to reflect an atmosphere of conflict with the judges clearly violating the principal of impartiality, restricting the ability of the defense lawyers to defend Chabelo. 

Three witnesses for Chabelo appeared in court today, all three are live in Guadalupe Carney.

Despite constant interruptions from the lead judge (" speak louder, speak slower, speak into the microphone, look at me when you answer not at them, etc. "), all three were able to explain that Chabelo was at the soccer field at 4pm for a soccer game and that he only left the field after the wife of his friend Arnulfo Guevara came running to the field to say that she was told that her husband had been killed near Henry Osorto's house and that she needed Chabelo's help to go get Arnulfo's body. The soccer field is some distance from the Osorto house.  

Henry Osorto- photo El Diario Olancho

One witness who is also on the soccer team stated that he and others from the team went to the scene also and they all got there  after 4pm since they left the soccer field a few minutes after 4. This witness, a young campesino wearing a shirt that said "Fearless" in English, was indeed fearless. When the prosecutor asked him if he knew why Chabelo had been arrested, he answered, "yes, because of prejudices" and when the prosecutor asked him what he was talking about, whose prejudices, he answered, "Henry Osorto, because Chabelo never killed anyone, he wasn't there".  Osorto is a powerful figure in the north, a graduate of the School of the Americas, a landowner and a police official for many years-  now the head of the Police for the Province of Olancho. 

The judge also interrupted the defense lawyer when she was questioning her witnesses. She also noted for the record that the judge was interrupting the defense witnesses, something he had not done with the prosecution witnesses.  

The defense team has also complained that the judges should have taken action in the face of prosecution witnesses changing their testimony from their original statements and testimony - for making false statements to the court. Instead the Tribunal has so far denied the defense the right to contest the contradictory statements or to even contrast the different versions in court so far.  

One testimony was changed so that it actually supports the timeline as Chabelo (and defense witnesses) have testified of Chabelo arriving late in the day not during the main confrontation; another testimony was changed to accuse Chabelo of shooting and then attacking with a machete the witness's uncle when previously he said it was someone else and he now says that Chabelo was organizing the attack and agitating the other campesinos. (This is clearly contradictory to all the other testimony as well as to this witness' previous testimony.   

The Coordinadora of Popular Organization of the Aguan (COPA) brought a bus load of supporters to maintain the vigil in support of Chableo. The Permanent Observatory for Human Rights in the Aguan and several international observers also maintained their presence. 

The trial reconvenes Monday morning. 

January 30- Chabelo, his mother, his lawyer, representatives of ERIC SJ, Task Force on the Americas and La Voz de los de Abajo