US SOAW Activists Stand Vigil in Front of US Embassy in Honduras

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PL: U.S. Human Rights Activists Stand Vigil in front of the United S
Posted by: "Sinting - EROS" [e-mail]
Thu Jul 9, 2009 1:31 pm (PDT)


School of the Americas Watch - http://www.SOAW.org
For immediate release
July 9, 2009

Contact:
Dan Kovalic 412-335-6442
Father Joe Mulligan: 504-32-12-13-18

U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS STAND VIGIL IN FRONT OF THE UNITED STATES
EMBASSY IN HONDURAS

A delegation of U.S. citizens from School of the Americas Watch will be
standing vigil in front of the U.S. embassy in Honduras to call upon
their government follow through with actions consistent to their
acknowledgment of a coup in Honduras. Earlier this morning, the group
had a meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens.

The U.S. embassy vigil will take place today, Thursday, July 9 at 2 p.m.

While applauding the fact that the Obama administration initially used
the term “coup” to define the overthrow of Honduras’ democratically
elected president Manuel Zelaya, recent statements from high ranking
State Department officials have backed away from describing it as such.

The delegation will call upon the U.S. government to:

1. Join the international community and call for the unconditional
return of President Manuel Zelaya to his rightful position as president
2. Withdrawal the U.S. ambassador from Honduras
3. Suspend all U.S. aid that could be channeled for the purpose of
supporting the de facto regime of Roberto Micheletti
4. Withdraw the all U.S. troops in the Soto Cano/Palmerola base and all
other military bases (over 600 troops).
5. Close down the School of the Americas (Western Hemisphere Institute
for Security Cooperation) in Ft. Benning, Georgia.

The military coup was lead by graduates of the School of the Americas:
Chief of Staff Commander General Romeo Vasquez and Air Force Commander
General Luis Javier Prince. Several SOA graduates have been appointed to
positions in the coup regime: Nelson Willy Meji, Director of
Immigration; Hernan Banegas, Minister of FHIS, and Billy Fernando Joya
Améndola, Ministry Assessor.

Those participating in the vigil are:

Rev. Roy Bourgeois, founder of the SOA Watch movement
Rev. Joseph Mulligan, S.J., Christian Base Communities, Managua Nicaragua
Dan Kovalik, Senior Counsel, United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO
Kent Spriggs, SOA Watch Counsel
Lisa Sullivan, Latin America Coordinator, School of Americas Watch

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