HOUNDURAS ALERT:Says Xiomara Castro and Cesar Ham detained at a roadblock along w/500 more people

[magbana]

Sent through Tlaxcla and arrived at 9:25 PM EDT, July 29, 2009

From: "Carlos Sanchis" <[e-mail]>
Date: July 29, 2009 7:11:59 PM MDT
To: <[e-mail]>, <[e-mail]>
Subject: Desde Danlí, cerca de la frontera con Nicaragua]
Reply-To: [e-mail]


The military and police forces who are guarding one of the 24 roadblocks that have been set up between Tegucigalpa and the border have detained 24 women and their children.

A female journalist who is a member of a human rights delegation (COFADEH -Berta Oliva's org.concerning detained and disappered in Honduras) and another person,Ellen Verryt , who is a member of a human rights group called Mundial Solidaridad were detained at the roadlock in the community of Arenales. According to her, there are at least 500 people being detained there, among them First Lady Xiomara Castro and three deputies of the Unification Democracy party, Silvia Ayala, Cesar Ham, and Marvin Ponce.

The police have been placed under the command of the military. They are all armed, carrying shields, and have tear gas canisters strapped to their uniforms and more. A neighbor in the community had been cooking food for some of those detained (hers was the only vending stand open in the area). The military ordered her to close her stand. As a result, many people needing food were left without any. In addition, all those held are suffering from exposure to the cold.

Those in the human rights delegation, asked the military chief at the roadblock, Lt. Col. Amaya, if they could proceed further down the road because of reports that there were wounded people ahead. Amaya told the delegation that they could not leave the roadblock. The deputies detained at the roadblock insisted on being let go and the colonel said NO ONE will cross the roadblock.

A couple of hours ago, the golpista regime decreed a state of siege (curfew) throughout the entire department from 6am to 6pm tomorrow (Thursday) which will mean that all residents and those at the roadblock will be detained for 30 hours straight.

The main concern, per the journalist, is that they are implementing plan BJ or plan Billy Joya. The plan involves psychological warfare, press censorship, and the use of hit men or death squads. The journalist also informed us that the Minister of Labor, Maria Mejia is detained in a cell in the city of Choluteca in the south of Honduras near the Nicaraguan border. She is being detained there with 8 other people.

This message is being sent to denounce what is happening and for human rights organizations outside of Honduras to ask if they can help in any way possible.

[Judi Lynn]

1. They have some very rough sledding ahead of them if they harm these people. Thanks, magbana. n/t

[rabs]

2. Radio Globo is carrying speech by Zelaya as I write this

but it is very difficult to understand what he is saying (reception from Zelaya is garbled, with lots of echo).

There was a report earlier that Goriletti himself had shown up in El Paraiso. Globo trying to confirm.

Also a report that camisas blancas (golpistas) were organizing to raise hell again tonight like they did las night in El Paraiso. (apparently the nightly curfew applies to zelaya-istas but not to the golpista supporters.)

National TV and radio hookup just now announcing that 6 a.m. to 6. p.m. curfew in El Paraiso and border regions has been extended for tomorrow.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Goriletti's got a lot of nerve showing up there, after bringing Billy Joya back.

That would be very interesting to understand, if he did appear in El Paraiso.

It would be so nice to think letting their supporters out to demonstrate while others are forced to stay inside is an indication they are getting desperate.

It wouldn't take long before the normal people in Honduras realize they can go out dressed in white at night. Hope they do it if this continues!

Thanks for the updates.

[flamingdem]

4. I cannot see incentives that would stop the golpistas from inflicting violence

because at this point they have so little to lose. Once that reality gets harsher I wonder if the violent elements will act out.

I guess that I'm too dark in my outlook but I remember the 1980s in Central America and those thugs are resurfacing along with their methods. Why would they act differently now?

Billy Joya is ejemplo uno.

[Downwinder]

5. Rats don't like the light.

Have to keep public attention and the cameras on them. If anybody has an old camera cell phone, probably ought to send it to Honduras.

[magbana]

6. Even more alarming -- direct and serious intimidation of Xiomara Castro and other relatives

I posted this not too long ago, but wanted to add here as well to make sure people see it. This is serious.
magbana

acnnews 15

Coup Perpetrators Try to Intimidate Zelaya’s family

HAVANA, Cuba, July 29 (acn) The wife of Honduran constitutional
president Jose Manuel Zelaya, Xiomara Castro, denounced on Wednesday
that followers of the coup perpetrators tried to intimidate her along
with other relatives, and ordered them to leave the country.

The First Lady told Telesur television network that a caravan of
vehicles came during the first hours of the day, that there were shots
and that by way of megaphones they were told to leave the hotel, the
Prensa Latina news agency reports.

Zelaya’s wife added that there’s a lot of pressure on them, that
followers of the coup perpetrators circulated around the city demanding
her through the megaphones to get out and dialogue with a commission to
get to an agreement with respect to her departure from El Paraíso.

Although there has been a permanent curfew in that department since
Friday, the intimidating groups maneuvered freely, and were even
escorted by soldiers, she added.

Xiomara explained that they arrived to the place where she and her
family are now located by way of deception, accompanied by a judge who
never showed them the resolution of the Supreme Court that authorized
the transfer of the relatives and the rest of the people who were going
to meet Zelaya.

When we arrived to El Paraíso, we were told that only Zelaya’s relatives
could continue their way, then they said only I, and later on only my
daughter, Xiomara Hortensia. That’s why we decided to interrupt the
trip; we lacked safety, added the interviewee.

The idea was to use with us a mechanism similar to the one used by the
military to take Zelaya out of the country, and then also prevent our
return to Honduras, she emphasized.

She reiterated that their demands are free movement, the elimination of
the military posts, and the elimination of the state of siege maintained
in El Paraíso for more than six days now. We demand that they let us get
to the Nicaraguan border to meet with the President and other Hondurans
gathered in Ocotal, said the Honduran First Lady in her statements to
Telesur.

worldnews/trm/trm/aga

Intentan intimidar golpistas a familia de Zelaya


Cuban News Agency
www.cubanews.ain.cu
[e-mail]