July 15th MAWO Public Forum Report

On July 15th, Mobilization Against War & Occupation organized a forum against the recent coup d’etat in Honduras entitled “Honduras: People in Motion for Social Change Why the Military Coup in Honduras Will Not Succeed” at Joe’s Cafe in Vancouver. The forum came after the coup d’etat on June 28th against the democratically elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya. It was an important forum to demand the self-determination of the Honduran people and their right for self-determination against imperialist interference.

Andrew Barry, an executive member of MAWO introduced film clips that exposed the US’s support and suppression of social movements in Honduras, Central America and the rest of Latin America in the 1980’s. From the 1980’s to the recent coup d’etat, the films clearly illustrated how many of the aides to the coup leaders are supporting US business interests in Honduras and are clearly connected to people in the US government. However, the films depicted also the hundreds of thousands of Hondurans who are marching onto the streets demanding an end to this coup and the immediate reinstatement of their democratically elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya.

After the film, MC and executive member of MAWO, Kerri Goodwin introduced Regis Ostin Medina, a member of the Honduran community. Regis spoke passionately of his country under continual US domination and oppression and what suffering and humiliation this has caused for his people. This coup was an attempt by the US to impede and prevent the recent progressive changes in his country. However, the people’s mobilization on the streets shows that the Honduran people will succeed and gain their independence.

After Regis, Ali Yerevani, Political Editor of the Fire This Time Newspaper and organizer with the Iranian Community Against War (ICAW) spoke. Ali highlighted how this coup d’etat in Honduras is the beginning of US’s new era of war & occupation in Latin America. That as progressive and peace-loving people we need to stand with the people of Honduras and their struggle against this coup to prevent US’s further expansion of their wars and occupation in Latin America.

During discussion period, people spoke the necessity to support the Honduran people’s right to self-determination, the immediate reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya and for no imperialist intervention of Honduras.