On Sunday, November 24, Hondurans voted. Eight candidates contested for president. Only two mattered.
LIBRE party (Liberty and Refoundation) candidate Xiomara Castro challenged ruling National party’s Juan Orlando Hernandez. A previous article explained.
It said business as usual prevailed. Fraud, intimidation and vote
buying were rampant. So were political assassinations. Democracy was
nowhere in sight.
Honduras has none. Fascist extremism is official policy. A cauldron
of violence and repression persist. Washington offers full support. It
does so disgracefully.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psake congratulated Honduras for a
“peaceful” election. She lied saying so. She did again calling it
“generally transparent.”
She urged Hondurans “to resolved election disputes peacefully through
established legal processes.” Honduran rule of law principles don’t
exist.
Fascist police states don’t operate this way. They do what they
please. They do it unaccountably. They steal elections with impunity.
Sunday was no exception. Election rigging substituted for freedom, openness and fairness. They were nowhere in sight.
Independent observers denounced what happened. The Honduran Equality
Delegation (HED) was comprised of US LGBT human rights activists.
They took a historic first step. They addressed dozens of Honduran
hate crimes committed against LGBT activists. They include
assassinations, beatings, humiliations, and numerous other human rights
violations.
Honduras has the most homicides per capita worldwide. It’s unsafe to
live there. It’s a breeding ground for human and civil rights
violations.
Pepe Palacios heads the Honduran LGBT movement. He called
Washington’s supported 2009 coup ousting Manuel Zelaya “our Stonewall.
We are not going back.”
Honduran Solidarity Network (HSN) observers denounced Sunday’s
results. It documented “serious and undeniable fraud in all 10
districts” it observed.
Its representatives accompanied Hondurans “in their electoral process as they seek social justice in their country.”
“(W)e find the presidential elections to be inconsistent with
democratic principles and rife with fraudulent practices,” it said.
“We were impressed with the peaceful
behavior of voters, and in particular the voting participation of youth
and senior peoples, despite the widespread voter intimidation tactics we
witnessed.”
Numerous human rights violations occurred. Intimidation was rampant. So was vote buying.
Western media ignored what happened. Despite irrefutable evidence, international observer groups were silent.
It was inexcusable. It reflected complicity with rampant fraud.
Widespread human rights abuses weren’t addressed. A stolen election went
unreported.
The Carter Center fell woefully short. It sent a “high-level delegation.” It didn’t “constitute an electoral observation mission…”
It was “an expression of the international community’s high interest in the ‘democratic’ process in Honduras.”
It bears repeating. There is none. Jimmy Carter and other Center officials know it. They went along with the charade.
They “thank(ed) the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) for inviting
them.” They “congratulate(d) the people of Honduras for their peaceful
and enthusiastic participation in the elections.”
“It recognizes the effort of the
Tribunal, the political parties, and the numerous national and
international organizations that have supported the process and
contributed to more inclusive and transparent elections than in the
past.”
“A number of parties have questioned one or more aspects of the process.”
“The delegation believes that it is very
important that the parties make their complaints known to the Supreme
Electoral Tribunal in accordance with the procedures established by
electoral law.”
“It trusts that the Tribunal will resolve these challenges based on the established norms.”
“It encourages all of the actors in the
process to continue to work together to resolve electoral disputes in a
peaceful and expedient manner for the good of the Honduran people and
the newly elected officials.”
“The Carter Center offers its support and
collaboration to the people of Honduras to continue the strengthening
of their political and electoral institutions.”
These comments turn a blind eye to blatant electoral theft. Jimmy
Carter justifiably calls Venezuela’s electoral process the world’s best.
Honduras’ is without question one of the world’s worst. Carter didn’t
explain. Sunday’s voting wasn’t an election. It was a sham. It mocked
legitimacy.
It was a predetermined process. The outcome was decided in advance.
It was enforced through massive fraud, intimidation, vote buying and
cold-blooded murder.
Maria Amparo Pineda wore several hats. She was a Cooperativa el
Carbon leader. She was a Central National de Trabajadores del Campo
member.
She was LIBRE party’s Cantarranas polling station president. On
November 23, she was assassinated. She and Julio Ramon Araujo Maradiaga
were murdered after leaving an electoral training session.
On election day morning, five Gracias a Dios department city of
Lempira people were killed. State-controlled media called it
narco-trafficking violence. Authorities closed the polling station.
Voters were shut out.
HSN witnessed numerous major electoral irregularities. They included
vote buying. Fascist National party representatives “bought smaller
political parties’ polling table credentials.”
Many LiBRE supporters were prevented from voting. Others doing so got pre-marked ballots. They supported the National party.
Poll workers outside a Santa Rosa station were assaulted. Their credentials were stolen.
Masked men held 50 others captive in a Paraiso, Copan hotel.
Independent observers got intimidating phone calls saying, “You’re still
in town? You better leave.”
Transparency in vote counting was absent. HSN expressed concern that around 20% of LIBRA supporter ballots weren’t counted.
Its observers faced intimidation and harassment. Sunday’s result has
no credibility whatever. What happened wasn’t an election. It was
predetermined selection.
Melissa Stiehler is HED’s international coordinator. It was part of
HSN’s observation team. She expressed deep concern about what happened.
Sunday reflected electoral theft writ large.
A detailed report is planned. A snapshot of what went on was as follows:
Human rights abuses included election day anti-democratic events. Military forces surrounded national media transmitters.
Their presence nationwide was hugely intimidating. LIBRE party supporters were targeted. So was free expression.
Electoral violations were rampant. As explained above, many voters got pre-marked ballots. They had no choice.
Cash, food and other handouts bought votes. National party hacks took over polling stations. LIBRE supporters were shut out.
Ballots for registered dead voters were cast. Voting secrecy was denied. Inappropriate campaigning occurred.
Voting entrances were blocked. Underage girls wearing National party t-shirts handed out mock ballots.
Many voting stations opened late. Registered voter lists weren’t
present. Soldiers intimidated voters. They were deployed in
disproportionately high numbers in LIBRE strongholds.
“The integrity and effectiveness of international election
observation (was) severely compromised, said Stiehler.” Detailed
information will follow. One example reflects others.
An Olancho observer team “was followed by two vehicles without
license plates immediately after leaving the polling station they were
observing,” Stiehler explained.
“After frantic and evasive driving from one of their accompaniers, the delegates succeeded in avoiding a confrontation.”
At issue was intimidation. It was subverting democratic fairness. It
was attempting to deny it entirely. On Sunday, it was nowhere in sight.
US ambassador Lisa Kubiske acted inappropriately. Despite numerous
electoral irregularities, she “recognize(d) the announced results.” She
urged respecting the outcome before half the votes were counted.
She falsely claimed legal mechanisms exist to challenge results.
Honduras has none. Rampant fraud and other irregularities can’t be
contested.
Stiehler expressed great concern going forward. She fears more severe human rights abuses. She denounced America’s role, adding:
“I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn
in saying that the US is well aware of the violations that are happening
here in Honduras.”
“Despite the Leahy Law (and others
prohibiting assistance to governments committing human rights abuses),
the US continues to support and aid in increasing militarization in
Honduras.”
“It is also not off to say that the US had (its dirty) hand in this election.”
“We believe that the only thing that will
change US actions and narratives about this fraud and the massive human
rights violations will be pressure, pressure, and more pressure from
people like us.”
The National Lawyers Groups sent a 17-member delegation to Honduras. On November 25, they issued the following statement:
“Honduras has a flawed electoral system
with many deficiencies including control of the process by political
parties, unregulated and undisclosed campaign financing, and inadequate
resources, training and voting facilities that disadvantage poor
communities.”
“In addition Honduran electoral law provides for no run-off election.”
“Without a runoff election in which a
majority of voters choose leadership, the electoral aspirations of
two-thirds of Honduran voters who voted for change, are frustrated, and
the winner of a mere plurality is denied a real mandate.”
“Yesterday’s election in Honduras and
subsequent statements by the US Ambassador characterizing the election
as ‘transparent’ and accompanied by only few acts of violence are
reminiscent of the 2009 election, where the US rushed to validate and
help push forward a process as it was being contested by Honduran civil
society.”
“There must be an opportunity to do a
full and accurate count and fully investigate reports of irregularities
and intimidation and threats by authorities.”
“Given the context of widespread
opposition to the post-coup government and its violent repression of
civil society, CCR urges the international community to do everything
possible to ensure respect for and protection of Hondurans’ right to
free expression, freedom of the press, and peaceful assembly in the
coming days.”
Days before Sunday’s election, Honduran Solidarity Network (HSN) and
Alliance for Global Justice (AGJ) delegates were temporarily blocked
from visiting a group of campesinos. They’re victims of state-sponsored
terrorism.
HSN and AGJ delegates were warned to go back. They were threatened. They were told they would “never leave” the area otherwise.
They ignored the threats. They pushed on by foot. They did so
“nervously.” They spent the night. They survived OK. They were lucky.
Honduran immigration agents targeted their Progreso delegations. They
were harassed and threatened. They had to cancel planned training
exercises. They could have been arrested or worse.
German, Salvadoran, Brazilian and other observers were treated the same way. Police states operate this way.
HSN added the following:
“The aforementioned observations made by
HSN delegates were made in good faith by people who voluntarily served
as witnesses to the entire electoral process.”
“Given the extensive list of threats and
violence before and during the election, and given the hourly
revelations of discrepancies in the data on the vote tallies (Acts), and
considering the fact that 20% of the votes are held by the TSE (Supreme
Electoral Tribunal), the Honduras Solidarity Network cannot and will
not in good conscience join in the rubber stamp endorsement of the
results as they have been announced by the TSE.”
“We continue to stand with the Honduran
people in defense of their human rights and of their struggle to build a
Honduras that provides a better life for everyone.”
People line
up during Super Tuesday primary voting at a polling place located at
Fire Station #10 in Arlington on March 1. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty
Images)
