Andres Conteris - from inside the Brazilian Embassy, Honduras

6.72Mb. 128kbps mono 7 minutes 20 seconds

Andres Conteris, journalist for Democracy Now has been inside the Brazilian Embassy with President Zelaya since day one. A month and a half later the one hundred or so inside the Embassy is down to 30. Nevertheless, the commitment to resist the coup regime honestly and calmly is as strong as ever. President Zelaya is counting on the international community not to recognise the illegal, and heavily compromised 'elections' of November 29 to bring some kind of social equity and natural justice to the Honduran people.

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Original audio source (AndresConteris12_Nov_2009.mp3)

Honduras - Karen Spring on the people's preparations

7 Mb. 128kbps mono 7 mins 34 seconds.

Karen Spring with Rights Action talks with community radio about the response of the people to efforts by the coup regime of Honduras, and the US to legitimise the elections of November 29. The Resistance Front claims that conditions for a free and fair election do not exist, and that hold the elections before President Zelaya is reinstated is in contradiction of the spirit agreement signed on October 30. The US appears to be in compliance with the position of the regime.

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Original audio source (karenjspring_11_Nov_2009.mp3)

Honduras coup regime reneges on agreement - with US support.

7Mb 128kbps mono 7mins 36 secs

Toni Solo reflects on the shocking retraction of the US' professed commitment to recognise the November 29 elections in Honduras if President Zelaya is reinstated. De facto president Micheletti signed an agreement brokered by the US to reinstate President Zelaya on October 30, but refused to convene the Honduras Congress to ratify the agreement. President Zelaya is still a virtual prisoner trapped inside the Brazilian Embassy, even though it was assumed that he could resume the Presidential seat after the November 5 deadline.

On the weekend of November 7 the US unexpectedly announced that the US would recognise the November elections, whether Zelaya was reinstated or not - thus conferring a spurious legitimacy on the regime and dividing the Organisation of American States in its original position of not recognising the elections if Zelaya was not reinstated beforehand.

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Original audio source (ToniSoloPt1_10_Nov_2009.mp3)

Honduras - Election boycott on. Coup Regime reneges on agreement.

13.5 128kbps. mono 14mins. 35 secs.

Ricardo Salgado, Honduran analyst of the 'crisis' in Honduras explains the latest developments. In spite of US pressure on the coup regime to recognise the legitimacy of Zelaya as President ten days ago, the President is still trapped inside the Brazilian Embassy. The 'agreement' (designed more to save face for the US and the coup regime rather than the restoration of a democratic 'solution') has failed. The coup regime has failed to meet the one week deadline to restore Zelaya to his post as President in a reasonable amount of time to allow a 'clean' election process.

The Resistance Front (according to polls supported by over 70% of the population) has announced that they will not recognised the November 29 elections, and the single opposition candidate, Carlos Reyes, has withdrawn his candidature. If the coup regime goes ahead with the elections it could destabilise the entire region. There is a call for the international community not to recognise the legitimacy of the elections. With the US playing a reluctant role (although one of the key players) in promoting a just resolution to the crisis, the Obama administration may be deferring a small problem until it becomes a big problem.

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Original audio source (rec_ricardo.salgado10_Nov_2009.mp3)

Recuerdos de un Sindicalista - Gerardo Diaz (A Unionist Remembers)

(Spanish Language - Espanol)

Octubre 31 es el aniversario de la destruccion por medio de una bomba de las oficinas de FENASTRAS en 1989. Murieron 9 companeros, incluso la famosa Phoebe Velasquez, dirigente de vanguardia, y muchos heridos.

Gerardo Diaz fue el Secretario General de FENASTRAS en los anos ochenta, durante los dias de la mas fuerte represion en El Salvador. El habla dela naturaleza de esta represion, y las tacticas que los syndicalistas activistas desarollaron para aguantar el hostigamiento de la policia, escuadrones de la muerte, y paramilitares.

(October 31 is the anniversary of the destruction of the premises of the FENASTRAS union confederation, in 1989. Nine comrads died in the powerful bomb blast, including the famous leader, Phoebe Velasquez, and many more were seriously injuted.

Gerardo Diaz was the Secretary General of FENASTRAS in the late 1980s when El Salvador was subjected to some of the worst repression. From his home in Sydney (where he eventually sought political asylum) he talks about the police harassment the Union and its members endured, and the tactics the unionists developed to endure it - lessons that may be valuable today for the workers of neighbouring Honduras undergoing a similar repression).

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Original audio source (GerardoPt2CBR.mp3)

Honduras - more breaking news from Ricardo Salgado

10.4 Mb. 128 kbps. mono. 11 minutes 21 seconds.

Ricardo Salgado reports from Honduras on the withdrawal of Resistance Front Representative from the 'dialogue' between President Zelaya and the coup regime. A positive outcome is not likely, and it seems that repression of the Honduran people by the coup regime is growing proportionately. The interview was paused while Ricardo went out to investigate the sound of shooting in the streets - a sound he says, the Honduran people have become all too used to.

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Original audio source (RicardoSalgado14_Oct_2009.mp3)