Is Peru providing logistical support for the Honduras coupmongers?

Screenshot from the video below that clearly shows the tear gas
being used by Honduras police to put down pro-Zelaya
protestors is from Peru's National Police Force

It was something that your humble servant (and commenters to IKN) first noted yesterday when mentioned in Al Giordano's incisive article on the latest developments in Honduras.

"We can also see in that video the revelation that the tear gas canisters shot by the National Police yesterday were stamped as property of the government of Perú..."

Today it's been a subject that's made it to headlines in Peruvian media and questions being asked by respected members of congress in Peru's parliament.

Is Peru helping the illegal government of Micheletti? Is Peru providing vital logistical support to Honduras police and armed forces to help them repress the pro-Zelaya protestors? The evidence is pretty clear on one score; those tear-gas canisters used by Honduras police officers on Wednesday are clearly marked "Policía Nacional Del Perú" (no translation needed, I trust).

You'll see them on this video at minute 1:40 (about 2/3rds of the way through). It couldn't be printed any more clearly. The man in the shot says (translated), "This is the type of bomb the police use to repress us. The USA sent them to the Peruvian police and the Peruvian police sent (them) to Honduras. How can this be? What explanation can be given for this?".

Peruvian daily La Primera quotes opposition member of congress Fredy Otárola this way:

It's "very serious" that tear gas canisters carrying the inscription "Policía Nacional Del Perú" are being used by Honduran police because it is evidence that the government of president Alan García is supporting the coupmonger government of Roberto Micheletti."

The director of Peru's National Coordinator of Human Rights, Ronald Gamarra:

"...demanded that the minister of the interior, Octavio Salazar, explained how the tear gas got to Honduras."

Opposition parliamentarian Yonhy Lescano (ottonote: one of a rare breed of honest politicos in Peru) said that he would ask minister Salazar explain the situation to parliament (ottonote: a formal situation in Peru that is used when a situation is suitably serious) and to ask him to clarify whether Peru's government is supplying the illegal Honduras government.

Even the ruling APRA party is a seat of dissent, with APRA congress member Edgar Nuñez saying

"...it is very serious that the police has sent tear gas to Honduras."

Peru needs to make a clear statement right now. It has taken a weak line of support for Zelaya, but all the same Peru's official position is to support the Oscar Arias plan that reinstates Zelaya to power. It also voted not to recognize the Micheletti coup government with all other UNASUR members. Is Peru sneakily helping Micheletti behind everyone's back? We need to be told.


UPDATE: A few minutes ago and via press release, Peru's national police force stated that it hadn't sold, donated of given in any way any tear gas canisters to Honduras and it was all some administrative error blamed on a company in Honduras.

OH WELL, THAT'S ALL RIGHT THEN. NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT HERE.

In fact the only people that have to worry are those who dare to report this piece of news, because at the end of the press release the PNP stated (translation):

"The right to begin legal actions in order the preserve the image of the country and of the police is reserved."

I'm having one of those ScoobyDoo we-wudda-gotten-away-with-it-too-if-it-weren't-for-you-pesky-kids-and-that-dawg moments again. Funny how they spring up so often these days....

The WSJ, Micheletti and a girl with a machete

Fake usurper person Micheletti got himself on the op-ed pages of the WSJ this morning, making his case as to why it was legal to pull all the illegal stunts he pulled on his elected president.

I was going to do a rundown of just how silly his argument is but have been busy with non-internetwebpipes things today and didn't get round to it. But now there's no need for this humble corner of cyberspace to lift nary a finger, as Machetera has chopped the arrogance into a thousand tiny pieces and pulled back the curtain to reveal the true truth of it all. Far better than anything this blog could ever have done, here's the Machetera link so go see for yourself this object lesson in demolishing an argument with pzazz, charm and wit.

Honduras: Micheletti, coupmonger and drug runner

Makes a lot of sense.

Machetera has the cool info in English right here and if the dude is on the Honduras Defence Ministry's list of suspects you can bet your sweet bippy that the DEA has the same intel, too (as Honduras milicos are owned by the US uniform dudes).

But hey, let's get real here. Being connected to cocaine smuggling cartels and being on US suspects lists never stopped anyone getting to be a President in LatAm: Just ask Pablo Escobar's Associate 82, a guy with the strange name of "Alvaro Uribe" who was a local politico in Escobar's area of main control back in the 1980's, was fingered by the Pentagon as being a "close friend and associate" but somehow managed to become....errr...president of Colombia.

Honduras: Congress suspends constitutional rights

This is Honduras (photo taken today)

The new blog out of Honduras is called "Honduras Frente Al Golpe De Estado" (Honduras Confronts the Coup D'Etat...more or less). Make it part of your RSS feed as there are already 13 posts and a lot of information and photos available at the site For example this post entitled "Individual Guarantees (rights) Suspended".

The following is spine-chilling for anyone who knows their LatAm history. I wrote when all this started on Sunday "welcome to the 1980's"...well forget that, we're now in the 1970's of dictatorship, Dirty War Argentina. Remember that this usurper Micheletti has illegally seized power by claiming some sort of technical infringement of the constitution on the part of Zelaya. But as soon as he has control he simply suspends six fundamental articles of the very same constitution that pertain to public freedom. This is nothing short of outrageous. This is the direct road to secret police, disappeared people and every other Latin American nightmare of the last century. Do you support what you're about to read "in the name of freedom and democracy?" Shame on anyone with a word to defend this scum. Shame on you.

The following constitutional rights have been suspended by the Honduran congress under the de facto command of Roberto Micheletti between the hours of 9pm and 5am Also, congress has given the right to hold a person without arrest or allowing contact with the outside world for 24 hours (renewable, of course, which means they can be held indefinitely without trial or disclosure). My translation.

SUSPENDED, Article 71: No person can be detained for more than 24 hours without being presented to the orders of the competent authority for judgment. Judicial inquiry detention cannot exceed six days from the moment of detention.

SUSPENDED, Article 78: Freedom of association and reunion is guaranteed as long as it does not contravene public order and good custom.

SUSPENDED, Article 81: All persons have the right of free passage, to leave enter and stay in national territory. No person can be forced to move from their domicile or residence, except in special circumstances and when the requisits of law allow.

SUSPENDED, Article 84: No person can be arrest or detained without the virtue of a written mandate of the competent authority, expidited with legal formalities and for a motive previously established by law. However, in-fragranti criminals may be apprehended by any person in order to deliver them to authorities. The arrested or detained must be informed in the act and with total clarity of their rights and the reasons for the arrest; also, the authority must communicate theri detention to a family member of choice.

SUSPENDED, Article 88: No class of violence or coercion may be exercised on persons to force or make them declare. In a penal, disciplinary or police issue, nobody can be made to declare against themself, against a spouse or living companion, or against family members inside fourth grade of bloodline or second of affinity. Only in front of a competent judge make statements be taken. Any decalration obtained by infringement of these dispositions is null and void.

SUSPENDED, Article 99: The domicile cannot be violated. No entry or register can take place without the consent of the person who resides in the domicile or without a resolution from acompentent authority. However, the domicile may be searched in the case of emergency to impede the commission or the impunity of a crime or to avoid serious harm to person or property.

Thank you Gran Combo Club for reminding me: The magnificent mural "Gloriosa Victoria" by Diego Rivera, 1954. A celebration of the Guatemala coup backed by the United Fruit Company

Honduras: More from Dario in San Pedro Sula, Honduras

I received another mail from Dario this afternoon, our Honduran eyewitness friend in San Pedro Sula that authored this previous missive. Again, here comes the direct translation of his words followed by his original mail in Spanish.

It seems to me important to get the word about what's really going on in the heart of the country from a Honduran who is clearly worried about his country's future. Maybe you'd like to leave support comments for him under the post (or mail me and I'll pass any message on).

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Otto,

Look, I can tell you that the situation is still along the same lines as yesterday, with a strong media blackout and violent repressions that are still happening, especially against fellow citizens that have wanted to mobilize from their communities to try and get to the capital. They've been forced to leave the main highways and take old roadways in bad condition, but they all have the conviction to defend what they and us consider to be just and correct.

The order from Micheletti is to block international news channels such as Telechile, Caracol, Alyazera (or something like that (ottonote: I think he means Al Jazeera)) Guatevision and Telesur. This is contrasted with the minimal and conditioned opening of certain local channels, without any permission to communicate anything against the de facto government.

It's hoped that as the day progresses the capital will be totally stopped with the arrival of all the committed protestors. Even though they were threatened with bullets (that miraculously only hit the bus tires) and beatings and were forced to retreat, with blisters on their feet after walking a long way some groups have arrived in Tegucigalpa.

This is the context of uncertainty and tension we Hondurans are living, totally subjugated by this powerful, seditious group of politicians who not only pressurize the media so as not to allow free speech but also restrict the limited possibility of mobilization that the military allow us under the curfew.

This self-proclaimed President, in nationwide radio and TV broadcasts yesterday and today, told us about the sums of L. 50million plus U$3m that are being moved to other social programs. This is seen by everyone as nothing more than an insulting attempt to make the population believe that its de facto goernment is working, when the people know that all state workers are on indefinite and irrevocable strike. The state is not working, the only people working are the coupmongers.

At this point we hope that we don't need the intervention of the UN 'Blue Helmets' peacekeeping force, but as our favourite dinosaur has threatened he won't mind using children as a human shield to protect himself against any attack that tries to put a end to his coupmonger government.

Up to now this is the news I've managed to uncover. If destiny permits and they don't cut off the internet of electricity supply I'll keep informing about what's happening in San Pedro Sula.

From Honduras, Yours Dario.

hola otto, mira te informo que la situacion siugue en la misma linea que ayer con el bloqueo mediatico es fuerte, las represiones violentas se siguen presentando especialmente con los hermanos pobladores que han querido movilizarse desde sus comunidades intentando llegar a la capital, se han visto forzados ha rodear las vias principales y tirarse por antiguos caminos de herradura, pero siempre con la conviccion de defender lo que ellos y nosotros consideramos justo y verdadero.

La orden de parte de Micheletti de mantener bloqueados canales de noticias internacionales como Telechile, caracol, alyazera(o algo asi), guatevision y telesur se mantiene contrastada con la apertura minimalista condicionada de ciertos canales locales, sin permitirseles comunicar nada que sea en cotra del gobierno factico.

se espera que en el transcurso del dia la capital quede totalmente detenida con la llegada de todos los manifestantes comprometidos que aunque los amedrentaron con balas ( que milagrosamente dieron solo en los neumáticos ) y golpes fueron oblogados a replegarse, con llagas en sus pies tras tanto caminar han llegado algunos grupos a Tegucigalpa.

En este contexto de intranquilidad y de tension estamos viviendo los y las hondureños sometidos totalmente por este grupo de sedientos de poder politicos que no solo presionan los medios al no dejar la libre expresion ser ejercida, adjunta a la limitada posibilidad de movilización que nos da la milicia con el toque de queda.

este sr. auto proclamado presidente en la cadena radiotelevisiva de ayer y hoy nos adelanta el movimiento de L. 50 millones mas $3millones qeu aseguran son movidos de otros rubros, esto a ojo de todos no es mas que un intento insultante de hacer creer a la población que su gobierno de facto esta trabajando, cuando es conocido por la población que el grupo total de trabajadores estatales se encuentran en un paro indefinido e irrevocable, el estado no esta trabajando los unicos que lo hacen los mismos golpistas.

a este punto esperamos no tener que necesitar la intervención de los cascos azules de la ONU, pero como lo amenazo nuestro dinosaurio favorito, no le improta utilizar a niños y niñas como pared para protegerlo ante cualquier ataque que busque darle fin a su gobierno golpista.

hasta este momento son las nuevas que he logrado recavar, si el destino me lo permite y no me cortan el internet o la electricidad seguire informando lo que acontese principalmente en SPS.

desde Honduras Saludos Dario.