Burial of one of the teachers murdered in Honduras

(Tegucigalpa, 4 August 2009) In Honduras, the repression against all the comrades integrating the Resistance Front Against the Coup, and against anybody opposing the coup government, is escalating day by day. The reasons behind are simple and clear, the people claims at the streets for their rights, they do not accept the de facto government and they demand the restitution of President Zelaya. Few citizens have already lost their lives in this struggle. Nevertheless, the resistance continues, and far from diminishing, the number of the courageous and brave individuals who keep resisting and fighting till the victory increases every day.

Last weekend was dark and grim for the resistance movement, especially for the educator’s guild, due to the killing of two teachers. The first comrade was Roger Abrahán Vallejo Soriano, 38 years old, secondary school teacher, who was shot in the head and died after he was in coma for hours. Now again, the police and army members are responsible for this murder. The brutal repression against the demonstrators of the 30th of July, Thursday, around the Comayagüela marketplace, ended the life of this fellow citizen. The police and army men chased the demonstrator for 9 miles, during a peaceful roadblock at the Posta del Durazno, at the North of the country. 35 persons were wounded this day, Carlos H. Reyes, who is in hospital and had surgery to treat the injuries on him inflicted. 80 persons were arrested in total although they were all released after. The motive behind the repression is simple: they were claiming for their rights as Honduran citizens. The other violently murdered comrade was Martin Rivera, a 45 years old teacher of primary school, resident of on of the colonies in Comayagüela. He was assassinated on his way back from the burial of his workmate Roger and his remains are being buried tonight (translator’s note: I do not have the date when this text was written).

But this is not all. Yesterday afternoon, Sunday, a humble peasant was murdered by a soldier who shot a group of people carried in the back of a van just because the driver did not stop exactly at the indicated spot. Today, after the killing of this compatriot, the local citizens are outraged and furious against these elements, who are committing so many crimes hidden behind the uniform. It feels like the lives of their fellow citizens would not account at all for them.

By the other hand, at the Honduran College of Secondary School Teachers (COPEMH, by its name in Spanish), where the vigil of the body of Roger Abrahan Vallejo, a well known teacher, has been kept, the teachers union agreed to support all the actions proposed by the Resistance Front. They would not continue giving class having two of their workmates killed. In consequence, they would join fully to all the resistance activities happening through all this week.

After the press conference hold this morning at 11:00 outside the COPEMH, the chairman of the Resistance Front announced the different actions planed for this week. Everybody will walk tomorrow together with the family members of the comrade Roger Vallejo during the funeral procession. On Wednesday, at 8:00am a general pilgrimage will start, in which people from all over the country will walk for seven days as follows: the ones who live in the western areas, close to San Pedro Sula, in Atlantica and in the North of the country will gather in San Pedro Sula after traveling from their communities and walking around 15Km per day; in the same way, people living close to Tegucigalpa, comrades from the South, East and the centre of the country will meet at the capital city. This trip will end in a very special act, after walking for 7days, to show to the coup government the enormous resistance capability our citizens have and to prove that they all are ready for everything in order to re-install the constitucional order in Honduras. Furthermore, the protests will continue in Tegucigalpa during the whole week while the wait for the arrival of all the women and men from the inland areas of the country. This is how the leaders of the Resistance Front Against the Coup d’etat.

The struggle continues and here nobody gives up

Mabel Marquez, La Via Campesina Honduras