“Normalization” advances rapidly in Honduras
- Chávez and Zelaya — Diario Tiempo photo
[Translations of two articles, both from April 16, the first from the web site of the Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular, based on a news conference carried by Venezolana de Televisión, the second from Diario Tiempo of San Pedro Sula, based on an Agence France Press dispatch. See first article here and second here, a related article from Honduras Weekly here and go here for link to video news conference.]
Frente de Resistencia has confidence in President Chávez as mediator in Honduran crisis
“We are very happy to be able to contribute to the reestablishment of peace and democracy in Honduras. We are here struggling to consolidate, not only in Venezuela, but throughout this land, Latin America, in Central America, in South America, a grand area of peace,” the head of state declared on Saturday.
The Frente Nacional de Resistencia has full confidence in President Hugo Chávez’s mediation so that Honduras can return to constitutional order. This was stated by the president of the popular organization, Juan Barahona, at the Miraflores Palace, after his meeting with the Venezuelan head of state and Manuel Zelaya.
On his behalf, the president indicated that “Zelaya has established some points for negotiation, and (Honduran President Porfirio) Lobo has joined in, and we already have am opinion. We are very happy to be able to contribute to the reestablishment of peace and democracy in Honduras.”
He declared that the progressive countries of the region continue “bearing the aggression of the empire with coups d’état.”
He stressed that the leaders of the region, as well as the peoples, are struggling to consolidate in all of Latin America, Central America, a grand area of peace. “A democratic area where real peace reigns and there are never wars or coups d’état or imperial aggression from anywhere.”
Meanwhile, Manuel Zelaya recognized Venezuela as an example of the processes of peoples’ natural evolution. “We are inspired by you, the Venezuelan people… I identify with the Bolivarian, Chavista people, I salute the people who are a symbol of the transformative process.”
Zelaya thanked Venezuela for condemning the fascist right of Latin America. He also indicated that there are four points that should be worked on in Honduras and these are: the struggle for a constituent assembly, the return of the exiles, the recognition of the Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular and the defense of human rights.
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Chavez meets with Zelaya to move toward Honduras’ return to OAS
Caracas – President Hugo Chávez on Saturday received former Honduran president Manuel Zelaya for the purpose of advancing mediation begun by Venezuela and Colombia to facilitate Honduras’ return to the OAS.
“We talked about many things. Zelaya has laid on the table some points for negotiation, (Honduran President Porfirio) Lobo has given a positive first response, (and these points) now have to be made concrete in a document. We already have a draft,” Chávez said after the meeting.
“We are very happy to contribute to reestablishing peace and democracy in our sister republic of Honduras… We reafirm our will in the struggle, with no hesitation, in favor of a democratic path for our peoples,” he added.
Last week Chávez and his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos met with Lobo with the aim of mediating between him and Zelaya, in exile in the Dominican Republic since 2010
Chávez has refused to recognize Lobo, elected in 2010 to replace Zelaya, who was ousted in a coup d’état on June 28, 2009.
Lobo is currently seeking to normalize relations with Venezuela and other South American countries in order to obtain the votes permiting Honduras to be accepted back into the Organization of American States, from which it was expelled following the coup.
Venezuela considers Zelaya’s return to Honduras an indispensable condition for that end.
“I am infnitely grateful to the Venezuelan people for the support they have given Honduras, condemning the golpista right in Latin America,” Zelaya said on Saturday.
“That coup d’état, supported from the north, from the United States, I believe also planned [by the United States], divide Latin Americans and caused great damage to the Honduran people and democratic unity that we still have in the region to this day,” he added.
Zelaya cited several conditions for carrying the negotiations forward, among them allowing the return of exiles to Honduras and the recognition of the Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular as a political force.
In a show of good will, Lobo on Friday asked the Supreme Court of Honduras to take the necessary steps to facilitate the return of Zelaya, who is charged with the crime of corruption.
Tags: coup d'etat, Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular, Honduras, Hugo Chavez, Juan Barahona, Manuel Zelaya, normalization, Organization of American States, Porfirio Lobo, Venezuela