People of Honduras reject the neoliberal model

August 31, 2007

Massive manifestations against neoliberal economic model of «development» that, with blind persistence, is being pursued by all recent governments of the country, were held in Honduras. National Coordination Center of Peoples Resistance (Coordinadora Nacional de Resistencia Popular) was the organiser of those multi-thousand protests. Leaflets pasted in Tegucigalpa and other cities of the country, called upon the Honduranians to fight for their civil rights, for getting a decent employment (more than 40% of able-bodied citizens are «idle»!), against routine neoliberal «experiments» of the authorities that adopted, in particular, anti-national laws in respect of drinking water reserves, forest and mineral resources.

Teachers that fight for just payment of their labour, peasants that insist on taking the comprehensive law about land, engineers, state employees, students, workers, activists of Indian organisations took part in peaceful protest actions. In many regions of the country the demonstrators blocked the roads completely disabling the traffic.

Speaking about manifestations, the mass media stressed that diversity of slogans and calls of protesters indicated to acute and conflict nature of brewed problems: crime, especially of youth, impoverishment of the Honduranians, increasing threat to ecological security, discrimination of women and Indians. The treaty with the United States on «free trade» has rejection effect on many Honduranians.

Massive expulsion of «illegal» Honduranian emigrants from the USA in 2007, on whose money orders depended survival of their families, added to social tension. As on August of current year the number of those who were «forced back» reached 20 thousand! By the end of the year the deportation of another 15-18 thousand people is forecast.

This army of additional unemployed cannot but arouse concern of the Manuel Zelaya government. If the chosen economic model (in this case – neoliberal) does not work, and in the Honduras conditions it is evident, it is necessary to suggest something new, perspective, that ensures interaction base with those political forces, public bodies and plain Honduranians who more actively and actively express discontent by the present state of things.

The ruling circles of Honduras face a very complicated dilemma. Or a dialogue, search of new ways of development of the country (as it is done, for example, by the so called «populist regimes» in Latin America) or the use of traditionally «force resource» for neutralisation of protest potential in the country.

The latter is obviously prevailing so far. Juan Barahona, Chairman of United Confederation of Labour (Confederacion Unitaria de Trabajadores) accused the National police in actions directed to undermine the future manifestation, in creation of special «troops» in plain clothes that used to beat and harass demonstrators.

One automatically recollects the lyrics of the ditty that was heard from the Russian pop stages: «Honduras, Honduras, where's on earth your working class?» Judging by the recent events in this country, it keeps on fighting for its rights taking part in manifestations and other protest actions.