Providence stands against the coup

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--By a unanimous voice vote, the Providence City Council passed a resolution condemning the coup in Honduras at its July 16 meeting.

The "Resolution in support of democracy, condemning the coup in Honduras, and calling for the unconditional reinstatement of the country's democratically elected president" was authored by Councilman Miguel Luna, who represents a heavily Black and Latino ward on the city's South Side. It is the first resolution of its kind passed in any major city. Activists in the Boston area are planning to introduce the same resolution in their city governments.

The resolution resolves that the City Council:

-- Join(s) the Organization of American States, the United Nations General Assembly, and leaders throughout the world in condemning the June 28, 2009 coup d'état in Honduras;

Call(s) for the immediate reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya for the remainder of his elected term;

Urge(s) the United States Government to suspend all aid to the de facto Honduran government until President Zelaya is reinstated; and

Express(es) its support for participatory democracy for citizens of every country, as well as for smaller-scale participatory democracy at the municipal level.

In his speech introducing the bill, Councilman Luna said, "This is not just about Honduras. This is about democracy." Although right-wing supporters of the coup and even some liberals commenting on a popular progressive blog complained that the City Council has no right to "meddle in foreign affairs," the fact is that U.S. intervention in Latin America has impacted the lives of thousands of Providence residents.

Luna himself, a native of the Dominican Republic, described several personal encounters with police terror under the U.S.-backed regime of Joaquín Balaguer in a letter to the City Council.

The International Socialist Organization, R.I. Mobilization Committee to Stop War and Occupation, and the Boston-based Honduras Project mobilized public support for the resolution. Activists from Rhode Island and Boston plan to collaborate on a series of community forums against the coup.

To read Councilman Luna's letter to the City Council and the full text of the resolution, visit the RIStopWar.com Web site.