Acting as a grassroots organization committed to self-determination of all people and their communities, and also, to support transparency and inclusion of all citizens in democratic processes, the Solidarity Network Against Mining Injustice (MISN) expresses dismay at the events that continue to develop in national elections in Honduras.
This Central American country is notorious as a point of narco traffic and having cup of homicide highest per capita since 2009, when a coup against Zelaya, popular democratically elected president was given. At this time, Canada is preparing to continue trading large investments in Honduras. Given these realities, two organizers MISN – Monica Gutierrez and Raul Burbano – participated in a delegation to Honduras that began on November 18 organized by Common Frontiers (Common Frontiers). Raul remained in the country as an international observer for national elections.
On Sunday, November 24, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) projected to Juan Orlando Hernandez as partial winner with 34% of the total votes, although so far only They had counted 54% of the vote, and no clarity on the origin of those. On Monday November 25 in the afternoon, a day after the elections, the TSE [1] Juan Orlando Hernandez told the National Conservative Party as the winner of the presidential election with 35% of the vote even without. National newspapers reported calls congratulating Juan Orlando by presidents of Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia and Spain. On Monday night the TSE interrupted communications, and their Web site [2] stop working. Considering the large irregularities noted by several international observers, these facts raise high suspicion.
In the days before the election, there were several reports of intimidation of the population by Honduran security forces. These armed men wearing balaclavas, which are presumably part of the military police surrounded the headquarters FREE game in the Kennedy colony of Tegucigalpa. On the night of November 23, Maria Amparo Pineda Eduarte, peasant leader Cooperative Coal, member of the National Confederation of Workers (CNTC), and president of a polling place for the FREE game Cantarranas, was corned together Julio Ramón Araujo Maradiaga, after finishing training for polling [3] .
Groups such as Honduras Solidarity Network, the Observatory for Violations of Human Rights and Resistance of Women, the Committee of Relatives of Disappeared in Honduras (CODAFEH), the National Lawyers Guild, the Center for Study of Democracy, international observers, individuals and independent journalist Jesse Freeston [4] , Berta Caceres, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (Copih) [5] and delegations traveled from Canada tod @ s reported incidents of intimidation, bribery, coercion, irregularities and deficiencies that indicate the likelihood of fraud. The delegation of Common Frontiers also reported irregularities and expressed their concern through a press release [6] .
In analyzing this situation, it is worrying that after conducting an audit of the electoral system, the Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS / EOM) ensures system reliability and low probability of fraud [7] . Lisa Kubiske, the US ambassador in Honduras and Ulrike Lunacek, head of the observer mission of the European Union also witnessed by the electoral process, ensuring that the counted votes, and the latest figures were normal [8] .
The role it has to play the Canadian investment has had powerful and their impacts have been primarily negative, especially when it comes to the human rights situation in Honduras. Resource extraction projects such as Goldcorp mines on the Siria Valley [9] , large maquiladoras Gildan [10] , and mega-tourism projects that cross territories Indigenous Garifuna [11] are examples of disrespect for sovereignty and breach of free, prior and informed consent. This behavior has been encouraged by the Free Trade Agreement with Canada Honduras signed a few months, which has been widely questioned by promoting private interests and undermine the sovereignty of the Honduran institutions ago. Stacy Gómez, Program Officer with Group Policy Guidance Americas (APG) writes, “Canada can and should play a more constructive role in Honduras”. However, Canada is currently “amplifying trade and investment in a context in which there are no legal or democratic guarantees for citizens who may be adversely affected” [12] . Amnesty International has called on the presidential candidates to establish human rights as a priority in their election campaigns. In recent years, indigenous leaders, peasant leaders, LGBTI activists, justice officials and journalists “have been objects of abuses and violations of their human rights.” Social organizers and advocate @ s human rights have been followed and monitored, have suffered threats, attacks, physical violence, kidnappings and assassinations. [13]
Given the seriousness of the current situation and the importance of these elections after the coup d’ state, 2009, sent a call for solidarity with l @ s who are questioning the results of these elections. We call for solidarity at national and international level, and by human rights organizations for a detailed count of the negotiations that take place in private analysis continues, and irregularities noted by national and international observers the elections. We also We demand respect for the democratic process, intimidation and obstruction of suffrage be documented and investigated, and that human rights are upheld during this process.
[2] http://siede.tse.hn/escrutinio/index.php
[3] http://www.laprensa.hn/sucesos/policiales/428199-96/simpatizantes-de-libre-mueren-en-emboscada
[4] http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/the-americas-blog/honduran-elections-live-blog
[6] http://www.commonfrontiers.ca/#Nov25_13
[7] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdwMhCaDY24&feature=youtube_gdata
[8] http://world.time.com/2013/11/24/vote-count-begins-as-hondurans-choose-president/
[10] http://en.maquilasolidarity.org/taxonomy/term/312
[12] http://www.mediacoop.ca/fr/blog/common-frontiers/19599