US Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s Three-Day Fact-Finding Mission in Honduras Confirms Widespread Human Rights

[Downwinder]

http://narconews.com/Issue62/article3935.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. The first half of the article is hopeful. The second half...not so hopeful.

Here's the first half, detailing Rep. Schakowsky's visit and interest in protecting human rights in Honduras...

--

US Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s Three-Day Fact-Finding Mission in Honduras Confirms Widespread Human Rights Abuses
An Inventory of Reports from Major National and International Human Rights Organizations from Honduras Under Coup d’Etat

By Tamar Sharabi
Special to The Narco News Bulletin
November 13, 2009

TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS, NOVEMBER 13, 2009: Despite the US State Department’s stance for a ‘Honduran Solution,’ some Republican US Senators and House members have openly intervened and strongly supported the de facto government, not recognized by any nation in the world. US Rep. Jan. Schakowsky (D-Illinois), is the first congressperson to visit Honduras since the June 28 coup that did not come in prefabricated support of the de facto regime. She was invited by Bertha Oliva, Coordinator of COFADEH, a human rights organization that has been documenting abuses for the past 27 years. COFADEH has documented more than 3,000 illegal detentions since the coup and over 21 murders in a report published Oct. 22. During her recent mission in Washington, Oliva invited Schakowsky to witness firsthand the Honduran reality of police brutality that is not making the headlines.

Schakowsky’s three day visit from November 10-12 included meetings with family members of victims that have died directly from violence from the coup, media outlets such as Channel 36 and Radio Globo that have been attacked for honestly reporting on the resistance movement, and also a visit to the Brazilian Embassy where ousted President Zelaya and approximately 40 others have taken refuge for the last 53 days. The Chicago Congresswoman commented on her opportunity to hear a recording of some of the sounds bombarded into the Embassy and see the blinding lights set up outside, in addition to the crane set up for the military to spy into the Embassy.

(MORE)

http://narconews.com/Issue62/article3935.html

----------

The second half reports of Rep. Schakowsky's fudging around on whether or not elections can be fair in circumstances of pervasive denial of human and civil rights--no doubt partly in deference to the Obama administration which this week suddenly reversed itself and is apparently going to give its blessing to the Junta-run election. Unlike Sen. Jim DeMint (Puke-SC--a state with THE most non-transparent vote counting system in the US), Rep. Schakowsky will not sabotage, backstab and blackmail the President of the United States. I understand her caution. She is a US diplomat in a foreign land. It is appropriate for her to gather information and report her policy suggestions quietly to the Obama administration if they are not in accord with that administration, and work in her position in Congress to change what she doesn't approve of--rather than grandstanding, loudmouthing and edging on treason.

While she discussed the “serious deterioration of human rights since the coup,” she does not break with the Obama administration on the election issue, let alone condemn it, and said nothing about what Shannon did to Zelaya--which former ambassador Robert E. White describes as a "charade," "cynical and amateurish diplomacy" and comes close to describing as outright lying to, tricking and backstabbling of President Zelaya: (A failed negotiation) "would have been infinitely preferable to the charade where Zelaya signed an agreement under the illusion the United States would ensure his prompt reinstatement to power. //The result of this cynical and amateurish diplomacy could hardly have been worse."

http://www.ciponline.org/central_america/r_white/Robert_White_Commentary_Honduras_Revisited_Nov09.pdf

We can only imagine what Schakowsky must think--seeing the evidence for death, torture, brutality and repression by this wretched junta. The rest of the article makes sad and infuriating reading.