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In the wee hours of June 28th, 2009, Honduran president Manuel “Mel” Zelaya woke to find his room filled with soldiers, and his presidency finished. Zelaya, a moderately populist leader with a year left on his mandate, would spend the next two years in exile, trying to get back to Honduras and return democracy to his country.
But it was not to be. Thanks in part to the quick recognition of the military junta by Stephen Harper’s government in Canada, (and bolstered by a hastily agreed Free Trade agreement) the coup garnered a financial footing, and measure of international legitimacy.
In the mean times since, globally Honduras’ murder rate is Numero Uno, and it’s now also one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalists, union member, or labour organizer. On the bright side; it’s a great place for Canadian mining interests to do business.
Listen. Hear.
Karen Spring is a Central America-based human rights activist, working with grassroots organizations on various issues, mostly in Honduras. She’s the author of the blog, Aqui Abajo providing, “Opinions, Experiences and Perspectives from the grassroots in Central America.” Spring’s recent article, ‘Aura Minerals Ready to Dig up the Dead in Honduras’ reveals just how low Canada’s miners are willing to go.
Karen Spring in the first half.
And; the BC Liberals plan to make a decision about the long-contested proposed Site C dam project on the Peace River before Christmas; right before it, if past behaviours are any predictor. The as-yet unscheduled in-Cabinet decision follows a Joint Review Panel process meant to explore all interests in, and effects of, the proposed project.
Alison Thompson is Chair and Managing Director of the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association, or CanGEA. Thompson was in Victoria yesterday to give a press conference for a CanGEA report on a made-in BC alternative to placing a third dam on the river. It’s a prospect for the Peace the Joint Review Panel itself admits has been woefully overlooked.
Alison Thompson and a renewable, cost effective alternative to Site C in the second half.
And; Victoria Street Newz publisher emeritus and CFUV Radio broadcaster, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour to bring us up to speed with some of what’s good to do in and around our city, and beyond there too, for the coming week. But first, Karen Spring and the dark, Canadian aura haunting the dead in Honduras.
Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Wednesday, 1-2pm Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca. And now heard at Simon Fraser University’s http://www.cjsf.ca . He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/
