A Gesture That Will Not Be Forgotten

I have interrupted two weeks working on a historic incident, to express my solidarity with the constitutional President of Honduras, José Manuel Zelaya.

It was impressive to see on Telesur the declamation by the people of Honduras, strongly denouncing the blatant reactionary attempt to prevent an important referendum. That is the "democracy" advocated by imperialism.

Zelaya has not committed the slightest violation of the law. He has not performed an act of force. He is President and Commander in General of the Armed Forces of Honduras.

What happens there will be a test for the OAS and the current U.S. administration.

Yesterday was a meeting of ALBA in Maracay, in the Venezuelan state of Aragua. Caribbean and Latin American leaders who spoke there, lauded his eloquence and his dignity.

Today I heard the valid arguments of President Hugo Chávez on Venezuelan television denouncing the coup.

It is unclear what will happen tonight or tomorrow in Honduras, but the brave conduct of Zelaya will go down in history.

His words made us remember the speech of President Salvador Allende while warplanes bombed the presidential palace, where he died heroically on September 11, 1973. This time we saw another Latin American president entering an air base with the people, to reclaim the spuriously seized ballots for a popular consultation.

So behaves a President and Commander-General.

The people of Honduras will never forget that gesture!

Fidel Castro Ruz

Hondurans defending their democracy