Government told to follow lead of US

Louise Nousratpour
Friday September 4, 2009
The Morning Star

Campaigners have urged the government to suspend economic and diplomatic relations with Honduras's coup regime following a US decision to cut all non-humanitarian aid to the country.

The US has also stopped issuing visas to Honduras's de facto officials. The decision is part of international efforts to ramp up pressure on the coup government to restore democracy.

Campaigners welcomed the British government's plans to "explore with the EU the possibility of restrictions on travel for individuals associated with the regime," but urged ministers to speed up the process.

The Foreign Office made the comment after the Morning Star contacted officials regarding Honduras's de facto finance minister Gabriella Nunez's claim that she attended last month's G20 prefatory meetings in London on an invitation issued by "James Gordon Brown of Britain."

Desperate to legitimise her illegal government, Ms Nunez told the Honduran press after arriving back from London: "One of the achievements of the meeting was the recognition that the president of the Central Bank of Honduras, Edwin Araque, and myself received as the authorities responsible for economic policies in Honduras."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman strongly denied the allegations of "recognition" as "not true" and reiterated Britain's opposition to the coup regime.

However, she did confirm that Ms Nunez and Mr Araque had indeed attended a G20-related meeting in London on August 17.

The spokeswoman stressed: "Ministers had no contact with the Honduran delegation during the conference."

John McDonnell MP, who backed Jeremy Corbyn MP's early day motion condeming Honduras's coup, said: "Representatives of the regime should be barred from visiting our country and if they manage to gain entry they should be arrested for the crime they have committed against Honduran democracy."

Labour MP Colin Burgon, who is a signatory to the EDM, said that the Foreign Office's statement had "exposed Ms Nunez's claims of recognition to be lies."

Campaigners and MPs now want the government to impose an immediate visa ban on officials and supporters of Roberto Micheletti's regime.

Mr Burgon said: "I welcome the fact that the British government and EU is exploring the possibility of restrictions on travel for individuals associated with the coup regime.

"These should be acted on immediately."

Calvin Tucker, who reported for the Morning Star from Honduras during the coup, added: "The British government should back up its strong condemnation of the coup by insisting that all international insitututions immediately cease funding this illegal regime."