Latin American antimilitarists reject the coup in Honduras and demand disarmament and reduced military spending

We - antimilitarists from different Latin American countries, with the support of the worldwide network War Resisters' International (WRI-IRG) - reject and condemn the coup d'état carried out by the Honduran armed. We oppose the use of military intervention to impose a solution on social conflicts. We oppose all forms of repressions and smashing the freedoms of expression and association now occurring in this Central American country, and in particular now we oppose the military repression that favours one political sector in civil conflicts. We neither like nor will stay quiet faced by this new military intervention in the life of the Honduran people. From our history in Latin America and the Caribbean we know where militarism sponsored by civilians will lead: other civilians will be removed from power by death; torture and forced disappearances will become a new and fatal part of daily life; policies denying social justice and the freedom of women, men and children will be promoted.

As conscientious objectors we argue that, in order to prevent new military interventions and the suffering that accompanies them, this region needs a firm and consistent policy of disarmament with the aim of promoting peace and security for our peoples. This regional disarmament should consist in the elimination of military spending, the military academies and the armed forces in the region, at the same time as making a commitment to invest in nonviolent options for the solution of conflicts and in non-militarist processes for education in the full sense of the word. In this, autonomous social movements have a central role in reversing the poverty and other forms of suffering that affect our peoples.

Immediately and urgently, it is necessary to mobilise social forces to protect the life and security of the Honduran people, paying special attention and denouncing any sign of the use of torture, of sentencing to death or "disappearing" people as has happened in the the '60s and '70s - practices that are identified with the armed forces throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Therefore we call for concrete preventative and restorative actions in this case, actions at Honduran embassies, support for Honduran human rights activists, and the demand for the immediate cessation of any type of military action.

- Ni Casco Ni Uniforme (Chile)
- Grupo de Objeción de Conciencia de Ecuador- GOCE
- Corporacion Pazcaribe - sucre – Colombia
- Asociación Jurídica de Abogados Cristianos "dialogar" Sucre – Colombia
- Objetores y Objetoras de Conciencia de Sucre (Colombia)
- Red Juvenil –Pazcaribe (Colombia)
- Red Juvenil – Medellín (Colombia)
- Periódico El Libertario (Venezuela)
- Grupo de Afinidad Antimilitarista de Asunción Gaaa! (Paraguay)
- La Comuna de Emma, Chana y Todas las Demás (Paraguay)
- Internacional de Resistentes a la Guerra (WRI-IRG)

Additional signatures to periodicoellibertario@gmail.com