Manuel Zelaya: U.S. Pressuring to Divide the Opposition Alliance

The following are the translations of public communications between Manuel Zelaya, General Coordinator of the Opposition Alliance Against the Dictatorship, and the Alliance's President Candidate and President elect, Salvador Nasralla. The first is a letter written by Zelaya to Nasralla that refers to the role of the U.S. in pressure to divide the Alliance. The second is Nasralla's public response. 

Many international press interpreted the open letter as a clear split between Zelaya and Nasralla. Others took it as a direct, public challenge by Zelaya to Nasralla to be accountable for any decision that he makes, while letting the public know that Nasralla is being pressured by the U.S Embassy. The day after Zelaya's letter was published, Nasralla and Zelaya appeared together in a march in Tegucigalpa. 

The letter also directly quotes OAS representatives who, not surprisingly and not for the first time, attempts to link Zelaya to Hugo Chavez. The statement is yet another reminder of how much the 2017 electoral crisis and fraud is in the eye of the  Latin American storm so often polarized by discussions of socialism versus capitalism; anti-US versus pro-US; pro-Chavez versus anti-Chavez. etc. discourses. This, of course, was a strategy and tactic used after the 2009 military coup against Zelaya who was constantly compared to Chavez in Venezuela, along with the accusation that Zelaya was seeking a second term in office. There has been little to no concern by the U.S. and the OAS that President Juan Orlando Hernandez is indeed doing the exact same thing by running in the 2017 elections as a President candidate despite it being ban by the Honduran constitution. 

nasralla and Zelaya together at an alliance press conference on monday, november 11, 2017

Communication One: Zelaya to Nasralla

From Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales’ Office
Tegucigalpa, M.D.C. December 9th of 2017

US DELEGATES MAKE PRESSURE TO DIVIDE THE ALLIANCE
OF OPPOSITION AGAINST THE DICTATORSHIP
 

Comrades; Honduran people:

I address you in accordance with truth, to communicate that spokespeople from the OAS – the Organization of American States- has made recommendations that the Candidate and President Elect, Salvador Alejandro César Nasralla, “disengages completely from former President Zelaya because he’s a supporter of Chávez and promotes Democratic Socialism”.

US Chargé d’Affaires in Honduras Heide Fulton, has worked during the last forty-eight in order to avail the counting of the fraudulent urns (4753), in spurious recounting, vote by vote, of electoral documents that all Honduran people know have been adulterated in favor of the National Party’s illegal candidate.

I reiterate that this Alliance, built through a gigantic popular effort, has won the elections; defeating the bipartisanship that has prevailed in our Homeland for over one hundred years, however they refuse to hand over the Presidency of the Republic to Salvador Nasralla, who has proposed changes such as lowering fuel prices and energy costs; eliminating tolls, actions that directly impact North American interests.

It is the people’s duty to protest in streets to defend the Alliance’s and Salvador Nasralla’s victory, therefore I call for all of our efforts, to set aside all egoism in lieu of our Country, to fight every day without rest, and to deliver all our strength; until the last consequences.

I personally reiterate that I will never betray my principles and socialist democratic convictions, but I assume the historical responsibility of releasing Candidate Salvador Alejandro César Nasralla, so he makes the decisions that best represent his interest as President Elect.

Ever onward to victory!

José Manuel Zelaya Rosales
Former Constitutional President of the Republic
General Coordinator

Communication Two

To the Honduran people and the militancy of the Alliance of Opposition against the Dictatorship:

I would like to refer to the patriotic letter wrote by the Alliance’s Coordinator, my friend President Mel Zelaya.

I agree with his analysis that we have democratically won the urns and Honduran people chose me as their president. Now we have to fight for the acknowledgement of this triumph and it will be the Honduran People who will make their will prevail.

I also acknowledge that this victory couldn’t have been possible without the vision of President Mel Zelaya and the national structure for his Party Libertad y Refundación. I also declare that the party PINU-SD, by participating in the Alliance against the Dictatorship, has played a historic role that the country demands. Through this letter I express my most profound gratitude to LIBRE and PINU for the triumph obtained on November 26th.

I wish to clarify to the Honduran People and international community that as President of Hondurans I will be the person in charge of the reigns of Honduras and it will be my democratic conviction as standard bearer in the struggle against corruption that will oversee the interest of the Honduran people that chose me and this will characterize my presidency. I reiterate that I will surround myself of the best Honduran men and women and I will not fail in my duty to the country and the fulfillment of my campaign’s promises.

I ask the Organization of American States, the European Union in Honduras and the US Embassy in Honduras to demand the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to comply with the measures set by them and us which they aren’t currently fulfilling, in an attempt to rescue the current electoral process. In the case of not doing so in accordance to the two opposition parties legitimately representing the majority of the Honduran people, I ask that they do not only disqualify such questioned Supreme Electoral Tribunal to issue a declaratory of winner but also to recommend that the process be repeated.

Patriotically,

SALVADOR NASRALLA

Candidate Winner Presidential Election

Honduras 2017