On June 28 last year, Honduras' left-wing President Manuel Zelaya was overthrown in a military coup — supported by the rich elite with United States collaboration. As well as moves such as increasing the minimum wage by 60%, Zelaya was seeking to start a process leading to a constituent assembly to democratically rewrite the nation's pro-rich constitution.
Zelaya's overthrow sparked a sustained movement of mass resistance. The National People's Resistance Front (FNRP) united a wide-range of popular organisations and social sectors.
Assisted by the US, the coup regime organised fraudulent elections in November, but most voters heeded the FNRP call for a boycott.
Under the new President Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo ("elected" in the November poll), the resistance is continuing to oppose the coup regime and push for its key demand of an elected constituent assembly to draft a new, pro-people constitution.
The interview below was carried out on February 25 by Dick Emanuelsson and is printed from Dickema24.blogspot.com. It has been translated for Green Left Weekly by Federico Fuentes.
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"The Honduran people have take the decision to organise themselved within the resistance", said Juan Barahona, spokesperson for the National People's Resistance Front (FNRP). Barahona has just completed a tour of Honduras to see firsthand how the resistance is organising the people across the country.
"We have travelled to various places and departments in the country where we are organising the resistance, motivating the resistance and where there already exists a structure, to strengthen that structure.
"We have almost the entire country organised."
With a sense of satisfaction, Barahona told us some of the experiences he and other leaders of the FNRP had during their tour.
"We were in Siguatepeque for the first national assembly of the resistance. We discussed the political strategy of the FNRP, its principles and all of its forms of action.
Instrument for struggle
"It was a very large assembly with the participation of about 150 people from across the country. We discussed what we are going to do, what our political strategy would be.
"There were also comrades present from the Liberal Party [the party of both Zelaya and some of the coup leaders] who are part of the resistance and, together, we are working to define, clarify critieria, and unify our actions."
Barahona said the resistance is a large grouping of popular organisations and individuals. It has within it a large political diversity.
The organisation has grown enormously in strength. It is possible, Barahona said, that shortly, the movement may be able to fill the political vacuum left by the political and organic crisis of the traditional Honduran parties — Liberal and National.
Rather than simply being an electoral vehicle, Barahona said the FNRP will be an instrument that supports people in their economic, social and political struggles. He said this is why one of the long-term tasks is to fight for a constituent assembly that can uproot injustice and the class structure where only a tiny group own Honduras.
"It is a difficult but very positive struggle. Today in Honduras, the resistance is the strongest existing organisation. We are the majority force in this country and we have shown that at various moments.
"On September 15, the coup plotters were unable to even fill a stadium that holds 35,000 people, while we are thousands and thousands of people in the streets.
"And because we are the majority force, we have converted ourselves into a hope, into the alternative that can generate social change and deep structural transformations."
Asked what was the mood and expectations of people when FNRP representatives arrived at small towns or villages, Barahona said: "It is surprising. I have been to many municipalities that have not mobilised to the capital due to lack of resources, where very few listen to the media and barely listen to one radio program from one station.
"But they have information and are totally motivated. They are with the resistance because when we arrive they demonstrate their satisfaction, motivation and will to organise and protest.
"And that is positive for the resistance."
Barahona said the FNRP is constructing a social network to break the media blackout with its own resources. The network has many faces — alternative media outlets in opposition to the established power are necessary.
"Among the people, the coup has been seen with negative eyes. Today, the people feel proud to be part of the resistance and strongly identify with it. There is a rejection of the coup plotters.
Class struggle
"Today what we have are two forces in a struggle, polarised into two camps: the coup plotters and those against them.
"It has become a struggle of social classes. When the coup plotters fight, they represent the oligarchic sectors, while the resistance represents the interests of the people, a people who do not own means of production.
"This clash has become a class struggle. This has helped us advance, because we are joining up people who do not say 'I am from such and such party', which is what traditionally occurred with people becoming a member of one of the two parties of the oligarchy.
"No, the people today feel proud when they say that 'I am part of the resistance even though my whole life I have been from the National Party or the Liberal Party'.
"The political situation in Honduras has changed."