Honduras is morally incompetent to condemn Cuba
Campaign News | Friday, 2 April 2004
Statement by the Relatives of the Detained/Disappeared in Honduras Committee
AS such, the government of President Ricardo Maduro is legally incompetent to promote internationally what it is incapable of doing in its own country.
The Relatives of the Detained/Disappeared in Honduras Committee (COFADEH) informs local public and the peoples of the world that:
As a non-governmental organization monitoring human rights, COFADEH considers the position of Honduras against Cuba in Geneva - in the context announced by President Maduro - to be unjust, disgraceful and morally incompetent.
A sovereign state cannot subordinate itself as the political pimp of another hegemonic nation solely for related concessions.
And a discreetly patriotic president would not submit his people to the international shame of being the object of mockery and disdain.
Sending occupation troops to Iraq in exchange for an annual extension of the TPS or access to the supposed benefits of the Millenium Account in exchange for condemning Cuba is not a deal that makes us Hondurans feel honorable.
Honduras would have the moral authority to judge other states if it was to instigate an internal investigation and arraign the murderers of more than 2,000 people under the age of 22.
It would have the right to condemn other nations if it was to explain the violent execution of prisoners in common jails, or if it at least pointed to the financial criminals that bleed to death their victims, the depositors.
President Maduro could be a world leader of democratic principles if his government had reversed the growth of poverty and misery among the people by at least 0.01 percent.
A state that consolidates impunity and has been condemned three times by the International Court of Human Rights for violating the liberty and lives of its own inhabitants, and is on the threshold of fresh rulings in coming months, is not morally equipped to instruct Fidel Castro to respect political pluralism.
And a government that manipulates public information and promotes reforms in order to legally imprison freedom of speech is far less ethically qualified to tell Cubans that they should allow themselves to be examined by the UN in this terrain.
The CODAFEH asks the pardon of the Cuban people for this ignominious act by a section of the Honduran government, which has not learnt how to conduct itself with dignity.
We will not forget nor forgive the deeds and their executors!
CODAFEH
Tegucigalpa, MDC, April 1, 2004
