Radio Mundo Real

Nahun Lalin is a member of the youth front of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) which, together with social organizations of the country has suffered repression and constitutional rights violations after the coup d’état staged in 2009.

A few days before the presidential elections in Honduras, Real World Radio interviewed Nahum about the balance of the past four years of an illegitimate government that has favoured the oligarchy.

Nahum talked about the expectations of the Young Honduran Garifunas for the elections and mentioned the importance of a victory of the Partido Libre (Free Party) that emerged from the popular resistance to the coup d’état.

Presidential candidate Xiomara Castro, the wife of President Jose Manuel Zelaya when the coup was staged, is the frontrunner according to opinion polls. However, the Honduran popular front fears for that the lack of respect for the constitutional rights during the elections.

The selling of election ID, intimidation of candidates and expensive media campaigns are taking place in the leadup to the elections. An electoral ban is already underway before the elections.

OFRANEH’s leader said the principle of free, prior and informed consent has not been
respected under Porfirio Lobo’s administration. The rights of indigenous communities,
peasants and Africandescendent groups have been violated.

An example of this is the so called “model cities”, passed in Parliament, an initiative that provides exceptional land rights to transnational corporations.

“We believe the balance of the past four years is terrible. The state has tried to phase out our indigenous and Garifuna peoples”, said Nahum.

The African-Honduran activist did not hesitate to point out the discredit of the elections in Honduras. He spoke about the dirty capmpaigns and the lack of specific proposals for the young population. Migration, unemployment and violence are the main issues to address for the young voters.

“Politics has gone as far as to play with the hunger of our communities”, says Nahum.

“All hopes are on the Free Party. At OFRANEH we defend the Constitution and democracy in the country and we hope that Xiomara Castro will win. But the situation of any elected government will be difficult because the oligarchy is in control”.