Honduras | SOCIETY | HR

With Carlos Reyes

“Rel UITA arrives in the country at a historic moment”

Carlos H. Reyes, historic union leader and former president of our member organization, the Union of Beverage and Related Industry Workers(Stibys), spoke with La Rel about the role that the IUF and its Latin American Regional Office have played throughout the twelve years of resistance and struggle of the Honduran people following the civilian-military coup in 2009.

Giorgio Trucchi | Rel UITA

“It is a well-known fact among many Hondurans and Latin American citizens that the IUF was the first international organization to arrive in the country after the coup d’état.”

“What is more, it has been with us throughout the entire process of resistance that succeeded in bringing president [Manuel] Zelaya back, as well as in the efforts that came later to restore the country’s institutions and reinstate democracy,” Reyes explained.

The historic union leader and member of the Convergence against Continuity recalled how important it was that it was a labor organization, because it gave class content to all of the resistance actions furthered during these years.

“To this we must add the work carried out to break the media blockade, making known outside of Honduras what was really happening in the country.”

“The IUF kept reporters on the ground at all times, accompanying the resistance process in the streets alongside the people. IUF Regional Secretary Gerardo Iglesias himself headed several missions and was with us in the streets.”

“All of this has been very valuable and forms part of the history of this process of struggle of the Honduran people,” Reyes noted.

Rel UITA has been formally invited by the new authorities to attend the inaugural ceremony of president-elect Xiomara Castro on January 27.

“Gerardo arrives at a time that we thought would be of celebration and rejoicing, but it will be a very difficult moment because of the events of the past few days in Congress.”

“It is a moment that will be defined by popular mobilization, because the people can’t take it anymore,” Reyes concluded.