Protests on December 3 against balatant electoral fraud in Hondura's November 25 election marked the third day of mass mobilizations despite the government enforcing a 10-day curfew as of December 2, TeleSUR English said.
Former Honduran president and coordinator of the Opposition Alliance, Manuel Zelaya, called on all Hondurans to take to the streets to defend presidential election preliminary results. Opposition candidate Salvador Nasrallah had a comfortable lead over the right-wing incumbent, as the electoral board continues to withhold final results.
A day after denouncing vote count irregularities by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Nasrallah posted on Twitter for people to assemble "To defend the victory of the people!”
The government has responded to mass protests agaisnt the fraud by enforcing a 10-day curfew, suspending constitutional rights and declaring a state of emergency. The TSE had ensured that election results would be announced on December 2, but were again promptly postponed. Peaceful demonstrations dubbed “Caceralazo” took place only hours after the curfew was declared and were met by police repression.
Three people – including a teenaged girl – have so far been killed in violent clashes following the disputed elections, as the armed forces opened fire on unarmed opposition supporters.
President Juan Orlando Hernandez has reportedly fled the country to avoid violent street protests in the wake of the disputed presidential election, Diario La Prensa reported.
Bolivian President Evo Morales reprimanded the United States and Organization of the American States for their alleged complicity, "Nearly a week since the Honduran elections. Why are the U.S. and OAS silently complicit regarding the elections and death of citizens in Honduras? Democracy is in danger in a neighboring country?"
“Beyond a state of siege we are experiencing a state of terror with the suspension of constitutional guarantees,” said Wilfredo Mendez of the National Board of Honduras for Human Rights.
Nasrallah posted on his Facebook page that the “illegal and unjust curfew is nothing more than a coup against the votes of the people who do not want the current president.”
TeleSUR English said on December 3 that Zelaya — who is a former president opverthrown in a US-backed military coup in 2009 — held a press conference to demand from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) a transparent final vot.
Zelaya said: "They want 1006 poll acts to be counted, if this can be done, why not the 5179 poll acts counted?"
He said the Opposition Alliance jad asked the TSE to "give us the status of these poll acts to check them."
He pointed out that "Monday to Wednesday, the system fell three times the same day and when it returned, the result abruptly changed in favor of Juan Orlando Hernández.
"Of the 12,900 poll certificates we received on Sunday night, which represents 71% of the total certificates, the Alliance had a tendency higher than five points, the system then dropped and then the ruling candidate appears with a point higher. we doubt the results.
"Salvador (Nasralla) represents a change in Honduras, the Alliance represents a change in Honduras and the people are fighting for a change in Honduras."
Below, Gregory Wilpert from the Real news netowrk speaks with the Center for Economic and Policy Research's Mark Weisbrot about the electoral fraud and the background -- including the 2009 US-backed coup in 2009 that paved the way for the violent, corrupt regime now in place.