Resistencia: organization and goals

As we have previously discussed, the proposal on the table for the composition of a "truth commission" includes a call for membership of one representative of the Honduran resistance.

But the question that raises is, who decides who can represent the resistance? it is already clear that there are attempts to misrepresent César Ham's appointment to the Lobo Sosa cabinet as somehow representing the "resistance" (with a lower case "r"). This in part stems from the logic of refusing to recognize any movement that has not subjected itself to the legal requisites of registration as a "political" organization under Honduran law.

Instead, the National Popular Resistance Front (with a capital "R") continues to organize itself as a broad popular movement, by definition without a single leader. And that movement has reiterated that its goal is not to be part of a truth commission seen as intended to whitewash the coup; but to advocate for a new constitutional assembly.

This point is made most clearly by a statement posted today on Vos el Soberano:

Definition and Organic Structure of the Frente Nacional de Resistencia

The FNRP is a broad organization of political and social struggle, anticapitalist, anti-neoliberal, anti-oligarchic, anti-imperialist, anti-patriarchal, and anti-racist that seeks the transformation of social, political, economic, educational structures, and those of cultural dominance, by means of the installation of the National Constitutional Assembly, inclusive and popular, that will approve the first political constitution made by the people to refound the State of Honduras, eliminating the present relations of domination and exploitation and creating a system of social justice that wil guarantee the well-being, liberty, and dignity of all men and women.

The FNRP seeks to deepen Latin American and Central American integration, and in the framework of the free self-determination of the peoples, rejects any type of domination or foreign meddling in the internal affairs of the country.

The FNRP is an instrument that is a construction of popular power with full political and ideological independence from political parties, religious faiths and other organizations and persons, and is made up of popular movements, social organizations and political forms that seek the social transformation of the country; in it are represented inhabitants (men and women), the peasantry, laboring men and women, micro, small, and medium-size business men and women, environmental movements, students, progressive NGOs, progressive and democratic political forces, the teaching profession, professionals, human rights groups, youth, women, artists, indigenous and black peoples, groups, the lesbian, gay, trans-sexual and bisexual community (LGTB), popular churches, migrants and other organized and unorganized sectors.

The Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular has as fundamental axes of struggle, political formation as the determining factor for the construction of participatory democracy, organization as a key factor for the consolidation of forces at the local, regional, and national level, and permanent mobilization in defense and protection of the rights of the people.

General description of the organic structure:

1. Resistance collectives (neighborhoods, rural communities, popular organizations, social organizations)

2. Municipal assembly of representatives of the resistance collectives

a. executive organ: coordination of municipal resistance

3. Departmental [state] assembly of representatives of municipal resistance

a. executive organ: coordination of the state-level resistance

4. National assembly of representatives of state resistance plus the representatives of the social and political forces (popular, social, and political organizations)

a. Executive organ: national coordination

Other notes on organization:

1. Each region will have autonomy to define its own internal organic structure. While the process of consolidation of the local, municipal, and department-level Resistance Fronts is in process, a Provisional National Coordination will be installed.

2. In each level of the organization there will be integrated representatives of the popular organizations and political movements that make up the FNRP

3. Each level of organization will define the working groups that are necessary to carry out its operational work.

4. The conduct of each form should be horizontal, democratic, and inclusive, respecting the declaration of principles.

So again we ask: who will speak for the "resistance" in the proposed Truth Commission? and who will they speak for?