By: Daniel Nardini
In not so well known news, the Communist Party of Honduras has reestablished itself this year. The party held its fifth national conference, and it decided that its existance is again necessary for “defending the rights of the Honduran people.” The news of the Communist Party of Honduras’ rebirth was reported in the Venezuelan Communist Party newspaper Tribuna Popular. before I say anything more about the party, I should give some background on its history. The Communist Party of Honduras was first established on October 10, 1954, from factions of the Honduran Revolutionary Party. The Communist Party had considerable influence in Honduras’ trade unions, and tried to organize the banana plantation workers.
The Honduran government never considered the Communist Party a legal entity, and tried to suppress it. For most of its history it remained underground. In 1990, with the fall of most Communist governments around the world, the Communist Party of Honduras felt it no longer had a purpose and so it dissolved itself and its membership went into the Honduran Patriotic Renovation Party. Until this year that had been the situation. Now, after more than 20 years, why has the Communist Party reconstituted itself? The biggest reason was the Honduran military coup in 2009. It polarized all of Honduran society with extreme conservatives representing the middle and upper classes and leftwing parties representing the poor peasants and workers.
This political polarization is part of a growing greater political struggle taking place in all of Latin America. The rise of Hugo Chavez and his Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, the rise of leftwing Bolivian President Evo Morales, and the return to power of the Sandinistas in Nicaragua have further polarized politics in much of Central and South America. The rise of the political left in many parts of Latin America is due to more and more to working people being disenfranchised and disillusioned with the more traditional parties. This is very true for Honduras, and because of this the Communist Party has stepped back into the limelight. Even though a compromise was worked out this year allowing for former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to return from exile with no penalties held against him, the situation between the military and more conservative parties on the one hand and the ordinary people and political left on the other remains very polarized.
There is no question that the Communist Party will work within this polarized situation and promote their ideals, ideology and goals of a one party state. As much as many Americans were disappointed that Honduras took a step back into military dictatorship, a step into a leftist one party state is not a better alternative. Worse for the United States and its allies in Latin America, Honduras possibly turning to the left could have serious consequences for the whole continent and further push other countries to follow what is happening in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua. None of this bodes well for democracy.
Return of the Communist Party of Honduras
By: Daniel Nardini
The Honduran government never considered the Communist Party a legal entity, and tried to suppress it. For most of its history it remained underground. In 1990, with the fall of most Communist governments around the world, the Communist Party of Honduras felt it no longer had a purpose and so it dissolved itself and its membership went into the Honduran Patriotic Renovation Party. Until this year that had been the situation. Now, after more than 20 years, why has the Communist Party reconstituted itself? The biggest reason was the Honduran military coup in 2009. It polarized all of Honduran society with extreme conservatives representing the middle and upper classes and leftwing parties representing the poor peasants and workers.
This political polarization is part of a growing greater political struggle taking place in all of Latin America. The rise of Hugo Chavez and his Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, the rise of leftwing Bolivian President Evo Morales, and the return to power of the Sandinistas in Nicaragua have further polarized politics in much of Central and South America. The rise of the political left in many parts of Latin America is due to more and more to working people being disenfranchised and disillusioned with the more traditional parties. This is very true for Honduras, and because of this the Communist Party has stepped back into the limelight. Even though a compromise was worked out this year allowing for former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya to return from exile with no penalties held against him, the situation between the military and more conservative parties on the one hand and the ordinary people and political left on the other remains very polarized.
There is no question that the Communist Party will work within this polarized situation and promote their ideals, ideology and goals of a one party state. As much as many Americans were disappointed that Honduras took a step back into military dictatorship, a step into a leftist one party state is not a better alternative. Worse for the United States and its allies in Latin America, Honduras possibly turning to the left could have serious consequences for the whole continent and further push other countries to follow what is happening in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua. None of this bodes well for democracy.