Ottawa and empire : Canada and the military coup in Honduras

In June 2009, the democratically elected president of Honduras was kidnapped and whisked out of the country while the military and business elite consolidated a coup d’etat. To the surprise of many, Canada implicitly supported the coup and assisted the coup leaders in consolidating their control over the country. Since the coup, Canada has increased its presence in Honduras, even while the country has been plunged into a human rights catastrophe, highlighted by the assassination of prominent Indigenous activist Berta Cáceres in 2016. Drawing from the Honduran experience, Ottawa and Empire makes it clear that Canada has emerged as an imperial power in the 21st century. In June 2009, The Democratically-elected President Of Honduras Was Kidnapped And Whisked Out Of The Country While The Military And Business Elite Consolidated A Coup D'etat. The Coup Interrupted A Period Of Social Reform In Honduras, Re-asserting The Supremacy Of The Wealthy And Unleashing A Wave Of Violence Against The Many Hondurans Who Demanded That Their Democracy Be Respected. To The Surprise Of Many, Canada Implicitly Supported The Coup And Assisted The Coup Leaders In Consolidating Their Control Over The Country. This Book Details How And Why The Canadian Government Supported This Violent Process, Drawing On Extensive Original Research In Honduras, Demonstrating That The Coup Served The Interests Of Canadian Companies Which Exploit The Land And People Of Honduras With Impunity. Since The Coup, Canada Has Increased Its Presence In Honduras, Even While The Country Has Been Plunged Into A Human Rights Catastrophe, Highlighted By The Assassination Of Prominent Indigenous Activist Berta Cáceres In 2016. Drawing From The Honduran Experience, Ottawa And Empire Insists That The Canadian Left Must Confront The Fact That Canada Has Emerged As An Imperial Power In The 21st Century.-- Machine Generated Contents Note: Our Job Is To Kill People -- 1. Imperial Legacies -- Five Centuries Of Foreign Domination In Honduras -- Civilizations Lost -- Haughty Defiance -- The Bells Of Freedom? -- The Banana Republic -- 1954 And The Fountain Of Honduran History -- Agrarian Struggles Emerge -- The Uss Honduras -- The Imposition Of Neoliberalism -- Maras And Vigilantes -- Glimmers Of Resistance -- 2. The President In His Pyjamas -- The June 2009 Coup D'etat -- The Genealogy Of A Social Movement -- Manuel Zelaya And The Cnrp -- Constituyente -- Sunset On The Zelaya Era -- Golpe De Estado -- La Resistencia -- Pantomime Elections -- 3. The View From Ottawa -- Seeing And Unseeing The Demise Of Democracy -- Canada And The Coup -- Breaking The Social Movement -- Truth And Reconciliation? -- The Cartagena Accord -- The Movement And The Party -- The Fnrp Persists -- 4. A Fruitful Partnership -- Canadian Investments In The Banana Republic -- Extracting Profits -- Condemned To Death -- Workshops Of Canadian Capital -- The Banana Coast -- Making Honduras Right For Ottawa -- The Insecurity State In Honduras -- Grand Strategies -- 5. Middle Power Or Empire's Ally? -- Canada's Place In The World Today -- Capitalism And Imperialism -- A Helpful Fixer? -- Holding The Bully's Coat? -- A Short History Of Canadian Foreign Policy -- The Contemporary Turn: Militarism And Imperialism -- Reorganizing The Imperial Machine -- A Very Canadian Engagement -- 6. Conclusion -- Mythologies Old And New -- ¡berta Vive! -- Don Cherry And Canadian Militarism -- Support The Troops -- We're Better Than You -- Colonial Past, Imperial Present. Tyler A. Shipley. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 174-213) And Index. Issued Also In Electronic Formats. Intro -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- INTRODUCTION: "Our Job is to Kill People"--1 IMPERIAL LEGACIES: Five Centuries of Foreign Domination in Honduras -- Civilizations Lost -- Haughty Defiance -- The Bells of Freedom? -- The Banana Republic -- 1954 and the Fountain of Honduran History -- Agrarian Struggles Emerge -- The USS Honduras -- The Imposition of Neoliberalism -- Maras and Vigilantes -- Glimmers of Resistance -- 2 THE PRESIDENT IN HIS PYJAMAS: The June 2009 Coup d'Etat -- The Genealogy of a Social Movement -- Manuel Zelaya and the CNRP -- Constituyente -- Sunset on the Zelaya Era -- Golpe de Estado -- La Resistencia -- Pantomime Elections -- 3 THE VIEW FROM OTTAWA: Seeing and Unseeing the Demise of Democracy -- Canada and the Coup -- Breaking the Social Movement -- Truth and Reconciliation? -- The Cartagena Accord -- The Movement and the Party -- The FNRP Persists -- 4 A FRUITFUL PARTNERSHIP: Canadian Investments in the Banana Republic -- Extracting Profits -- Condemned to Death -- Workshops of Canadian Capital -- The Banana Coast -- Making Honduras "Right" for Ottawa -- The Insecurity State in Honduras -- Grand Strategies -- 5 MIDDLE POWER OR EMPIRE'S ALLY?: Canada's Place in the World Today -- Capitalism and Imperialism -- A Helpful Fixer? -- Holding the Bully's Coat? -- A Short History of Canadian Foreign Policy -- The Contemporary Turn: Militarism and Imperialism -- Reorganizing the Imperial Machine -- A Very Canadian Engagement -- 6 CONCLUSION: Mythologies Old and New -- ¡Berta Vive! -- Don Cherry and Canadian Militarism -- Support the Troops -- "We're Better than You" -- Colonial Past, Imperial Present -- Notes -- Index -- Back Cover In June 2009, the democratically elected president of Honduras was kidnapped and whisked out of the country while the military and business elite consolidated a coup d'etat. To the surprise of many, Canada implicitly supported the coup and assisted the coup leaders in consolidating their control over the country. Since the coup, Canada has increased its presence in Honduras, even while the country has been plunged into a human rights catastrophe, highlighted by the assassination of prominent Indigenous activist Berta Caceres in 2016. Drawing from the Honduran experience, Ottawa and Empire makes it clear that Canada has emerged as an imperial power in the 21st century.