Today on Sojourner Truth:
Danny Glover joins us to give us his thoughts on his recent trip to Haiti. Starting on Sunday, June 9, there have been massive protests across the country followed by national strikes on Monday and Tuesday. Protesters took a pause on Wednesday, but they are hitting the streets again on Thursday and Friday. They pledge to continue their protests until the U.S.-backed Haitian President Jovenel Moise steps down. He is accused of corruption and some officials in his government have been implicated in massacres that have hit communities opposed to his government. Haiti has always symbolized Black liberation and has a history of inspiring rebellion in the United States and throughout the Caribbean region.
Similar to Haiti, people in Honduras are rising up against their U.S.-backed president, Juan Orlando Hernandez. His election was highly controversial and is reported to have been a stolen election with the blessing of the United States. Hernandez is an ally of Donald Trump. The recent protests in Honduras have been against the privatization of education and medical services. Meanwhile, there is grinding poverty in Honduras and repression of those who opposed the 2009 coup against democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya continues. After Haiti, Honduras is the second most impoverished country in the Americas. Hondurans fleeing poverty and violence have participated in migrant caravans attempting to seek asylum in the United States, only to be rebuffed first by the U.S. and now by the government of Mexico. Under pressure from the U.S., Mexico has sent over 6,000 of its National Guard to its southern border. Our guest is Annie Bird, Director of the Guatemalan Human Rights Commission.
For our weekly Earth Watch, we're joined by Lucy Sharratt to discuss the spread of contamination of genetically modified organisms. Specifically, she discusses issues relating to genetic engineering in food and farming.
