Bernard Martínez Valerio (born 19 January 1962) is

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

and

Garifuna The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and Amerindian ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and traditionally speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language. The Garifuna ...

leader who was a candidate for the Innovation and Unity Party (PINU) in the Honduran 2009 presidential election. He was formerly a member of the Honduran Patriotic Front (FPH).

Candidature in 2009 presidential election

Bernard Martínez stood as a candidate for PINU in the 2009 presidential election in Honduras, which was held on 29 November 2009. Bernard Martínez sees the Innovation and Unity Party (PINU) as being labelled "social-democratic" in relation to the concepts of

liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

, equality and

solidarity Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...

, that he attributes to

social democracy Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...

. In relation to the

2009 Honduran constitutional crisis The 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis was a political dispute over plans to hold a popular referendum to either rewrite the Constitution of Honduras or write a new one. Honduran President Manuel Zelaya planned to hold a poll on a referendum ...

, Martínez stated that

Manuel Zelaya José Manuel Zelaya Rosales (born 20 September 1952)Encyclopædia BritannicaManuel Zelaya is a Hondurans, Honduran politician who served as the 35th president of Honduras from 2006 until his forcible removal in the 2009 Honduran coup d'état, 2 ...

had carried out his project for constitutional reform with "disorder and indiscipline", that led to his failure and removal. He stated that reforms to the

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

were necessary within the mechanisms established by that same constitution. He supported the interim government of

Roberto Micheletti Roberto Micheletti Baín (born August 13, 1943) is a Honduran politician who served as the interim and 36th president of Honduras from June 28, 2009, to January 27, 2010, as a result of the 2009 Honduran coup d'état. The Honduran military o ...

. Martínez said that the "bipartisan" dominance of Honduras by the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

and the National Party had done more ill than good and that by their poor policies and support for corruption, they are responsible for poverty. PINU stated that Martínez was the "first black presidential candidate" in Honduras. Martínez said that the term "Honduran

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

" used by some media to describe him was an innovation by journalists and not his own point of view.

References

1962 births Garifuna people Living people Innovation and Unity Party politicians Candidates for President of Honduras {{Honduras-politician-stub