As Honduras digs in, isolation deepens
The chief of the Organization of American States found little receptivity as he arrived Friday to push for the ousted president's return. Protesters on both sides took to the streets.
By Sara Miller Llana | Staff writer 07.03.09
TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS – Honduras remained steadfast against restoring ousted President Manuel Zelaya to power Friday, hinting at both increasing isolation for the Central American nation and a domestic crisis that could last far longer than anticipated.
Jose Miguel Insulza, head of the Organization of American States, arrived in Honduras Friday ahead of a deadline the regional body had set for the country to accept Mr. Zelaya back as president of the nation. But the Honduras Supreme Court rebuffed the plea.
“Insulza asked Honduras to reinstate Zelaya, but the president of the court categorically answered that there is an arrest warrant for him,” said court spokesman Danilo Izaguirre.
In a public sign of the growing conflict, two mass protests took over the streets of the capital on Friday. Supporters of the military ouster, dressed in white shirts with flags of Honduras draped around their shoulders, marched to the presidential palace.
“We were about to be a broken society,” says Jesus Simon, an engineer, referring to the attempt of Zelaya to call for a nonbinding referendum for a constitutional reform, despite the fact that the Supreme Court called it illegal. “The tower of democracy was about to fall.”
Mr. Simon says the world misunderstands what was at stake, a sentiment shared by many, with banners reading, “World, open your eyes” and “CNN, publish the truth.”
“If we are isolated, fine, we will be like Cuba. But at least we will be isolated under democracy,” Mr. Simon says.
Armed police formed a human shield across a main street to keep the two protests from clashing. Just yards away, thousands of marchers adorned their shirts and hats with bumper stickers reading, “No to coups.”
“They say this was no coup because the military is not ruling, but it was a coup – just a modern-day one,” says Vanesa Moya, a radio journalist marching toward the OAS. “It is unjust what they did to our president.”
Many had hoped that the Insulza visit today would bring some type of compromise. Mr. Insulza met with Jorge Rivera, who presides over the Supreme Court. Insulza had said he would meet with the institutions that authorized the military ouster, but would not meet with the government so as not to legitimate it.
Insulza made no comments after his Supreme Court meeting, but had earlier warned that Honduras will be suspended from the OAS if Zelaya is not in power by Saturday. Honduras already faces economic sanctions from neighboring countries, the withholding of aid from world bodies, and condemnation from Europe and beyond.
The court spokesman, Mr. Izaguirre, said the OAS now must “decide what it will do.” The OAS has called an emergency meeting for Saturday.
Interim President Roberto Micheletti, who was sworn in hours after Zelaya was arrested in his home and sent to Costa Rica, seemed to soften his stance ahead of the OAS meeting, telling reporters that he would agree to early elections to solve the crisis. But during the march Friday, he showed little sign of backing down.
“I am the president of all Hondurans,” he roared to the crowd. “They said we were afraid, but here is the proof that the people are not afraid,” Micheletti said. “We are asking Hondurans to communicate with their relatives throughout the world to tell them that no coup took place here.”
Zelaya, who is traveling in Central America, said he planned to return to Honduras Sunday.
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2. jackie | 07.04.09
Any country that removes it’s democratically elected President in the middle of the night at gunpoint in his jammies and exiles him to another country cant be taken seriously by the globes other democracies. Every democratic nation has a methos of removing rogue leaders built into their constitutions….pleases use them or face resistance from your peers.
3. Dave Huntsman | 07.04.09
i just sent a complaint to the NPR Ombudsman, complaining about their superficial coverage of this ‘coup. In fact, in the article above, the head of the OAS acknowledges that that the coup was ‘authorized’ by the legal authorities in Honduras; and as a previous CSM Op-ed indicated, it was not the military that did anything but execute what the civilian authority had decided - all in accordance with the Honduran Constitution, which the previous President violated, automatically (as the Constitution provides) removing him from office.
Folks, I’m not Honduran - but all NPR news programs, reporting, wrongly, that the Honduran President was removed in a ‘coup’. Not NPR, not CNN - and apparently not Obama and the OAS - has even checked the Honduran Constitution to see what it says; and to see what Honduran judges, and Congress are saying.
see the article below on the Christian Science Monitor, which has done a more thorough job, for some reason.
The Honduran military did NOT take control; the second highest elected official, the head of Congress, took power AFTER the Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant - and after Congress voted him out. The military was ordered to execute the warrant, and they did.
The Constitution states that two things may not even be suggested, because of Honduras’ past: no President may even propose extending his term, or else
“A Coup in Honduras? Nonsense.
Don’t believe the myth. The arrest of President Zelaya represents the triumph of the rule of law.”
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0702/p09s03-coop.html
“…(the Constitution) includes seven articles that cannot be repealed or amended because they address issues that are critical for us. Those unchangeable articles include the form of government; …the number of years of the presidential term; two prohibitions – one with respect to reelection of presidents, the other concerning eligibility for the presidency; and one article that penalizes the abrogation of the Constitution….. On June 26, President Zelaya issued a decree ordering all government employees to take part in the “Public Opinion Poll to convene a National Constitutional Assembly.” In doing so, Zelaya triggered a constitutional provision that automatically removed him from office……According to Article 239: “No citizen who has already served as head of the Executive Branch can be President or Vice-President. Whoever violates this law or proposes its reform [emphasis added], as well as those that support such violation directly or indirectly, will immediately cease in their functions and will be unable to hold any public office for a period of 10 years.”
Why is nothing of the above covered on NPR, or CNN, or mentioned by Obama? Why has not a single report even asked, “Oh, by the way, what does the Honduran Constitution say?”
4. Anoynmous | 07.04.09
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0702/p09s03-coop.html
Might want to consider reading this…
5. Hannon | 07.05.09
Independent reporter Hunter Smith
http://hondurasabandoned.blogspot.com/
says that, according to El Heraldo, the protesters *favoring* Zelaya’s expulsion number as follows:
Tegucigalpa: 55,000
Choluteca: 25,000
San Pedro Sula: 50,000
while protesters *defending* Zelaya’s agenda number about 3,000 in the capital.
Apparently a large number of Hondurenos know that socialism/Marxism is ultimately a lethal disaster for any country. Shame on Zelaya for trying to corrupt the law of the land to suit his own desires. The people of Honduras deserve better and they are obtaining it as currently required– forcefully.
6. Rohit | 07.05.09
It does seem as if the world has rushed to judgment in favor of Zelaya. Ultimately there have to be limits to how much external interference there can be in the affairs of a nation and there is some irony in the ongoing bullying of Honduras even while North Korea is defiantly firing missiles.
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1. Norman Manasa | 07.03.09
What these folks need is the “Bill of Rights,” the great gift the Founding Fathers gave to America and to the entire world.
Download free copies of the “Refrigerator Door Bill of Rights” at: http://www.National-Education-Project.org
Have your kids sign it, add their school picture, and post it on your refrigerator door (hence, the name).
Or send it to anyone you wish, anywhere.
The liberties of the people. That is, all the people of the world.
Free.
Norman Manasa
Director
The National Education Project, Inc.
Washington, D.C. 20002