Coup in Honduras – Correction: This is NOT a coup
Please scroll down for updates
Please read the 1:50PM update. The Honduran Supreme Court of Justice has confirmed that Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was detained this morning by the military in compliance with an order of the courts of law.
Honduran troops have arrested president Manuel Zelaya, who then was taken to an air base outside of Tegucigalpa.
President Manuel Zelaya’s private secretary told the AP that Zelaya was arrested and brought to a base on the outskirts of the capital, Tegucigalpa.An AP reporter saw dozens of green-helmeted soldiers surround the president’s house Sunday morning and then later jump in trucks and drive away, according to the report. About 60 police continue to guard the house, it said, adding that the president did not appear.
Zelaya was arrested right before the voting on the referendum was scheduled to start. The referendum had been declared unlawful by the country’s courts.
Noticias24 reports that four units of 200 soldiers stormed the presidential residence at 6AM.
Electricity has been cut off in the capital, and it is rumored that Zelaya has been flown out of the country.
It’ll be interesting to watch what Hugo Chavez’s reaction will be, considering that he was saying
Hugo Chavez declared that “we are not going to watch with our arms crossed the goings-on in Honduras,” and insisted “we will do what we will have to do so the sovereignty of the Honduran people will be respected.”
Unconfirmed rumors say that Zelaya was flown to Venezuela.
10:20AM
Chavez‘s reaction:
“This coup will be defeated and it will be defeated by the people of Honduras and through its will.”
10:35AM
Background on the referendum, which Zelaya insisted on in spite of it having been declared unlawful:
* When the armed forces refused to distribute the ballots, Zelaya fired the chief of the armed forces, Gen. Romeo Vásquez, and the defense minister, the head of the army and the air force resigned in protest.
* Yesterday the Supreme Court ordered by a 5-0 vote that Vásquez be reinstated.
* Honduras’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal ordered authorities to pick up all the ballots and electoral material, which were held by the country’s air force.
* The country’s Attorney General requested yesterday that Congress oust Zelaya.
* The courts have declared the referendum unlawful. Last Tuesday the Congress passed a law preventing the holding of referendums or plebiscites 180 days before or after general elections. Congress has also named a commission to investigate Zelaya.
This is the first coup in Honduras since 1982 when a democratically elected civilian government came to power .
10:50AM
The Honduran Congress is holding an emergency session.
11:05AM
The OAS is also holding an emergency sessionat 3PM GMT.
11:10AM
Honduran daily La Prensa reports that Zelaya is now in Costa Rica.
11:40AM
Sky News
Police fired tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators protesting after Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was deposed ahead of a controversial referendum.
11:50AM
Obama Appeals for Hondurans to Respect Democracy
President Barack Obama is calling for all sides in Honduras to respect democracy and the rule of law following the arrest of President Manuela Zelaya and his reported expulsion to Costa Rica.Obama says any disputes must be settled peacefully through negotiations that are free from outside interference.
White House officials say Obama spoke with his national security adviser, James Jones, about the situation on Sunday morning. Aides from several agencies are monitoring the situation and providing updates to Obama, Jones and Jones’ deputy.
Zelaya was detained shortly before voting was to begin on a constitutional referendum. He had insisted on holding the vote even though the Supreme Court ruled it illegal and everyone from the military to Congress and members of his own party opposed it.
11:55
Noticias 24 has photos of a small group of Zelaya supporters protesting his removal and burning tires.
The EU criticized the overthrow.
Copy of the White House statement
12:10PM
Dan Collins sends a link to the Honduran Constitution:
Title VII, with two chapters, outlines the process of amending the constitution and sets forth the principle of constitutional inviolability. The constitution may be amended by the National Congress after a two-thirds vote of all its members in two consecutive regular annual sessions.
That is what Zelaya tried to bypass.
12:15PM
The official Chavista news agency published Zelaya’s speech from Costa Rica, where he blames the “rich elite who wants to keep everybody else poor.” He spoke upon arriving at the airport in San Jose.
12:20PM
WSJ (emphasis added)
Giving voice to the deep fears that sparked the military’s action, retired Honduran general Daniel Lopez Carballo justified the move against the president, telling CNN en Espanol that Mr. Zelaya was a stooge for Mr. Chavez. He said if the military had not acted, Mr. Chavez would eventually be running Honduras by proxy.
Chavez’s propaganda channel Telesur has been blocked from broadcasting in Honduras
12:30PM
Univision is broadcasting live from Tegucigalpa. They showed a few demonstrators, but the situation appears otherwise quiet.
12:30PM: Univision ceased its live coverage. While tanks are patrolling the streets, the city remains calm.
Nicaraguan paper La Prensa Gráfica reports that the Venezuelan ambassador to the Organization of American States claims that the ambassadors for Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua in Honduras were kidnapped, hooded, and beaten. OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza announced he will travel to Honduras.
1:00PM
Welcome, Memeorandum readers.
1:20PM
Chavez warns Honduras with “war” if anything happens to the Venezuelan ambassador in Honduras. (My translation: Please credit me and link to this blog if you use it)
President Hugo Chavez has warned the Honduran military behind the coup today with “war” if anything happens to our ambassador in Tegucigalpa, or if the Venezuelan embassy is taken.Chavez said that it would be “a declaration of war” and Venezuela would be forced to send troops. “The Venezuelan Armed Forces are on alert.”
“The military junta would be entering on a de-facto state of war. We would have to act even militarily. I wouldn’t be able to remain with my arms crossed knowing they are assaulting our ambassador.”
He then went on to say he’d teach those gorillas a lesson, and concluded by saying he would overthrow the president designated to substitute Zelaya. Globovision quotes Chavez as saying that “If they swear in Roberto Micheletti (the head of the Honduran Congress), we’ll overthrow him.”
1:40PM
CNN en español mentioned that Zelaya was arrested by court order. This signals that all the Honduran institutions were behind this move, in which case the president was overthrown, but it would not be a coup d’etat.
1:50PM
Indeed, Honduras’ La Prensa states that (My translation: If you use this, please credit me and link to this post)
An official statement of the Supreme Court of Justice explained that the Armed Forces acted under lawful grounds when detaining the President of the Republic, and by decommissioning the materials to be used on the illegal poll which aimed to bring forth Executive Power against a judicial order.Other sources verified that the president of the Congress, Roberto Micheletti, will assume the presidency of the republic in a few hours.
…
Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was detained this morning by the military in compliance with an order of the courts of law.
2:20PM
Eight members of Zelaya’s cabinet are under arrest.
3:15PM
Clinton urges condemnation of Honduran action
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the action taken against Honduras’ president should be condemned by everyone.
4:30PM
Constituciones Decreto 412-2002 has the constitutional provisions (in Spanish). The rest of the Constitution is here. If any constitutional scholars could do analysis, I would be much obliged.
5:00PM
Op-ed La hora de Honduras
5:20PM
Zelaya claims he did not resign. Noticias 24 has his letter of resignation.
The Honduran Congress has officially ousted Zelaya “for repeated violations to the Constitution” and has now named the Congress President Roberto Micheletti as president of the country.
Honduras is scheduled to hold a presidential election next November.
5:40PM
UnoAmérica pide al mundo impedir acción de Chávez en Honduras The Union of American Democratic Organizations, UnoAmérica, requests that democratic governments declare themselves against Hugo Chávez’s meddling in Honduras’s internal affairs.
Later
Welcome, Hot Air and Moe Lane readers.
Welcome, Instapundit readers.
UPDATE, Monday 29 June
I’ll be talking about this in today’s podcast at 11AM Eastern.
Check out the following links from Honduras (via La Gringa):
Mel, Chávez, Ortega Plotting the Real Coup in Nicaragua
Gracias A DIOS que “Mel” Zelaya Renunció, Vivan las Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras
Dear CNN: PLEASE CORRECT BIASED COVERAGE ON MEL ZELAYA’S DESTITUTION
What we Hondurans want
The Silent Majority of Honduras Speaks
FOLLOW UP POST:
Honduras defends its democracy
Tags: Fausta's blog, Honduras, Manuel Zelaya
June 28th, 2009 at 10:51 am
[...] Fausta’s Blog: Soldiers arrest Honduran president: [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Fausta, Diario La Prensa (Tegucigalpa) is reporting that Zelaya is in Costa Rica.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Gracias Kate. Lo puse justo ahora en el update.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:25 am
[...] Fausta notes that Chavez has already declared he will not accept Zelaya’s arrest. Translating a Noticias 24 report, Fausta writes: Hugo Chavez declared that “we are not going to watch with our arms crossed the goings-on in Honduras,” and insisted “we will do what we will have to do so the sovereignty of the Honduran people will be respected.” [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 11:37 am
[...] There’s been a coup this morning in Honduras against one of Hugo Chavez’s allies, President Zelaya. Normally I don’t care for military coups, but this one appears to be enforcing current court decisions and their constitution over a Chavez style referendum to rewrite said constitution. The best coverage and round up of the ongoing change is found at Fausta’s Blog. [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Chávez is already blaming the United States for the removal of his lackey in Honduras: http://www.abn.info.ve/noticia.php?articulo=188223&lee=4
He alsos whines about his propaganda outfit, Telesur, being blocked on Honduran cable: http://www.abn.info.ve/noticia.php?articulo=188239&lee=16
And Cháves is talking to Morales, Castro to define “anti-coup strategies”: http://www.abn.info.ve/noticia.php?articulo=188232&lee=16
June 28th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Is this a coup? How do you enforce the law against the president? Is the president untouchable?
June 28th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
That is the central issue, Robert.
June 28th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
It sounds like the military acted to defend their constitution. Latin American constitutions often define a role for the military as “defenders of the constitution” (add irony as needed), though the linked article Dan provided doesn’t mention that. Still one wonders if they see themselves preventing a Chavez-style “coup by referendum.” Any indication of who’s running the country right now, even titularly?
June 28th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I’m sure Obummer will help get him back in there. Who cares if the President of Honduras wants to break the law and shelve the constitution in his own country. Obummer and the dems are making that a regular occurrence in the US… aka, The Great Banana Republic of the North. If only Honduras had a rubber stamp congress like the USA this would not have happened.
June 28th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
zelaya was trying to follow the “chavez business plan” in honduras, which is basically a program that uses ostensibly democratic processes to establish a dictatorship. this has already happened in venezuela itself, as well as in bolivia and ecuador.
i disagree with those who call this a coup: it’s simply the removal of a would-be tyrant who was trying to undermine the country’s constitution and acting in violation of the country’s laws and judiciary.
hopefully a smart and coherent process will follow that will allow honduras return to the path of liberal democracy and abandon the chavista orbit that this lunatic had embraced. rather than trying to bring this chavez stooge back, i hope the obama administration will help honduras succeed on a truly democratic and free-market path.
June 28th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Rodrigo, era de esperarse la respuesta de Chávez. Cuando caiga un huevito es la culpa del imperio mesmo! Se cansa uno…
June 28th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
The USA should be so lucky.
June 28th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Felicidades, Pablito.
Brazil´s presient Lula da Silva dismisses claims about lack of freedoms in Venezuela.
http://rutube.ru/tracks/1954011.html?v=3f45a435c52bc8caed8335339d8dd328
Chavez has done more for the integration and joint development of South America´s countries than any of his predecessors.
FC
Fernando, no foul language in the comments, so I edited it. Fausta
June 28th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Well, couldn’t the arrest of the three ambassadors (Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela) has something to do with those countries meddling in Honduras’ internal affairs?
June 28th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Wait, Obama wants someone to respect democracy? He should start with his own administration.
June 28th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
[...] Fausta has constructed a timeline of events. addthis_url = [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Here is what Zelaya said earlier this month about the recent OAS
decision on Cuba.
History lesson: in what context did Fidel say this, and who previously said something very similar?
June 28th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Sending viewers here from CompetingHypotheses. Can’t formally backtrack from Blogger, darn it.
Thank you, Fausta!
June 28th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
The same should happen in the USA ! There, the Constitution is being pèrmanently violated by obama and a corrupt Congress and Supreme Court. Only the American Military remain as a decent Institution. I really fear that the usurper obama will end up declaring Martial Law so he can stay in power perpetually. Good for the Honduran Military and Institutions – they have acted with balls – and without violence.
June 28th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
is time that democratic country’s figth , back for democracy the seame way the cuminist are doing. viva la democracia, fueara hugo chaves !!!!
June 28th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I couldn’t find the specific oath that the military of the Honduras takes but found one reference to it being, at least since civilian authority was reestablished twenty years ago, identical to that of Belize. Belize does indeed have all ranks swear to uphold and defend the Constitution even though some of the rest of their duties might seem strange to us, ie distributing ballots and overseeing the polling places. One of the arguments cited by the military was that this nonbinding referendum speaks of altering parts of the Constituion but mere advocacy of changing those parts is punishable by jail and banishment from politics of ten years.
I don’t really think this is over as Honduras’s military is at 75% of its personnel goal but because it has very good equipment and has been professionalized for the last fifteen years any act by the Three Amigos might put their own regimes at risk.
June 28th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I’m going to need some backup to Yahoo Babelfish on the translation of a couple of sections of Honduras’ Constitution since I don’t read Spanish:
-Article 42 strips citizenship rights from those who call for the re-election or continuing (beyond the term) of the President of the Republic.
- Article 239 not only prohibits the re-election of a President of the Republic, but calls for the immediate removal from public office and disqualification from any political office for 10 years any person who calls for a change in that prohibition.
- Article 373 gives the power to amend the Constitution solely to the National Congress, with no role for any “referendum”.
- Article 374 prohibits any amendments to the prohibition of a multi-term President of the Republic.
June 28th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Fausta, this was NOT a coup.
This was the Honduran Armed Forces in collaboration with the Supreme Court, the congress and the Electoral tribunal obviating an illegal descent into tyranny.
God Bless Honduras and their armed forces for resisting oppresion.
June 28th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
You are indeed correct, Carlos.
June 28th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Since no one has replied yet about Zelaya’s remark about history absolving Castro, here is the context in which Castrol said that history would absolve him. From Georgie Anne Geyer’s Guerrilla Prince, her masterful biography of Fidel Castro, here is what Castro said at the conclusion of the trial for his unsuccessful coup attempt in 1953.
Here is what Adolph Hitler said during the trial for his unsuccessful putsch in the 1920s.(Guerrilla Price, page 127)
What will history do with Zelaya?
June 28th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
[...] Fausta points (see the 1:50pm update) to this piece in the Hondurdan daily, La Prensa, which notes a press release from the Supreme Court of Justice, which stated that “las Fuerzas Armadas actuaron en base a ley” ["the armed forces acted with a legal basis"], specially a judicial order, in their move against President Zelaya. [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Figures Clinton would support extra-constitutional measures over constitutional ones.
June 28th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
[...] NOT A COUP? Honduran press, via Fausta’s Blog, reports that this was a lawful court-ordered action and not a military coup. Is this state run [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Typical meddling by US via Obama and Clinton with no regard to the facts!
June 28th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
@Fausta
re: yours in the text at 1:20 pm
Chavez as saying that “If they swear in Roberto Micheletti (the head of the Honduran Congress), we’ll overthrow him.”
It is call-that-bluff time: The Honduran Congress has sworn in Roberto Micheletti as the new President.
June 28th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Why is the US supporting another Chavez?!!!! This is insane, he’s trying to get himself re-elected against Honduran law.
June 28th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
[...] Fausta’s Blog [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
[...] I recommend Fausta for a good round up of events. There are some particularly interesting bits there that back the [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
[...] if you REALLY want to know what is going on, Check out Fausta’s Blog. As is usual for Fausta, she’s the firstest with the mostest. In fact, for any info on [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Posted on, linked and tracked back to you Fausta, as is usual for you, you da firstest with the mostest.
June 28th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Fausta,
Just because the SCJ was involved and has declared the act legal does not make it so nor does this mean that this isn’t a coup. By definition the extralegal removal of a president is a coup.
Such facts do not justify Zelaya’s actions, but if the SCJ and other forces of the state wanted to act legally, they needed to simply block the plebiscite as the SCJ had originally ordered.
I will look at the order and the relevant constitutional provisions as you linked above, but I sincerely doubt that there is any constitutional authority granted to the SCJ to forcibly arrest and exile a sitting president.
June 28th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
You are assuming that the removal is extralegal in the first place, Steven. The Honduran Congress, the country’s Supreme Court and the the Electoral Board disagree with you.
June 28th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I am a Honduran, born and raised and still living in the country. I hold no allegiance to any party nor do I hold any preference. For those of you out there who still feel Honduras has acted rashly and “barbarically” against Manuel Zelaya there are things that should be clarified. Our constitution states in its “Articulos Petreos” (petreo deriving form the latin word for “rock” or “stone”) that a president may not be reelected and may not stay in the office for more than 4 years. This, was designed to protect us, the people, from the past experiences of political instabilities in the 70’s and 80’s.
Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, intended with his so called “survey” to promote the alteration of these articles so that a president may be reelected. In order to modify these articles, the ENTIRE constitution must be abolished, this is the first characteristic of a Coup d’etat. Without constitution, the Honduran people would be entirely unprotected from a regime emulating those of Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and now Nicaragua in which the constitution is manipulated at will by the president so he might remain “constitutionally” in office for as long as his twisted heart desires.
It is also extremely important to point out, that the ballots that were to be used for the questionable survey, were provided by the Venezuelan government.
There were several inconsistencies and failures in president Zelaya’s time in the office. This year, he has not even turned in his national budget plan for 2009, overdue since September 2008. He has focused efforts on this survey of his for several months, despite a 7.4 earthquake, overflowing rivers, increasing crime rates. As a final thrust upon his own “Harakiri” process, he went through with his survey despite being declared illegal.
I am utterly proud of my country and am glad to be part of this social and political uproar, for the first time in many many years, Honduras has risen strong against corruption and oppression and sets an example for Latin America.
June 28th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
[...] Much more on this subject at Fausta’s Blog. [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
[...] Much more on the situation Honduras at Fausta’s Blog. [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
all the justifications used here will be the same ones Chavez uses. Zelaya was a weak president going nowhere and all those who think they are defending democracy are acting more like the Guardian Council in Iran.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Alpha said everything that needed to be said. The Honduran people want peace and that is not what Zelaya was offering.
The actions of the Supreme Court, Congress, and the Armed Forces were justified. They were defending democracy, Zelaya was not.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Obama will do nothing to stop Chavez. Obama doesn’t have the backbone for this kind of politics, and all of our enemies know it. Honduras is going to have to keep itself free if they want to rid themselves of Chavez. Maybe this November “la gente” will toss out the Liberal party, if Honduras remains free enough to hold elections come November. The power-hungry socialists who claim to be “for the people” are truly motivated to increase their personal power, filling their Swiss bank accounts with their people’s money. Of course they have no problem using their corrupt ideology as a defense for crushing opposition. Chavez and his ilk are abominations.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
steeveegg’s basic reading of the article of the Honduran constitution noted above appear to me to be pretty much correct. Some thoughts on the constitutional provisions here.
The problem, however, is a serious due process one. For while what Zelaya was doing contravened constitutional provisions, which is why the SCJ ruled the plebiscite illegal in the first place, there is no provision that I can find for summary judgment contra the sitting president as was done.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
[...] rumors that Zelaya was shipped off to Venezuela were an unconfirmed rumor. According to Fausta, who has been following the story, all day, he is in Costa [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
“Correction: This is NOT a coup”
Give us a break. The elected president wanted to hold a national vote about whether to change some of the laws. A gang of fraudulent thugs thought the people would vote with the president so they kidnapped him and seized dictatorial power. They’re doing it complete with the fake “resignation letter” of the elected president to help install a new fake “president” (dictator). It’s the same script everyone’s seen a million times before. The drooling right wingers and spoiled rich kids can support their new dictator all they want and pretend they’re being democrats. The world at large is having no trouble seeing through their fraud and shame on this blog for taking part:
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/06/28/honduras-military-coup-blow-democracy
http://americasmexico.blogspot.com/2009/06/oas-countries-back-zelaya-calls-for.html
.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Fausta,
You said:
You are assuming that the removal is extralegal in the first place, Steven. The Honduran Congress, the country’s Supreme Court and the the Electoral Board disagree with you.
True, but that doesn’t make it so. It is hardly unusual for those who engage in an action to think it legal. By this reasoning, Fujimori’s coup in 1992 was legal (after all, he said it was) and ditto any number of legally questionable actions that Hugo Chavez has perpetrated over the years. In fact, coup-makers almost always argue that their actions were legal, even when those actions are obviously and egregiously illegal.
That Zelaya was attempting an unconstitutional move is true. That fact does not make the moves of the other institutions of the state valid.
To prove this event is anything other than a coup one has to demonstrate that the SCJ and others have the constitutional authority to summarily remove a sitting president. If such a power exists and I am missing it, then I am more than happy to be wrong in my assessment. My goal here has nothing to do with any particular ideological or political allegiance, but rather to basic social science. I do confess to a bias towards rule of law and proper democratic institutional functioning, which forces me to note that there really do no appear to be any pristine actors here.
S
June 28th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Honduran President wanting to Be Ruler Forever is Ousted by Honduran Armed Forces…
Good for them for doing this. This was the Honduran Armed Forces working with …
June 28th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Let’s put it this way: if the President of the United States committed a high crime or misdemeanor and everyone knew it for certain, we would still have to have an impeachment in the House and a trial in the Senate to remove him from office. The Supreme Court couldn’t just send in the FBI to arrest him and kick him out of the country.
Process matters.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Thank you so much Fausta, you are awesome. Thank you
so much for the translations too. I trackbacked to you I hope it went through.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
[...] sucked into a depression of helpless pessimism and dyspeptic mutterings about liberal media bias. (Coup in Honduras? Question the timing! Riots in Tehran? Question the timing! Billy Mays dead? . . [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
“The Supreme Court couldn’t just send in the FBI to arrest him and kick him out of the country.”
But Steven, if they hadn’t then the people might have voted in favor of Zeleya’s proposals. If this were to happen it would become difficult for the “democrats” to look good while continuing to reject and block the changes the people voted for. What other option did they have? They have to protect the people from themselves somehow.
If Steveeeg’s reading of the constitution is correct it’s no wonder that a lot of people have problems with these provisions and want to change them and have no clearly “constitutional” way to go about it. The provisions he cites just forbid anyone ever changing them and even call for punishing people who even argue for changing them! Such provisions in any constitution should outrage the sensibilities of anyone who believes in any kind of democratic government. Past generations have no right to dictate laws for all time without any option for future generations to change them. That is using a constitution as a form of tyranny in itself.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
These are the articles that were read aloud in Congress today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ARTICULO 239.- El ciudadano que haya desempeñado la titularidad del Poder Ejecutivo no podrá ser Presidente o Designado.
El que quebrante esta disposición o proponga su reforma, así como aquellos que lo apoyen directa o indirectamente, cesarán de inmediato en el desempeño de sus respectivos cargos, y quedarán inhabilitados por diez años para el ejercicio de toda función pública.
.
TRANSLATION – Article 239.- The citizen that has been the head of the Execute Branch cannot be President or Vice-President (again).
Whoever violates this law or proposes its reform, 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ARTICULO 205.- Corresponden al Congreso Nacional las atribuciones siguientes:
…
15. Declarar si ha lugar o no a formación de causa contra el Presidente
20. Aprobar o improbar la conducta administrativa del Poder Ejecutivo, Poder Judicial y ….
.
TRANSLATION – Article 205 – Congress has the following authority:
15 To indict the President
20 To approve or disapprove of the administrative conduct of the Execurive Branch, …
~~~~
.
They read all the articles pertaining to the situation but then Congress accepted his resignation and elected the new President.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Well, well, well. A leftista gets ousted.
I read that Chavez of Venezeula isn’t pleased. Good!
June 28th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
johnboswell Says:
“But Steven, if they hadn’t then the people might have voted in favor of Zeleya’s proposals. If this were to happen it would become difficult for the “democrats” to look good while continuing to reject and block the changes the people voted for.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Actually the *people* had planned a passive protest today. The pro-Constitution forces had recommended staying home and keeping the streets empty so that Zelaya would be unable to claim that the Honduran people *overwhelmingly* voted in favor of changing the Constitution.
.
Rumor has it that the ballot boxes were already stuffed with “yes” votes (similar to Iran where there were more votes than citizens) and that if the survey was carried out, he would declare that he was carrying out the will of the *people*.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Its a coup a rose by any other name ..its a coup
June 28th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Pronunciamento not coup d’etat!
This doesn’t even satisfy any traditional claim of a coup because the Army appears to be removing President Zelaya and not taking over the rest of the civilian government. They even could claim that they are carrying out the lawful orders of the legislature and the Supreme Court. I think the proper term might pronunciamento. The Army did not overthrow civilian authority but removed from office one intent on overthrowing that authority.
BTW, Congress could indeed order the Sergeant at Arms to instruct the Deputy Sergeant at Arms to serve a subpoena or contempt citation on the President only in regards to charges against him and ignore claims of privilege if they judged that the public was not at risk in carrying out the orders of Congress. But unlike Zelaya American presidents have usually worked out some form of compromise or accomodation before bluntly opposing the acts of Congress.
June 28th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Its a coup a rose by any other name ..its a coup
I guess if a bunch of hooded armed people entered your bedroom and demanded you sign something well I guess you would sign it ..reva: riendome en voz alta
June 28th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
wow a non binding referendum threatened the oligarchy eh now they have bitten off more than they can chew..
June 28th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
This doesn’t even satisfy any traditional claim of a coup because the Army appears to be removing President Zelaya and not taking over the rest of the civilian government.
Sure that probably why the power is off in Tegucigalpa and the tanks are in the street tra la la just another day reva
Riendome en voz alta
June 28th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Rumor has it that the army wanted to steal some loot and thats why they pulled the coup dont worry it was only a rumor
reva: riendome en voz alta
June 28th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
“but then Congress accepted his resignation and elected the new President.”
Classic military coup. The thugs generally fake a “resignation letter” and the elected leader says it’s a fake, which is what Zeleya has emphatically said. Why write a letter of resignation and immediately say you didn’t resign? There are only two reasons: 1) it’s just a fake written by the coup so they can pretend to be following constitutional procedures when they (and not the people) “elect” (install) their new “president” (dictator), or 2) it was “voluntarily” signed at gunpoint. This seems to be a case of #1, just fabricated.
June 28th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Venezuelan, Cuban, and Nicaraguan Ambassadors to Honduras Kidnapped
June 28th 2009, by James Suggett
Mérida, June 28th 2009 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Military personnel kidnapped the ambassadors of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua in Honduras, along with the Honduran Foreign Relations Minister Patricia Rodas, according to Venezuela’s ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Roy Chaderton.
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4556
June 28th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
It seems that the Honduran Constitution is strong enough to have the President removed. What really bothers me is the immediate condemnation of this action by Secretary of State Clinton.
June 28th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
johnboswell apparently isn’t reading anything that has been posted. It’s too exhausting to try to prove anything to people like him.
June 28th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
[...] Fausta’s amazing round-up of what happened here. In a nutshell, Zelaya wanted another term as president so he decided to hold [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
to boswell: Or #3- Chavez told him to deny the letter of resignation. It worked for Hugo.
June 28th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Dr. L ### [name edited out by me] in Tegucigalpa. He and other civilian demonstrators are right now outside the Presidential residence, about to try to force their way past the military which is surrounding the residence. The situation is extremely tense.
He said there are demonstrations in all major cities.
June 28th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
So why write the letter in the first place Robert?
Actually, nevermind. Are you interested in buying a bridge?
June 28th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
What a bunch of morons we have in charge of the US Government! Obama and Hillary are silent when the people rise up in defiance of a despot dictatorial government in Iran. Then they condemn the democratic government of Honduras for legally removing a despot president attempting to rewrite the constitution as his benefactor Hugo Chavez did.
Pathetic!
June 28th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Reports coming out of Honduras have informed that the public television channel, Canal 8, has been shut down by the coup forces. Just minutes ago, Telesur announced that the military in Honduras is shutting down all electricity throughout the country. Those television and radio stations still transmitting are not reporting the coup d’etat or the kidnapping of President Zelaya, according to Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas. “Telephones and electricity are being cut off”, confirmed Rodas just minutes ago via Telesur. “The media are showing cartoons and soap operas and are not informing the people of Honduras about what is happening”. The situation is eerily reminiscent of the April 2002 coup d’etat against President Chávez in Venezuela, when the media played a key role by first manipulating information to support the coup and then later blacking out all information when the people began protesting and eventually overcame and defeated the coup forces, rescuing Chávez (who had also been kidnapped by the military) and restoring constitutional order.
Honduras is a nation that has been the victim of dictatorships and massive U.S. intervention during the past century, including several military invasions. The last major U.S. government intervention in Honduras occured during the 1980s, when the Reagain Administration funded death squads and paramilitaries to eliminate any potential “communist threats” in Central America. At the time, John Negroponte, was the U.S. Ambassador in Honduras and was responsible for directly funding and training Honduran death squads that were responsable for thousands of disappeared and assassinated throughout the region.
June 28th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
ewe, your problem is that there aren’t morons in charge of the US Government anymore. The delusional morons (your guys) were kicked out en masse because their delusions and destructive actions became too intolerable. Perhaps you didn’t recognize this as “legal” or “democratic” because this was done by voting rather than by your legal and democratic norms: the military kidnapping the previous president, forcibly sending him into exile and installing a dictator while waving around a fabricated “resignation letter”.
June 28th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Johnboswell…..
You’re an idiot!
June 28th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Sunday, June 28, 2009
UPDATE 7:40PM: OAS RESOLUTION SHOULD IMPLY US CONDEMNATION
http://www.chavezcode.com/
Since the Obama Administration has stated the coup situation in Honduras should be resolved via the OAS, and the OAS has just condemned the coup and called for the unconditional restoration of President Zelaya to power, that should also imply that the US Government shares the same position.
Some rumors are flying around that two US government reps have made statements to the effect of Obama not recognizing the coup government in Honduras, but not wanting to “get involved” and to “wait” for the coup government to decide it is illegitimate by analyzing the OAS decision.
I think a clear coup d’etat against a democratic government that also happens to be a major dependent on US economic and political aid should provoke a more firm and concise statement by the US Government.
Tomorrow the State Dept will have to respond to questions about the coup….
June 28th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Johnboswell….. you are right on target
June 28th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
UPDATE: 3:44PM FAKE RESIGNATION LETTER FROM ZELAYA DATED 3 DAYS AGO
http://www.chavezcode.com/2009/06/update-344pm-fake-resignation-letter.html
June 28th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
[...] What’s happening in Honduras is not a coup [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
John Boswell, Zelaya is emphatic about everything. He had made some pronouncements through the years that were ridiculous but he affirmed his thoughts with such conviction that many people believed him … until they thought it through.
June 28th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
UPDATE 6:54PM OAS HAS JUST CONDEMNED COUP IN HONDURAS, CALLS FOR ZELAYA’S REINSTATEMENT
http://www.chavezcode.com/2009/06/update-654pm-oas-has-just-condemned.html
In a major blow to the coup leaders in Honduras who just illegally installed themselves in power, the Organization of American States (OAS) has just issued a resolution condemning the coup against President Zelaya, demanding the return of Zelaya to power immediately and clarifying that the OAS will not recognize any other government other than Zelaya’s in Honduras.
June 28th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
johnboswell:
This move by their Supreme Court and the military appears to be a preemptive strike against a man who wanted to become another Chavez.
So, there will be an election in November among candidates who have not previously been president, in accordance with their constitution.
If Zelaya wished to continue serving the people of Honduras, he should have ran for Congress and then tried for the referendum.
June 28th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Honduran Dictator Deposed; Now Obama Meddles!…
Probably due to celebrity deaths and other events the past couple of days, one story that hasn’t received as much attention is the arresting and deposing of leftist Honduran dictator Manuel Zelaya. Fausta’s Blog, which has an excellent real-time ac…
June 28th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
[...] had a court order. Fausta updated: 1:50PM Indeed, Honduras’ La Prensa states that (My translation: If you use this, please credit [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
johnboswell, you’re right… there aren’t morons in chared of the US Government anymore. Just complete CRIMINALS with a blatant disregard for the constitution and laws of the USA. Much like Zelayas complete disregard for the Honduran constitution and laws. Also, I agree with Bob, you’re an idiot.
June 28th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
[...] had a court order. Fausta updated: 1:50PM Indeed, Honduras’ La Prensa states that (My translation: If you use this, please credit [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
@ Steven Taylor: In light of the articles of the Constitution of Honduras now cited by Paz Flores, especially 239, which states that anyone holding a public office who proposes to reform it shall immediately cease to perform their duties, are you now ready to admit that this cannot be considered a coup?
According to the Consitution of Honduras, Zelaya ceased to be the President the moment that he proposed the reform of Article 239. As such, he legally was no longer the sitting president of Honduras when he was arrested.
@John Boswell: The fact that you disagree with a law does not give you the right to disobey the law without accepting the consequences of breaking that law. Zelaya violated article 239 of the Honduran constitution and in that moment ceased to be President. There was no “removal” of a president today, because Zelaya had already removed himself from office when he advocated for the changing of article 239.
June 28th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Que bueno que el pueblo de Honduras, en una inteligente y soberana actitud, apoyado en sus constitucionales fuerzas armadas, echo por tierra el plan de Chavez-Castro y sus secuaces de perpetuar a Zelaya en el poder, sumando otro sufrido pueblo al engaño del comunismo. Aplaudo a todas las fuerzas del bien en Honduras y que Dios Bendiga a ese preclaro pueblo en su intento de no caer en las garras de Chavez. De nada le valio ni el sombrerito regalado a Fidel Castro ni la consabida consagrante foto con el. Nada, que llego el momento para los pueblos de sacudirse esta lacra de encima. Viva la Libertad, los Derechos Humanos y los hombres de pensamiento libre!!!
June 28th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
John Boswell is not an idiot – he is a *usefull* idiot. And Steve Taylor’s concerns are naive and missplaced. Whether or not the removal of Zelaya followed the exact letter of the law (and we don’t have reason to believe it did not) it clearly followed the intent of the constitution of Honduras in safegaurding the country against would be Chaves imitators.
There is a trend these days toward greater and greater executive power. It’s made possible by timid, fearful, ignorant electorates voting in corrupt, weak, and useless legislators. It will end in dictatorships, poverty, and war. Glad to see Honduras fighting back.
Read Ayn Rand!
June 28th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
[...] Fausta’s blog has much more on the goings-on in Honduras. Let’s just say that there’s questions as to whether the military’s removal of Zelaya was approved by the before or after it was actually executed. [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
[...] Fausta) Background on the referendum, which Zelaya insisted on in spite of it having been declared [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
This doesn’t even satisfy any traditional claim of a coup because the Army appears to be removing President Zelaya and not taking over the rest of the civilian government.
A coup is not defined by whom it is that is put into power, but the method by which power is given.
June 28th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
“johnboswell Says:
June 28th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
“ewe, your problem is that there aren’t morons in charge of the US Government anymore. The delusional morons (your guys) were….blah, blah, blah, blah.”
Oh look! Isn’t that cute. One of the Obamabots is executing one of its sub-routines.
June 28th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
in the land of the blind the one eyed is king.
June 28th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Wait, as I read it, according to Obama and Clinton we’re now on the the same side as Hugo Chavez?!
Please tell me I have that wrong!
June 28th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I hope this gives the Venezuelans ideas.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
[...] Fausta Blog has been keeping track and taking notes today so you can get caught up to speed there. [...]
June 28th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Coup in Honduras, and our flaccid foreign policy…
This morning the Honduran military arrested the country’s president and sent him into exile in Costa Rica. While most reports are describing this as a coup d’etat, Honduras’ largest newspaper, La Prensa, claims that President Zelaya was removed from…
June 28th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
I suspect it is a latino thing, or “The Generals” said no, but the “Hugo” will not go to war outside this country ’till he has a floating platform (aircraft-carrier).
His new toys (Russian and Chinese weapons) are to suppress internal dissensions, not resolve problems with other countries. _ “”He will use the weapons -have no doubt.”"
Constitutions are legal instruments binding the behavior of those who have agreed to it by majority ballot. Only those bound may make alterations within the terms of the agreement made.
Looks to me Honduras is honoring its constitution.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
I consider Steven Taylor’s comments to be some of the more thoughtful and cogent appearing in this post, and I appreciate his appreciation and defense of the concept of due process (Greg Weeks argues the same point in his blog, Two Weeks Notice). As well, Zelaya’s removal from power without benefit of an impeachment process as required by the Honduran Constitution meets the definition of the word “coup”.
That said, it’s clear that Zelaya had chosen to ignore due process in failing to comply with the Honduran Consitution and decisions of the Honduran Supreme Court, the Honduran Electoral Tribunal, and the Honduran Congress. As well, he had fired Honduran military commanders who were/were trying to comply with the decisions of the other branches of government.
In doing all of these things, it’s obvious that Zelaya had no interest at all in following due Constitutional process. As well, he made it quite clear that in his afan for continued power, he was willing to anything and everything to get it. In essence he was practicing the executive auto-golpe concept of trying to neutralize the other branches of government by violating their legal directives and ignoring their decisions.
In this ambiente, does anyone seriously think that Zelaya would submit to the due of process of impeachment? I wouldn’t think so myself, and I suspect that’s what everyone else in government was thinking when they grabbed Zelaya and shipped him off to C.R. (He’s now in Nicaragua courtesey of the Venezuelan Air Force; what a surprise.)
In short, due process is nice, but it’s only relevant if all parties to a dispute are willing to play by all the rules, and Zelaya clearly showed himself to be unwilling to play by the rules. When something like that happens, you have to improvise, and that’s what the other branches of government did, luckily.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Fausta,
I appreciate your postings that add clarity to this historical event. I am Honduran and live in the US. The international media has failed to display the true colors of this situation, they tend to focus on the hundreds of protesters in favor of Zelaya instead of the millions of law abiding citizens that don’t, those hundreds seem to sell more newspapers and more clicks.
Some of the commentaries in your blog impresses me. Some people ask for the “due process of law” in this. And I ask why is it required that the good guys play by the rules. What about the “due process” for those citizens that were denied public healthcare if they did not sign the petition asking for the “Survey”, what about the government employees that were withheld paychecks until after they showed up to “vote” or the cabinet members that were fire if they failed to show up with the right number of signatures. If this had happened in Tibet the world would be applauding. But we don’t have a celebrity making our case. So it’s up to the people to stand up and make themselves be heard.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Everyone interested at the situation in Honduras should know:
That the honduran people has resisted stoically for over 3 years the governo of an individual that changed its mind at every tip creating confrontation between the institutions of the state.
That the honduran people had as president someone who considered Honduras as his particular state.
That his continued reject of the law has been the custom and not the exception.
That his intention its and have been to seek indefinite reelection trying to becoming a Chavez line dictator.
That the venerable Army of the Republic of Honduras did only the will of the law by removing Manuel Zelaya Rosales from the presidency.
That Honduras is only in a process of transition of powers as is written in the constitution of our Republic.
That several contries are trying to meddle into our soberanity by promising to send troops into our country to reinstate a fellow chavista to power
Please help us to change the denomination that the international news networs give to this situation naming it a “Coup of Etat” when what is really going is a peaceful transition of power as is written by law and that will avoid Honduras to become another Chavez Filial.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:01 am
[...] Not a coup, but court order! Posted on June 28, 2009 by sharprightturn UDPATE: Fausta’s Blog is writing that this is NOT A COUP, but the President was ousted by a court order! Wonder if [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 12:22 am
.
Great post on this victory for freedom.
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
be a president for life
forget some strong reforms
just dismantle government
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe thinks
steal the corporations
destroy your economy
discourage foreign money
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
keep promising your people
sell them down the river
to land of milk and honey
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe thinks
communism is GREAT
excellent way to destroy
countries for generations
.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:39 am
[...] leave a comment » Coup in Honduras – Correction: This is NOT a coup [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Honduran Troops Dump President…
And they did it with a court order. Sure, they may have gone about it messily, but Honduras saw what happened in Venezuela, and moved to make sure it didn’t happen to them.
President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras was removed from power after his (obv…
June 29th, 2009 at 1:34 am
“And I ask why is it required that the good guys play by the rules.”
Because that way the tyrants have an easier time winning.
“What about the “due process” for those citizens that were denied public healthcare if they did not sign the petition asking for the “Survey””
Interesting… government-run healthcare used as a political weapon? Why, I wonder who else could be considering that?!
June 29th, 2009 at 1:54 am
Just want to correct a misconception that has been posted. Electricity was cut for about 3 hours this morning. It was then restored along with the internet and the cable tv. News channels were blocked until after the official announcement (although phones were working and I was receiving constant updates on my cell phone from my children in US).
This was a decision by the Honduran people to rid themselves of a president who was disrespectful of the constitution that he swore to uphold and defend.
He is making himself out to be some sort of victim. The *victims* are the Honduran people who have had to bear with him… until now.
June 29th, 2009 at 2:09 am
@ Tambopaxi writes: “As well, Zelaya’s removal from power without benefit of an impeachment process as required by the Honduran Constitution meets the definition of the word “coup”.”
As noted repeatedly (and to date unacknowledged by the supposedly cogent ST) Zelaya was no longer president once he called for the ability to be elected past his single term. That too is in the same constitution.
You can’t have a coup over some random guy who is not a member of government. It was a deportation of someone in collusion with agents of another country, shipping out someone deeply involved in espionage!
June 29th, 2009 at 2:30 am
#10 Bob,
We hold elections in this country. The senate votes w/ the president, because BUSH FUCKED UP THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD and the voters compensated by reducing the Republican party to temporary paralysis, at least for 2 years, but probably much longer with the shift in demographics and registration in the US! Sorry if you dont like it, but we KICKED YOUR ASS in the last 2 elections, deal with it. At least we didnt have to steal it like Georgie!
@OakFoSho
PS: I love giving Righties the Verbal smack down. Makes my day after all the hard work of the election.
June 29th, 2009 at 2:31 am
I congratulate Honduras for its common sense. Communism is evil, it always has been, and it always will be evil. Any friend of Chavez or Castro is an enemy of freedom and economic progress for the ordinary people. All you have to see is the people who want to keep power forever. They are the evil ones!
June 29th, 2009 at 2:34 am
I write this report to try to explain the situation from my point of view, and try to clear the scenario for as many international eyes and ears as possible.
Mr. Zelaya was elected president of Honduras through popular election on November 2005, for the 2006-2009 period. He was elected on a narrow margin, mostly due to the ruling party’s candidate desire to push for the death penalty in our country, which is not allowed in our law. We are a peaceful and tame people, and do not like such drastic penalties.
Mr. Zelaya was elected because he opposed death penalty, and he promised to continue his party’s work on improving the situation on our country’s education, health and social situation, while promoting democracy and swearing to protect our Constitution. He also promoted a so called “Citizen’s power”, which was supposed to be a channel for the people to express their thoughts to the government.
In the first 2 years of his term, he seemed to be trying to fulfill his promises, but then we see him starting to engage in relations with Venezuela’s leftist president Hugo Chavez, which per se is not a bad thing, but he starts to support his ideologies.
This is where Mr. Zelaya stabbed the Honduran people in the back. He makes an unpredicted turn to the left, which the majority of the population is against, but nevertheless, he goes on with the integration of Honduras to the ALBA, Hugo Chavez’s initiative, which has caused nothing but civil unrest on countries that have joined. This mostly motivated by promises of easy money by Chavez.
Zelaya starts also to take a populist stance, first approving a huge increase in government workers’ wage, then approving a general increase to the minimum wage to levels where small and medium business were not able to cope with. He uses his “Citizen’s power” initiative to promise the poor areas of Honduras a thousand and one benefits with the integration to the ALBA. This all seems good, but in the background, he is asphyxiating our country’s air-thin budget with these initiatives, and forgoing such responsibilities such as the fight of crime, drug trafficking, diseases, the World’s economical crisis, and many other social matters.This is Zelaya first crime.
With this strategy, Zelaya “purchased” the support of some in-country blocks, such as peasant and indigenous organizations.This all would have been good, until you see Zelaya’s true intentions.
His purpose was of gathering support for his new project: to dispose of the current Constitution, over which he was sworn in, and create a new one, similar to ones crafted by Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, with which he would be allowed to be re-elected. This is Zelaya’s second crime.
In trying to create a legal and “democratic” facade for his project, Zelaya used one of the statutes of his “Citizen’s power” initiative, which is the “Law of Citizens’ participation”, in which the people can put request to the government to conduct surveys about the peoples opinion. The problem is that no one to be asked about their will to change the constitution. This was fabricated by Zelaya, by threatening public employees to fire them, if they do not bring in a quota of “voluntarily” signed requested for this inquiry. So public employees, trying to safeguard their jobs, started forcing people to sign this if they wanted to be treated at hospitals, sold needed medicines, and even have a phone line repaired. This is Zelaya’s third crime.
After gathering a certain number of “requests”, he started moving for the installation of a popular inquiry, in which he would ask if the people wanted a new constitution, and which was going to take place today. The issue here is that this “popular inquiry” was not sanctioned by any independent and legal body, such as the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, and, furthermore, was declared illegal by the Supreme Court of Justice, on the grounds that our Constitution forbids anyone on changing the basic, or petrous, articles of it, which state the form of government and the impossibility of re-election. This was his fourth and last crime, against the Republic of Honduras.
This day’s event, where just a consequence of Zelaya moving on with this illegal inquiry. After his stubbornness to continue with it, his arrest was ordered by the Supreme Court of Justice, arrest which was conducted by the brave men in the military.
I do believe some things were done incorrectly, such as the extraction of the president to Costa Rica. He should have been placed under arrest here at Honduras, for him to face proper trail and sentencing for his crimes. But I believe he was taken out of the country due to imminent threat of Hugo Chavez. Chavez has vowed to reinstate Zelaya, “no matter what it takes”.
I finalize this long report, by stating that I voted for Zelaya on November 2005, and after talking to several of friends and family that voted for him, we agree that we profoundly regret that, and feel we have been betrayed us. This is also shown in numerous polls taken along the last two years.
Yes, Zelaya was democratically elected, but he also betrayed the Honduras’s people vote by trying to take the country to a path that we do not chose (ALBA and Chavez extreme socialism), forgetting important country affairs for promoting his Chavist agenda, and using the country’s poor for this purpose. If he promotes democracy through the voice of the people, why didn’t he asked us if we wanted to join the ALBA?
Finally, I want to remind everyone that this was not a military coup, this was the arrest and destitution of a criminal president, with the help of the military. Proof that it is not a coup, is that as of this moment we already have the Constitutional State of Right re-established, with a new president, and new cabinet. Let us Hondurans be, we have already defenestrated what was causing us such stress, division and unrest, and we will reunite ourselves, to again perform our right of suffrage in 5 months.
This is what we want. We ask the international community to take a closer look of our situation, and not allow other states such as Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Ecuador, to interfere with what we have chosen. We, the people of Honduras, have chosen: that is Democracy.
June 29th, 2009 at 2:35 am
I’m not sure where ppl like steve get their logic or understanding of law from… but it shows massive ignorance.
The only thing they are correct in is that yes their was a coup. The coup started with Zelaya when he willfully and knowingly violated the constitution. He was even extended due process well beyond what was legally required for his removal.
Steve like many ppl seem to confuse “democracy” with constitutional “republic/democracy”. Their is no greater law then the constitution PERIOD. Their is no debate on the matter. When the constitution forbids you from doing something and you do it guess what YOU’VE STARTED A COUP AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION AND THE PEOPLE. The fact that the SC ruled on the matter WAS DUE PROCESS and since Zelaya ignored that ruling he once again STARTED A COUP AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION AND THE PEOPLE.
The fact that the laws and constitution are VERY VERY specific on the matter also shows that clearly Zelaya knowingly violated the laws and was actively forming a coup against the nation and constitution.
The reason why obama and many in europe are worried about this is because their terrified it could happen to them… most of all obama. The last thing they want is for ppl to know that “democracy” or “the mob” as it were must answer to the constitution. Obama like many democratically elected officials believe they are the highest law of the land because they are the “voice of the ppl”. What they say is LAW at least in their own minds… things like constitutions are just meaningless pieces of old paper which give some minor “ideas” about some “useless” things…. what they say is LAW and nothing else matters.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:50 am
Let’s see if they can keep this cockroach from crawling back out.
Regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
June 29th, 2009 at 4:10 am
“@ Steven Taylor: In light of the articles of the Constitution of Honduras now cited by Paz Flores, especially 239, which states that anyone holding a public office who proposes to reform it shall immediately cease to perform their duties, are you now ready to admit that this cannot be considered a coup?”
Since it is a coup I don’t see why anyone would.
“According to the Consitution of Honduras, Zelaya ceased to be the President the moment that he proposed the reform of Article 239. As such, he legally was no longer the sitting president of Honduras when he was arrested.”
Nothing just happens passively. This kind of passive language is a way for agents who are in the wrong to hide their agency. The president is the president until he is formally removed from office by the appropriate legal methods.
“@John Boswell: The fact that you disagree with a law does not give you the right to disobey the law without accepting the consequences of breaking that law.”
If I’d said anything like this maybe there’d be a point in having a discussion about it.
“Zelaya violated article 239 of the Honduran constitution and in that moment ceased to be President. There was no “removal” of a president today, because Zelaya had already removed himself from office when he advocated for the changing of article 239.”
You can lie to yourself in passive voice all you want. Nobody else is buying except the coup leaders and some right wing blogs. Maybe i should just sit back and watch more and more of you wingnuts reveal yourselves for what you are and watch you go down with this sinking ship.
June 29th, 2009 at 5:37 am
“According to the Consitution of Honduras, Zelaya ceased to be the President the moment that he proposed the reform of Article 239. As such, he legally was no longer the sitting president of Honduras when he was arrested.”
June 29th, 2009 at 6:00 am
I don’t know if this has been an intelligent move. Hondura’s army has made Zelaya a new martyr. It’ll be used by Chavez, Castro, etc.
I don’t know why the Supreme Court of Honduras sent the army instead of the police, and why they detained him at six o’clock in the morning. In my opinion, this makes it look like a coup more than the compliance of the SC order.
Miguel Angel Moratinos, minister of foreign affairs in Spain (gov. of Spain is a true friend of Chavez, Castro, Ortega, and so on) has condemned the arrest as long as the EU. Of course, no word about the inconstitucionality of the poll.
Saludos.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:14 am
[...] than rush to judgment, U.S. and OAS officials should take a close and hard look at all of the events that have transpired in the past few days and ascertain whether the Congress [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 6:35 am
[...] Fausta is running continuous updates on the removal. [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 7:34 am
[...] [More] Web Logs You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Can someone confirm the translation of article 239 as has been submitted in the comments? It seems to be the most relevant and critical part of the constitution in this matter.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:45 am
I’m enjoying the feedback from all the Zelaya/Chavez apologists on this topic. A country’s Supreme Court, in agreement with its parliament, orders the removal of a powermad Chavez Lite — it’s a coup! outrageous! etc.
But Zelaya, Chavez, and Morales executing naked power grabs and trying to install themselves as Presidents-for-Life — hey, they are for The Poor™, so it’s all good!
By all means, gentlemen, do continue. And keep pounding your scrawny chests in self-declared victory — it’s low-quality entertainment, but at least it’s free.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:03 am
[...] celebrado ayer, pocas horas después de que se hiciera efectivo el así dicho “golpe”, que no fue tal, sino que fue ordenado por el constitucional al ejército en tanto que protectores de la [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 9:28 am
[...] podcast at 11AM Eastern: The Honduran government sends its president on a permanent vacation; by doing so, they saved their [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 9:40 am
[...] has happened in Honduras is being characterized by most as a “military coup”. However Fausta, who has been following it all very closely, seems not to be sure that is the case. Instead she and [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 9:50 am
J Boswill: “You can lie to yourself…..”
Oh, the irony.
Do you really think anyone buys your transparent Chavista agitprop?
June 29th, 2009 at 9:54 am
[...] to find their voice of outrage over the constitutional arrest of Honduran President Zelaya! Read Fausta’s amazing round-up of what happened here. In a nutshell, Zelaya wanted another term as president so he decided to hold [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 10:05 am
I only had time to read half the comments, so perhaps this is redundant.
Did someone grab the ballot boxes? If they already have a bunch of ballots in them…
June 29th, 2009 at 10:42 am
[...] All in all, Hugo’s had a hell of a weekend. [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 10:51 am
[...] have to give major props to Fausta for staying all over the top of this, and to most of her readers for a very lively discussion in the post. For the benefit of those who [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 11:05 am
So some “Idiots” are supporting a Chaves like country for Honduras?
Is Obama scared of Chaves?
Do people not understand that the constitution of Honduras is different from the one in USA. So how we would do things to get rid of Obama is different from how they do things in Honduras…. especially when they follow their laws?
What is wrong with that, and why is so hard for other “democratic” countries to see that.
June 29th, 2009 at 11:24 am
[...] The big news of the last day is the military coup in Honduras that is now starting to look like not so much of a coup after all. It has not been confirmed that in deposing the president, the military acted [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 11:27 am
[...] http://faustasblog.com/?p=13639 [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 11:30 am
[...] you want a good round up of the Honduras Coup go to my friend Fausta’s Blog. She has a very good post about [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 11:51 am
[...] in Honduras? Or are we? The military in Honduras acted on a court order for one. Fausta’s blog goes as far to see this is not a coup. Hot air sums her analysis up nicely. Read Fausta’s [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Check this out, a coup d’etat that was eventually called revolution. It happened in my neighbour-country, Portugal (I’m spanish):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnation_Revolution
How this Honduran thing will be called? I think it’ll depends on the winner (as always).
It’s not what I prefer, but I bet for this being called coup d’etat (with Obama and the EU supporting the chavists, i can’t imagine another end).
PS: I must say that before the military rebellion in Portugal, they had a true dictorship, as we had in Spain. I don’t think that Honduras was a dictatorship, but with friends like Hugo….. they were on the way.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I am an American that has lived in Honduras since 1977. I have seen this country when it was run by the military. I saw it form the constitution on which it currently stands. I saw the civilian police force be reformed and watch the judicial system grow and come into its own. I have watched the maturing of Honduras into a grounded solid representational democracy.
Venezuela and Ecuador are run by left wing dictators. Venezuela in particular was supporting a move by the president of Honduras to basically take over the country. This has resulted in a crisis pitting the executive branch against the congress and the Supreme Court. The president was attempting to place himself in a position where by he could force a rewriting of the constitution to remove the clause on term limits there by allowing him to remain in office indefinitely. The illegal move toward the “cuarta urna” had created massive unrest across the country and Honduras was heading toward a confrontation which puts at risk the representational democracy on which this country stands.
Contrary to news reports this was neither military coup nor conspiracy. This was two branches of government (Supreme Court and Congress) moving to oust a president that was abusing his power and flaunting the law. Honduras correctly identified the president’s actions as an overt, aggressive and illegal attempt to install a Chavez style dictatorship in Honduras and rejected that attempt in a lawful constitutional manner that resulted in the president’s removal from office. The president of Honduras is a democratically elected official but so also is the congress and the Supreme Court. The division of powers in a representational democracy exists precisely so that one of the branches will not be allowed to abuse power and also allows for the removal of that representative if the law is broken. This is what has happened to president Zelaya. Hugo Chavez is an ego maniac that has attempted to spread his socialist/dictatorship philosophy to many countries. He thought that he had obtained a foothold in Central America by way of Honduras. He was wrong.
The events of the last few weeks have shown me that my faith in Honduras and its people is not in vain. Honduras, you should be very proud of yourselves.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
[...] times on Fausta’s updates would be EST. 1:40PM CNN en español mentioned that Zelaya was arrested by court [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Yay Fausta, YAY Honduras!
The processes and mechanisms of Democracy functioned perfectly and peacefully – and a thuggish lackey of Chavez, a would-be petty tyrant was removed from the institutions of power by Court and Congressional order.
What’s not to like?
Oh yeh, animated idiot Clinton braying, and Chavez plotting with Castro – not good.
June 29th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I live in Honduras. My wife and I retired here, 14 years ago. We love living here. It is a beautiful Country populated by mostly hard working, honest people who wish to live with peace and opportunity.
Three and a half years ago, Mel Zelaya was elected President of Honduras. He ran in the Liberal Party, roughly the equivalent of the Democrat Party in the USA. He campaigned on a conservative note. Things changed pretty rapidly after he took office. He has been a disaster to private initiative of every kind; personal, entrepreneurial, and industrial. He ignored all but his own executive branch of Government. (Honduras, like the USA, has a “checks and balances” system comprised of a Congress and Supreme Court.) . Zelaya’s support was very limited from rich and poor alike, the only exceptions being some indigenous (no doubt deserving) that he showered with benefits and promises of much more.
Zelaya’s removal was a Democratic move (Impeachment Equivalent) to try to restore order in a country falling into the abyss because of a corrupt President that was becoming more dictatorial by the day, under the tutelege of Hugo Chavez. The Supreme Court and Congress worked together for several days to assure continuance of Democracy, in lieu of the Dictatorial Socialist path Zelaya was following. There has been NO rupture of Democracy here. Roberto Micheletti, President of the National Congress and a member of Zelaya’s own Party was named interim President, to remain until elections scheduled in November (which Zelaya had wanted to abrogate to remain in power). Micheletti has already appointed a cabinet of good advisors, a couple of them I’ve met, and in whom I have confidence. I can pretty well assure you that if the new Government continues, it will be more democratic and transparent than the Zelaya Government.
It seems most inappropriate that world leaders roundly oppose the replacement of Former President Mel Zelaya, when they know little or nothing about the situation here.
I would appreciate it if world leaders would come to Honduras and review the situation on the ground before pontificating about Law and Constitution. It is Zelaya who did the first “golpe de estado” through a large number of actions. The National Congress simply did its part to preserve Democracy here.
Please pass this message to everyone who might be interested. We don’t need brickbats, we need support. We do not need to be the next Socialist victim.
Pray for Honduras. God Bless Honduras.
June 29th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Thank you for posting the truth. I’m a Honduran citizen who has been let down by most news programs because they are reporting lies. Mel Zelaya wanted to stay inpower in order to make Honduras the next Venezuela or Ecuador. The Honduran population was against this. He decided to ignore this fact and proceeded towards making several illegal actions. His government has been the most corrupt in Hondura’s history. We have one of the highest cases of H1N1 percentages in the world and since he used his money for the illegal questionnaire he wanted to conduct, there are no medicines in the hospital. He was not overthrown by the military, he was legally substituted by the head of congress due to his breaking of the law.
June 29th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Folha de S. Paulo, a Brazilian newspaper, interviewed Liberal Party (Zelaya’s party) Congresswoman Myrna Castro. It’s a short interview, but it has some interesting info (my translation, please quote):
“Zelaya acted outside the law”
FROM OUR ENVOY TO TEGUCIGALPA
A member of the Liberal Party, like President Manuel Zelaya, Congresswoman Myrna Castro was one of the congressmen supporting removal of her party fellow, and she was followed by the majority of [Liberal Party] caucus (62 out of 128 congressmen). Below, an interview she gave in Congress just after the session investing Roberto Micheletti as the new [President] of Honduras. (FM)
FOLHA – Why Zelaya’s resignation letter is from three days ago (Thursday)?
MYRNA CASTRO – It looks like he had first signed the letter, but then he decided to move on with his illegal opinion-taking process. It all has begun when accession to Alba [a bloc sponsored by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez]. We approved, but we didn’t want that interfering with the rule of law.
FOLHA – Why did you drop your support to Zelaya?
CASTRO – I stopped supporting him in the very moment he decided to act
outside the law. I’m a lawyer. I observe the Constitution. He perpetrated a lot
of wrongful acts, and the Congress has a report proving all that.
FOLHA – Did you vote for accession to Alba?
CASTRO – Yes, and I regret it. I’m for [welfare] programs, but the problem is a class struggle between poor and rich was provoked, with many attacks against the private sector.
http://brutusbr.blogspot.com/2009/06/honduran-congresswoman-and-zelayas.html
June 29th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Can there be any doubt that President Obama is a socialist who truly IS a friend to Hugo Chavez? How else could he possibly charge a free and democratic nation to go against its own Constitution – to break its own laws – in order to appease him? It is a disgrace, and it makes me even more concerned about President Obama’s plans for the United States.
June 29th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
So those on the left want to call it a coup!
OK, lets call it a coup. Does that make you feel any better?
God Bless the people of Honduras, you absolutely did the right thing. God I hope we Americans are paying attention!
June 29th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
My highest congrats for the people and Nation of Honduras. What they did was just upholding the constitution (invested in the power of it’s Army) by not allowing they be turned into another backyard to serve chávez spread his neosolialism…
June 29th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
[...] Fausta’s amazing round-up of what happened here. In a nutshell, Zelaya wanted another term as president so he decided to hold [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
[...] you to all the visitors, commenters, and bloggers linking to my coverage of yesterday’s events in [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
[...] lawful action on behalf of the Honduras legislature and courts. Fausta has gone on record saying it’s not a coup, as the military responded to a request from the legislature and courts to remove Zelaya. I tend [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
[...] Hot Air. Fausta has more, [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Fausta you suck, you´re a CIA agent, you lie because the Army kick to Zelaya out of his bed, and broke her daughter´s door bedroom…you´re a lier, you´re mis-informating the people.Honduras people will look for you after this and give you the punishment you deserve. The only violators of the Constitution is the people you support. You´re not democratic, you´re PART OF THEM!There´s not a small group of Zelaya followers, there are LOTS of people and they´re going to block the streets, soon you´ll see the presidential palace without lights, as the people is going to cut the electric supply. This is barely starting, and they´ve killed people already, the soldiers rolled a truck over a worker of HONDUTEL, who did not want to allow access to the company, why don´t you say this? because you´re part of the members of the coup STAFF…
June 29th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
LATINOAMERICA UNIDA JAMÁS SERÁ VENCIDA!
June 29th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Lobo, are you threatening me?
June 29th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
@ John Boswell: First off, let Steven speak for himself. He’s clearly capable of doing so.
You claim that you haven’t said that you can disobey a law you don’t like without suffering the consequences, so we shouldn’t be discussing it. However, every single time you refer to Zelaya as the president of Honduras, you ARE saying that you can disobey a law you don’t like without consequences. Their constitution is clear: If you hold office and either attempt to hold the office of president again or you propose the reform of the limit on one term, you immediately cease to exercise your office, and you are ineligible to hold office for another 10 years. Being ineligible from that moment on, you clearly cannot hold a post, so Zelaya cannot be and indeed no longer is the president.
By the way, there is no polite way to put this, but your grammar sucks. Those aren’t passive verbs, they are active verbs in Spanish and in English. That is actually the key to understanding this. The constituion of Honduras makes it clear that if you choose to attempt to reform article 239, you choose to cease exercising your post, and you choose to make yourself ineligible to hold office. Nothing passive about it. Zelaya actively removed himself from office, despite repeated warning about the inconsitutionality of his actions. His own actions were his resignation. If he signed a letter, so much the better.
You however, are welcome to keep lying to yourself, be it in an active or a passive voice, about what has gone on here.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I was absolutely sickened to read the NYT’s front paper lede, attempting to paint Zelaya as some kind of reformer going up against repressive “term limits.” As though they were a new and novel outside impediment rather than an essential and integral element to their constitution — as much as our own limits on the imperial Presidency that FDR made a requirement — and obscured the facts of his attempt at an unconstitutional abrogation of power.
The NYT still covers for the Left like Duranty covered for Stalin. It’s a national disgrace.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
The constitutional law in Honduras is clear on its laws and orders on the subject. Why is the Obama administration supporting Zelaya? We, Americans, believe the constitution is Supreme Law that MUST be followed. Why does that not translate over to the events in Honduras? Maybe the Honduras government could have done it in a more “peaceful” manner, however, Zelaya, “ya had it comin’.” Maria Portillo, a local Honduran in Miami, spoke to the Miami Herald, “The military is supposed to protect the country and that’s what they did today.” http://www.newsy.com/videos/honduras_pajamas_and_a_coup The obama administration is walking a very fine line. Too much support of Zelaya will result in people throughout the world questioning Obama’s core values.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Bravo, Honduras!
And shame on every single lefty who defends Zelaya’s obviously illegal power grab. Have you never read any history?
June 29th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
[...] are promising free and transparent elections we should back off a little? Also perhaps this actually isn’t a military coup? Perhaps open a dialogue? Especially since Chavez it talking about military action, and [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
The military did what was necessary to prevent another little tinhorn communist dictator from taking over Honduras. To all of you environmentalists, labor unions, campesino groups, and socialist/communists in Honduras,
June 29th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
[...] reality is quite different from what’s been happening there. Zelaya was arrested on the direct orders of the Honduran Supreme Court, backed by an overwhelming majority of the legislature as well. Zelaya triggered the crisis by [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
LoboSolitario, you only threat Fausta because you eat from chavito’s hand and think he is going to come to your rescue. Stop eating what he throws to you and become a self sufficient someone. Well, unless you like to eat shit because it’s exactly what ALL dictators serve in the end…
June 29th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
The coup in Honduras has all the earmarks of a US backed switch-a-roo. Remember that Honduras was the staging area for the Contras. Honduras was the eyed-prize of American filibusterer William Walker who is buried there. A DNA analysis of his body would in all likelihood show a direct link to the Walkers of the George Herbert Walker and George Walker Bush’s. Remember that Iran-Contra was GHWB’s brainchild. They are also descendants of Samuel Hamilton Walker whose conversations with Samuel Colt led to the now famous Walker Colt Pistol. It is no accident that Samuel Prescott Bush, GHWB’s grandfather was in charge of all small arms amunition for US military during World War I and that Prescott Bush, his son was an isolationist during the 1930′s when making money off of both sides of the conflict in Europe and the Pacific.
Before Walker’s takeover of Honduras, a progrom derailed by Cornelius Vanderbilt and British operatives in the former British Colony, Walker stopped in Galveston, Texas to raise financial support to begin his campaign. The name Micheletti is VERY common in Galveston, TX as evidenced by a search of http://www.galvestoncad.org.
If the change brings greater democracy and better standard of living for all with greater opportunity. GREAT!
But it isn’t the paradigm of the Walkers who share a thirst for the resurrection for the Knights of the Golden Circle.
WHC
June 29th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
[...] Fausta translates a local paper which says the removal was pursuant to an order of the Supreme Court. The Wall Street Journal says Obama tried to prevent the President’s removal. [...]
June 30th, 2009 at 12:02 am
[...] One more thing, it wasn’t a coup. [...]
June 30th, 2009 at 12:28 am
Obama won’t meddle in Iran, but condemns the Honduran Congress, military, and Supreme Court for following the rule of law
June 30th, 2009 at 2:06 am
Will Carr has published a painfully inaccurate pile of claptrap in relation to William Walker and the fantastical connection between the Walkers of Tennesse who were of Scottish-Welsh descent and the Walkers of Massachusetts, married into the Bush family, of German-English origin. I’m sure that if one went back far enough Walker could be shown as well as GWB to be descendents of Lucy of Kenya.
William Walker is most notably known as President of Nicaragua and then for being executed by the Honduran government for a very feeble fillibuster attempt in their country after being arrested and deported to the US twice. The Vanderbilt family’s holdings in Nicaragua were valuable because they hoped that would be the location of a canal. The Vanderbilt’s saw Walker’s activities, especially the slavery rumor, as hostile to their own and bribed suppliers and ships captains to cut off Walker’s government from stores and mercenaries.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:12 am
BTW, that link is to the Appraiser’s list in Galveston of which there are only twelve different Micheletti’s listed on the property tax rolls. While checking the Castro’s one can find over three dozen. Does this mean, according to Will Carr, that Galveston is the incubator of Cuban socialism.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Hi again, I’ve just read this about the conflict:
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/opinion/nuevo/republicas/bananeras/elpepuopi/20090630elpepiopi_5/Tes
(only in spanish, sorry)
June 30th, 2009 at 8:16 am
threat? not at all. No need to do it. People will do justice. that´s what will happen. And I´m a free thinker. I believe in La Patria Grande. It´s the time, and the oligarchy I see here supporting this blog will dissapear as happened in Venezuela.
Viva Bolívar, The Liberator.-
Viva Sandino.
El Che era un asesino sicópata.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:32 am
[...] out Fausta excellent blog for the real facts about the goings-on in Honduras. Way to stand up for your constitution [...]
June 30th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Maybe you’re right Lobo, all oligarchies will disappear – together with other people because Venezuela begins to starve under chavito’s boot. Ya prepara tu cinturón pues vas a adelgazar…
June 30th, 2009 at 11:00 am
The oligarchy, Lobosolitario, may disappear but only to be replaced by a dictator. There is no such thing as a dictator who liberates. Dictators are very famous for extinguishing liberty, crushing opposition with violence, enslaving the people, and ruining economies. Dictatorship and justice never mix, but dictatorship, corruption, and greed are a threesome that walk hand-in-hand and sleep side-by-side.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
[...] Fausta’s Blog – Coup in Honduras – Correction: This is NOT a coup [...]
June 30th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Here is a complete translation of the Honduran constitution. Very useful: heckofanidea.blogspot.com/2009/06/google-translate.html.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
[...] It’s not a coup [...]
June 30th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Mr. Patterson, Mr. William Walker chose to disregard the constitution of a soverign neighbor to the great embarasssment of the US and to his own peril. Can you think of any other “Walker” who has provided a great embarassment to the people of the US of late? Would you like to trace that lineage through Tennessee AND New England…back to the British Isles and Germany? William Walker studied in Germany. We now know that when Louis Nizer was teaching American about the atrocities in Germany’s fortress Europe in the 1930′s and when men like Reinhold Niehbur were convincing Americans that the rising evils there must be opposed, that the Yale elites chose isolationism. Why? Because they were fight promoters making money off of both corners…Germany and Japan. When Pearl Harbor blew so did the Yale students who stormed the Taft Hotel in New Haven (eee Cloak and Gown, Robin Winks…Sterling Professor of History, Yale) Why there and no place else wondered the New Haven police? Because Robert A Taft had been the leader of the America First committee…the leading isolationism voice in America. Since then we know about the Prescott Bush/Fritz Thyssen connections and Union Bank.
This is NOT a movement from within Honduras itself. Check out Walker’s prior experiences in Baja and what decent Americans did about that one.
Well,I finish. They sent him off with his tail between his legs and he surfaced in Central America. Let’s call for a DNA analysis like that of Sally Hemmings family and TJ! The grave is there. Has it been robbed yet?
WHC
June 30th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
I truly commend the military of Honduras to fight for their democracy. Why does Hugo Chavez have to decide on the fate of their country. The OAS only takes action to support the leftists. They never did anything to help Panama when Noriega was kicking the panamanians on a daily basis. Stay firm….the venezuelans where too easy on Chavez and look what has happened to them….they re hiding in every country of Latin America instead of fighting Chavez. Now its too late to fight. Honduras can still save their country and remain democratic. I’ll pray for the new leaders on a daily basis. Isabel
June 30th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Hey Honduras! Put these two photographs side by side and see the resemblance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Walker_(soldier)
Need to have folks in Honduras stake out the grave of William Walker for tampering while finding hair follacles from an old hair brush kept by a disgruntled White House employee!
WHC
June 30th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
I just skimmed the Link posted at 4:30 to the honduran constitution. It appears to be incomplete and just of recent revisions from 2003. (Some where in my house I have a paper copy from when I lived in Honduras.) Article 52 mentions the supreme election tribunal that actually handles the elections. (Not the congress, military or supreme court that some media mentioned.) Article 242 mentioned the order of succession: president, vice president, president of congress, president of supreme court. Why was the vice president skipped? I did not see any mention of the military (army) having any policing powers nor did I see where it said the court could order the military to deport the president. Honduras does have a police force separate from the military. (This was one of the changes since decades of military rulers.) Folks when the military removes a president from his country that is a coup. Some politicians may approve of it but it is not even close to an impeachment procedure, resignation nor election.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
I would say that since you made the spurious charge then it is up to you to provide at least a genealogy of the two families. Walker also studied in Paris, Gottingen and Edinburgh. And the connection to Louis Nizer is a complete non sequiter considering the topic. You should have also mentioned two things, William Walker considered Garibaldi and the Revolution of 1848. The rest is simply the same old tripe that Troofers have been trotting out for twenty years without any documention proving their charges.
Most Americans would definitely consider William Walker a embarassing failure but then would probably save their scorn for Benedict Arnold, Aaron Burr and the Rosenbergs.
Your references, if one could call that motley references, is confusing to the extreme. Taft was a non-interventionist who strongly argued that FDR had violated the Neutrality Act, which he had, but he was not involved with America First. The riot you mentioned was in January and it appears to be mostly a drunken brawl that escalated after quite a few Yale students were ejected from one bar and then tried to crash the bar at the Taft Hotel. Which BTW was built, on the site where over a two hundred year period four other saloon and hotels had stood, by the New Haven Hotel Co. which in turn was one of the investment vehicles of the branch of the Roosevelts that numbered TR and Eleanor Roosevelt among it descendents.
Not only did Taft not have anything to do with the Hotel but the riot was not anti or pro war but a drunken brawl fought with pillows(that, unlike anything else Will Carr has posted can be verified).
Pretty cool pictures they look almost alike except one was right handed the other left, one was fair haired and other dark, they parted their hair on different sides but did have the required number of legs and arms to provide incontrovertible proof that they were related as humans.
But as proof of the utter reliability of side by side comparisons I will show that Michael Jackson is not really dead but is now free to live completely in his alter ego of Anne Hathaway,
http://server5.uploadit.org/files/theDUD3-AnneHathaway.jpg
http://www.topnews.in/light/files/michael-jackson.jpg
And anyone that doesn’t agree with me must be some kind of America First fascist.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:47 am
It’s really horrifying to see the lack of reasoned thinking and fact finding after 176 posts. Maybe 10 of these posts have it correct.
For those of you who say that the actions of the Honduran military were a coup:
1) Honduras is NOT the United States.
2) Honduran due process is NOT the same as it is in the United States.
3) Honduras has NOT been a democracy as long as the US. The memory of tyranny and abuse is FRESH in the minds of Hondurans.
Many of you seem to be trying to apply US law to this situation, mentioning terms like “impeachment” and “due process”. That is false logic, ignorant of the facts. Please go read the Honduran constitution before you further make asses of yourselves.
It seems from my research that Honduran law makes it ILLEGAL to even attempt to do what Zelaya tried to do and the consequences are REMOVAL FROM OFFICE.
Now, the ONLY mistakes that I see in ANY of this are twofold:
1) The Honduran military should have arrested Zelaya and JAILED HIM instead of the juvenile move of flying him to another country in his pajamas. Then he should have been put on TRIAL by their courts and legislature.
2) The US media, being the politically bigoted leftists that they are, calling the Honduran military’s actions a “coup”. The ONLY “coup” that was attempted was by Zelaya. The articles I’ve read in the US papers and magazines have been SO devoid of facts and SO quick to condemn the military’s actions that one would think that they are mouthpieces for Hugo Chavez, a leftist THUG.
It certainly seems that many who’ve posted here are so quick to make this a “right vs. left” argument that their bigotry blinds them. Frankly, I find that disgusting.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:41 am
Congratulations for the people of Honduras its SC, Congress and the military for preventing the subversion of constitutional order!
Now Zeyala is promising to come back, together with a bunch of bolivarian clowns. I hope the people of Honduras give them a warm reception.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:51 am
[...] clouds the issue at hand: Zelaya, as I have posted over the past three days conspired over a lengthy period of time to act unlawfully, and indeed acted [...]
July 1st, 2009 at 11:23 am
Zeyala was lawfully removed from office in complete concurrence with the Honduras Constitution, and that was confirmed by the Honduran Supreme Court. The Free World should celebrate this proper exercise of constitutional law. The Honduran impeachment process is in some ways different from the one in the US, and it was correctly followed. This is NOT a coup by any stretch of the imagination. And how can anyone agree with Chavez, when he makes such self-contradicting proclamations as he will take action to assure the sovereignty of the Honduran People? What a clown!
July 1st, 2009 at 1:38 pm
we will not surrender and we will not give away our coutry to manuel zelaya or chavez! every other country should respect our decition! we will not become leftist and we feruse to have a negligent ignorant as president! we showed the world we are tired of putting up with corruption! we are “THE LITTLE COUNTRY THAT COULD” and we hope to inspire others!
July 1st, 2009 at 3:14 pm
[...] Submitted By: Soccer Dad – Fausta’s Blog – Responses to “Coup in Honduras – Correction: This is NOT a coup” [...]
July 1st, 2009 at 3:43 pm
[...] big news this week is Honduras, of course. You can read my posts here, here, here and here; however, if you can read Spanish you should read Informe especial I: Decreto PCM-020 era una [...]
July 1st, 2009 at 4:32 pm
[...] Zelaya’s arrest by the military. As reported by Hondura’s La Prensa (translation by Fausta’s Blog), “An official statement of the Supreme Court of Justice explained that the Armed Forces [...]
July 1st, 2009 at 8:02 pm
[...] Coup in Honduras – Correction: This is NOT a coup – from Fausta’s Blog 06.28.09 The Honduran Supreme Court of Justice has confirmed that Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was detained this morning by the military in compliance with an order of the courts of law…. (more) [...]
July 1st, 2009 at 8:41 pm
The coup in Honduras has the smell of a CIA operation like the attempted takeover of Central America in the 1850′s by William Walker. The Hondurans should seal Walker’s tomb and demand a DNA analysis like that conducted by the family of Sally Hemmings using Thomas Jefferson family DNA. I believe that the connections will be indisputable and in as much as family dynastys can carry out their evils to the third and fourth generations before being exposed, they need to do it now. They would be doing the US a big favor. We need to be what we say we are or at least try to be.
What difference would it make? I know the stuff in my family’s history that I’m not proud of. I am not afraid to look at it. Mr. Patterson, why does it seem to jerk your chains so hard? I suggest you look at the possible reasons why.
You accused me of shoddy research. Then when I mentioned that students at Yale rejected the elite isolationists’ position prior to WWII when the facts of Hitler’s atrocities had been laid bare by Nizer and Niebuhr, you recoiled again. By the way, the leader of the Yale Political Union who led the opposition to the war profiteering isolationists was William Gardiner “Ted” White. He would have been opposing men like Henry Luce, Robert A Taft, Robert Wood and Prescott Bush whose father was in charge of munitions during WWII. In essense, the guts of the military establishment. “Ted” never made it home from WWII. He was the tail gunner in the back seat of GWHB’s Barbara II having replaced the regular crewman at the last minute.
You said that the student attack on the Taft Hotel in New Haven was in January. January 194_?
Should I believe you or the highly respected Professor of History at Yale, the late Robin W Winks who wrote:
“When the Japanese struck at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, debate over intervention ended. Students streamed out of their rooms, rushing aimlessly about the city, some in tears and most, with bravado, vying to pronounce the most hideous of deaths on the Japanese. From Vanderbilt Hall, on the Old Campus, freshmen moved in more purposeful ways, down the nearby streets invading the lounge of the Taft Hotel, trashing the lobby, smashing windows, battling against the New Haven police, who suddenly found themselves with a full-fledged riot on their hands. Later no one seemed able to explain this violent reaction.”
(CLOAK AND GOWN, William Morrow and Co., NY., 1987, p. 31)
That Obama and Hillary have complained about the coup is no guarantee that this is NOT a continuation of Iran-Contra with the same motives and deceptions.
WHC
July 1st, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Correction: Samuel Prescott Bush was in charge of munition during WWI.
WHC
July 1st, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Hermanos y Hermanas de Honduras,
Sella la sepultara de William Walker en Comenterio Viejo in Trujillo Colon, por favor!
Verbo transitivo DNA de William WALKER y DNA de la familia de George Herbert WALKER Bush.
Que dios la bendiga.
WHC
July 1st, 2009 at 10:09 pm
[...] Supreme Court of Justice in Honduras ordered the arrest, exile and removal of President Zelaya that it wasn’t a coup and/or it had to be constitutional because, after all, the coup-makers said [...]
July 1st, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Does the Honduran constitution say essentially e pluribus unum or e supreme court unum?
Did Zelaya REALLY usurp the process? If so, then good riddance. Seal Walker’s grave anyway and get your best DNA analysist, better, yet, those from a neutral nation, to do the analysis. You may still need it!
WHC
July 1st, 2009 at 10:59 pm
The largest on campus groups at the time immediately preceding the war was either the socialists or America First, if you had bothered to have read the rest of Prof Wink’s section on Yale you would have noticed this. The bulk of the pro-interventionist movement was among the faculty members and then pretty much the entire student body after Dec. 7. Even the police in the part cited had no clue as to what the rioting was about but the succeeding drunken brawl in Jan 1942 did a lot more damage.
But I notice that you have not provided one fact concerning any connection between William Walker or the Bush or the Walker family of MA. Unlike the difficulties faced by the descendents of Sally Hemmings in determining descent all the record of birth, deaths and marriages are still extant and would of course have been studied to link those families.
Many in the US prior to WWII were isolationist believing that the Europeans were incapable of keeping themselves at peace and as the earliest leaders of the country argued it was best not to have alliances with those who started bloodbaths every decade or so.
And if you can see a similarity between filibustering and the current upheavel in Honduras then you must have information that you haven’t bothered to cite. Or possibly just made up to fulfill a certain world view. Perhaps a definition of a coup would be in order to rebut those to lazy to find the correct term might be in order. The OAS, the UN and even Pres Obama might refer ot a coup but words generally have meaning aside from the result of ignorance.
July 1st, 2009 at 11:51 pm
[...] we hear those who ignore the reason and legality of Honduras’s move quoting that Zelaya was “democratically [...]
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:14 am
The DNA analysis of William Walker’s remains and those of the Walker-Bush clan will provide the necessary connections without the need for family geneologies which can, as we all well know, be quite deceptive.
My professor and seminary librarian grew up in Reinhold Neibuhr’s church in Detroit, both were baptized by him and saw the effects of deception and and the need for detection to keep the world from becoming hell on earth. Neither of them are communists, nor do I believe were the likes of William Gardiner “Ted” White. I’ve never even been to Detroit, but I do know that there is no left or right, but only mixed markets, moral men and women living in societies that easily turn a blind eye to the detection that keeps life sane.
And if he was..White or others? If they were? What? Shoot the bastards? When is enough, enough? How long must we pull lead and sulphur…and now uranium out of the ground just to use it to make hell on earth for profit? Chavez…George Washington refused power in perpetuity. So should you and all dictators! But Honduras….seal the grave of William Walker. You will need it! Just as the Peruvians who wanted their artifacts and cultural heritage back from the same Yale elites who refused to fight tyranny in 1940.
Sincerely,
WHC
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:38 am
Did you notica that the resignation letter you link to on Noticias 25 is dated on June 25? But Zelaya was removed on the 28, hence something does not add up….don’t you think its a fake?
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:49 am
I do not know about the letter’s authenticity. I have mentioned in my podcasts that the letter apparently was signed after the impeachment action started, but that Zelaya has denied signing any resignation letter.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:52 am
[...] Excellent roundup of the events in Honduras at Fausta’s blog. [...]
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Just one American’s view: I’m proud of our Honduran brothers and their actions in favor of democracy. Please believe, those of our government do not necessarily speak for us. As things progress, we may need to learn from you. I apologize for anything we’ve done wrongly in the past, but moreso I apologize for what “we” are doing and saying now.
July 3rd, 2009 at 4:54 pm
[...] First place with 2 1/3 points! – Fausta’s Blog – Responses to “Coup in Honduras – Correction: This is NOT a coup” [...]
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:16 pm
[...] you to the Watchers Council for honoring my post in their Fourth of July [...]
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:44 pm
[...] had a court order. Fausta updated: 1:50PM Indeed, Honduras’ La Prensa states that (My translation: If you use this, please credit [...]
July 5th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
I’m not an expert on Honduran law or politics, but wouldn’t the normal sequence of events be: Congress votes to remove Resident, Supreme Courts finds President guilty, military arrests President and sends him to Costa Rica? Seems that the Honduran version of due process is a little… inverted?
July 6th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Honduran Ouster of Zelaya Constitutionally Proper…
The Internet consensus in America seems to be that while Honduras had valid, legal grounds to remove President Manuel Zelaya, its military grab-and-deport maneuver was illegal and improper. The consensus appears to me to be incorrect. The President of …
July 8th, 2009 at 12:45 am
[...] Honduras had the foresight and singular courage to get rid of Zelaya and his thugs before they had time to become irretrievably entrenched. It was a wise move, and entirely legal – not a coup. [...]
July 8th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
re: your update at 1:50 pm, the “translation” of the la prensa article:
either a) your spanish sucks, b) you just made up the translation, or c) you’ve made a serious mistake with the link. the la prensa article you link to has absolutely nothing to do with the legality of the military action; it’s about the mediated negotiations with oscar arias.
fix your links.
July 8th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Find the “correct link” or shut up. I had the correct link ten days ago before La Prensa changed the content of the article, Dan. If you had anything to complain about ten days ago you should have brought it up then.
La Prensa uses only one URL for their top story, which they change daily. Complain to them
July 10th, 2009 at 9:55 am
[...] winning non-Council post was Fausta’s Blog’s “Responses to “Coup in Honduras – Correction: This is NOT a coup””. I tend to [...]
July 10th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
It absolutely was a coup, and that’s why the entire world is calling it one — except for the U.S. Note that the U.S. would have to cut funding to Honduras if it officially declared the event a coup. Instead, we are choosing to fund an unelected president who is cracking down on peaceful dissent. Iran anyone?
http://www.whyweworry.com/blog/2009/07/10/the-honduran-coup/
July 11th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Steve and Clint:
You are correct. That would be the process here in the States…removal by Congress. If you have seen the films, The Mission, or The Sand Pebbles, the power elites play good cop/bad cop on an international scale, using the church or diplomacy to mask their evil intent, then when the true patriots realizes they have been dupped….as for example with Col Ted Westhusing in Iraq….it’s too late. Viet Nam was the domino that would kill capitalism and so we had to kill the dirty commies while we drag out the war so that the same war profiteers could make their killings. So I’m in a Men’s Warehouse two weeks ago buying a business suit and where was this symbol of capitalism made? Vietman!
Meanwhile AIG Insurance is asking for additional money for bonuses for its sick execs….inheritors of Cornelius Vander Starr’s China Trade which we took over from the Brits and which was prologomena to the story behind The Sand Pebbles. AIG you remember was the company that took over the Dubai Ports Deal when it went sour. An insurance company in shipping and dock management?! Hummmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Governments in the US, Soviet Union and elsewhere are family driven….in other words, the powerful families will tell you when asked “what do you have?”…as in the Robert DeNiro film The Good Shepherd…..
“The United State and the rest of you are visitors!” They, NOW, believe that crap. It wasn’t that way in the beginning. Washington denied power in perpetuity and made democracy the crowning achievement of humanity in a way that dictators or secret family dynasties cannot. Oliver Cromwell beheaded kings, but couldn’t forsee a way clear NOT to appoint his son Richard his successor. So England returned to the monarchy while the American’s stumbled…and I mean STUMBLED….onto the Holy Grail.
Now America DRINK FROM IT! And Honduras…seal the grave of William Walker! Do DNA analysis of the remains and compare as suggested above….cutting through the family geneology crap like a sword through the Gordian Knot….because historians don’t do geneological assessments because they are…frankly, being bought and sold to spin history. DO IT! YOU’LL NEED IT!
WHC
July 13th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
[...] Noncouncil: Fausta’s Blog – Responses to “Coup in Honduras – Correction: This is NOT a coup” [...]
July 15th, 2009 at 2:56 am
[...] Honduras had the foresight and singular courage to get rid of Zelaya and his thugs before they had time to become irretrievably entrenched. It was a wise move, and entirely legal – NOT a coup. [...]
July 19th, 2009 at 1:27 am
Common sense tips, why the military executed the court order and other issues.
1.- the presidential honor guards are military, so what you think it will happen when police officers came with guns up and with an arrest warrant…Dohhh.
FYI Military dont trust police because they are infiltrated by drug cartels.
2.- Zelaya himself ousted out by suggesting the change of the constitution ART 239. FYI friday night he change the question of the “POLL” to ask for a new national Assembly, BTW meaning disolve the congress, and from there just follow the chavez bread crums
3.- The Armed Forces and the catholic church are the most trusth worthy instiutions in the contry in the eyes of the honduran people, please verify the comment with local polls.
4.- dont worry we will fight all the ALBA nation if its necesary, but they(Castro, Chavez, Evo, Correia, Kichner & Ortega) will NEVER rule our piece of the earth, we ARE NOT AFRAID
5.- Actually they are executing Psic Ops on our society to stress them out.
God Bless U All.
Sorry by my bad grammar pls correct it…jajajaja.
July 20th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Dear Antonio Romero;
If Zelaya was about changing the Honduran Constitution so that he could become a dictator, then your are good to get rid of him….if it was the Honduran people doing. Was it?
Governments set laws to prohibit and the powerful families in those governments….England, America… every empire….establish the “order” that pads their pockets with above board legislation and under-the-table black markets which they also control. This is what Ross Perot tried to show when he took on the America’s “order” with Col Bo Gritz’s fact finding trip to the Golden Triangle. You remember that Perot dropped out of our Presidential race claiming that his family had been threatened. The police are corrupt, but so is the military….of every nation. Read Christian T Miller’s BLOOD MONEY…and the sad tale of Col. Ted Westhusing. Your new president may be not your people’s choice, but someone elses. Read the history of filibusterer, William Walker and his family’s eye on Guatamela and Honduras. Seal his grave and do DNA analysis as suggested above and the picturer will become clearer.
WHC
July 21st, 2009 at 12:23 am
Thank 4 ur words.
Its true, any type of goverment had huge failures, our
mistake was thinking that he will follow the court ruling, wich he answerd by taking a MOB in to a military facility to “recover for the people” the made in venezuela ballots, forcing the commander officer to decide stop them and cause a bloodbath, wisely the commander let him pass, let me think seeing OBAMA stroming Norad or any military facility in name of the people to pick up foreging print ballot material. But In the End only us hondurans know,felt and saw all the actions of this elected official(to serve us, not serve himself from the goverment), Its a very big picture of 3½ years developing in front of us. In many Hondurans opinions our military are HEROES, protecting the people BTW they are not ruling the country, i see the for 1st world people thats really hard to belive, but u guys have too much time with out really aprecciate them.
Our democracy runs at a different beat, our society runs at a different beat, but we want the same for our children FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY and HAPPINES.
Do you think that isolte us JUST like North Korea or Cuba is fair, but all your presidents are scared the that happens to them, so they will never recognize it.
God Bless U and all the readers.
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Is CNN finally getting real facts?
Today I reluctantly decided to see news on CNN again. I have dropped the channel because it was the same as watching “telesur” aka Chavez Channel, or “TeleCuba” aka Castro Channel (not educative, not objective news, rest of the programs are so-so). Last time in telesur they said there was a blood bath in Honduras. Well, I live in the capital, Tegucigalpa, and aside from manifestations (in favor and against) twice a week we have not seen these blood rivers. Where are these blood baths they speak of? Zelaya (ex president of Honduras) said yesterday that there were children killed on the streets… wow talking about hype. Someone (like the CNN reporters still in Honduras) should say something. I can. I am telling you, there is no “guerrilla” no “paramilitares” not jet. The guerrilla is the one that Chavez is creating in Nicaragua, the one that is threatening Honduras with an invasion to set Zelaya back in office. IF Zelaya keep trying to get back in power by force then there could be a blood bath. Chavez is providing the weapons and Nicaragua the “guerrileros” (second product of exportation for Nicaragua, after coffee beans).
I would like to ask you 5 minutes to watch this interview. I know Mr. Reich is not a white sheep, but at least he has the facts.
Rick Sanchez talks to former presidential adviser Otto Reich about the coup in Honduras and the history it evokes.
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/07/17/sanchez.cuba.model.cnn?iref=videosearch
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Here is a question: when was the last time you did a “Nationwide referendum” to “Express opinion thru voting mechanism” where you have to mark in a “Vote” and deposit that vote on a box that was NOT for and “election”. There is a lot of experience in Latin America where referendum have been used to stay in office. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a Zelaya ally, won a similar referendum this year, and many Hondurans thought Zelaya was trying to maneuver a way to seek re-election in November.
Question two: If congress has the power to change all the Constitution except for approximately 5 articles, why do you need to re-write the whole thing? Isn’t it smarter to reform thru congress, unless the articles congress can’t change (hellooo re election) are the ones in your way.
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:30 pm
COFADEH has published a paper on violations to human rights. I urge people to read about the source of this information . COFADEH was bought by Zelaya, you want to read the article? it is in Spanish and was published in January (before the “coup”). Use any web translator you trust. http://www.laprensahn.com/Pa%C3%ADs/Ediciones/2009/01/12/Noticias/Honduras-Indemnizacion-causa-polemica
I transcribe the beginning of the article:
The resolution of the millionaire compensation to benefit Milton Jiménez Puerto, close collaborator of President Manuel Zelaya, has caused unrest in various sectors, especially among relatives of missing persons in the 80`s that have brought the action as exclusionary and unfair.
This resolution is governed by Executive Decree PCM-028-2008 which was created with the plot to compensate families of missing persons and illegal detention of the Cold War totaling 184 cases, but in reality only two benefits: the Milton Jimenez Puerto , former Foreign Minister and now president of the National Banking and Insurance and Bertha Oliva, coordinator of the Committee of Relatives of Detained and Disappeared in Honduras, COFADEH.
July 24th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I think that this is a very important time for keeping democracy in Honduras. I think that the Honduras people should get together and protest in favor of Michelet in different honduran embassies. Because he has been getting a lot of pressure from the USA and other countries to allow Zelaya to return. It is just as if they don’t know of the consecuences of allowing that man to get back to Honduras.