Fron Libertad Digital: HONDURAS RENUNCIA A SU PRESENCIA EN EL ORGANISMO
“En la OEA ya no existe espacio para los estados que aman su libertad” (brief translation: If you used this translation please credit me and link to this post)
The Micheletti administration renounced the OAS charter “effective immediately”, following José Miguel Insulza’s visit.
Vice-chancellor Marta Lorena Alvarado read the letter addressed to Insulza, which stated the government’s decision “the OAS believes that it no longer has room for Honduras, for the states that love their freedom and defend their sovereignty,” … “in spite of Honduras having taken part in the inter-American systen since its first stages in 1889.”
Video in Spanish here.
Another video from CNN International, with Alvarado reading the letter of resignation,
She read, “The Honduran government repudiates the pretension to impose unilateral measures against it,” and denounced the OAS’s “tolerance and silence” about threats of “use of force” coming from OAS member states (namely, Venezuela) against Honduras.
The Miami Herald,
Hours later, acting President Roberto Micheletti and vice chancellor Martha Lorena de Casco announced Honduras planned to withdraw from the region’s key diplomatic organization. The move preempts an OAS General Assembly meeting scheduled for Saturday, where Honduras was widely expected to be suspended from the group for overthrowing a democratically elected leader.
The OAS “tried to impose unilateral solutions. The government of Honduras repudiates such attempts to impose unilateral solutions and reaffirms its sovereignty,” de Casco said in a nationwide address. “The OAS is a political organizatioon, not a court of law. … There is no institutional crisis here.”
She ended her brief statement by invoking article 143 of the OAS charter — without elaborating what that article says. The OAS clause she cited calls for member nation to withdraw from the OAS after submitting a written complaint.
The Honduran Supreme Court rejected the OAS’s demand to reinstate the ousted President, Manuel Zelaya:
OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza was told the court’s position was “irreversible” when he met its president for two hours in the capital Tegulcigalpa.
By now even the BBC is saying
The new leadership enjoys the support of a substantial proportion of the population and says it stands for democracy, our correspondent reports.
It suggests that Mr Zelaya had despotic ambitions, and therefore the extreme action of removing him from power was justified.
More details on this AP report (via GoV, report also at the Wall Street Journal, emphasis added):
Jose Miguel Insulza, who heads the Organization of American States, flew to Honduras in an attempt to persuade the forces that ousted Zelaya to take him back in the face of overwhelming international condemnation and economic sanctions.
He met for two hours with Jorge Rivera, president of the Supreme Court that authorized the military to seize Zelaya on Sunday and fly him into exile.
“Insulza asked Honduras to reinstate Zelaya, but the president of the court categorically answered that there is an arrest warrant for him,” said court spokesman Danilo Izaguirre. “Now the OAS has to decide what it will do.”
…
Insulza also was meeting with leaders of Congress, “basically to clarify exactly what our position is.”
…
Micheletti asked Nobel Peace laureate Rigoberta Menchu to help mediate the conflict, and she arrived in Tegucigalpa on Friday.
On his part, Insulza said the Honduran crisis will last a long time.
The photo shows Insulza in Tegucigalpa meeting with diplomats of the G-16 countries. The Panamanian government agreed to mediate today’s OAS meeting.
Hugo Chávez halts oil shipments to Honduras
The measure seeks to put pressure on the Honduras government to reinstate Manuel Zelaya, an ally of Chávez, as Honduras President. Zelaya was ousted in an army coup on June 28. In addition, Chávez admitted that he’s directly interfering in Honduran affairs,
Hugo Chávez said that he supports the return of deposed President Zelaya to Honduras by means of “a set of actions,” including contacts with military officers. Zelaya could return home “by land, air or water,” said Chávez in an address on Thursday in a state-run TV station, AFP reported.
“Zelaya will return to Honduras. It may be by land air or water. Nobody knows,” Chávez said, while he talked by phone with Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolás Maduro, who is accompanying the ousted Honduras president.
“We are supporting his return to Honduras and we are planning several actions. (We are) contacting social leaders that are heading the resistance movements. We have contacted military leaders who disagree with what is happening in their country,” Chávez said.
UPDATE, 4:50PM
Sour grapes at the OAS: OAS Honduras’ interim government can’t withdraw
The caretaker government of Honduras cannot withdraw from the Organization of American States because it is not a legitimate government, a senior OAS official said on Saturday.
“Only legitimate governments can withdraw from an entity such as the OAS,” said Albert Ramdin, the OAS assistant secretary-general, told reporters before a special OAS meeting on Honduras.
He said the current “regime” in Honduras is not recognized as the country’s legitimate government.
At the blogs:
Blogger Hunter Smith is now reporting from Honduras. Here are his first impressions (h/t Legal Insurrection).
Government Removes Zelaya’s Perks
Aside from canceling all of Zelaya’s government backed credit cards (before which, he had spent 80,000 dollars in less than five days), terminated also was the leasing of 50 luxury vehicles and 61 cellular phones with a credit of over 47,500 lempiras, and over 100 bank accounts, all backed by Honduran government funds.
The chancellor of Honduras confirmed that Mel Zelaya ordered the withdrawal of 40 million lempiras from the Central Bank of Honduras.
When the investigations were made at the presidential house, black garbage bags filled with thousands and thousands of dollars were found, as well as in almost every drawer.
Investigations documented over 600 million lempiras worth of expenditures that Zelaya had spent on his quest to hold the “opinion poll” to allow the fourth vote.
Witnessing Hope appeals for prayer and fasting for Honduras
Jason Poblete: Hondurans Seek Independence from Cuba-Venezuelan Meddling, Obama Officials Should Listen
Unless a resolution can be found for this matter consistent with Honduran law, it will be the Obama Administration that will set back the growth of Honduran democracy. It is seems to have an extreme obsession for meddling in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state through international organizations such as the OAS. In the process, it is making things easier for the enemies of freedom to further weaken rule of law and democratic institutions throughout the hemisphere.
This July 4, Stand for the Unalienable Rights of the Hondurans
Chavez Chess.
Post edited to add Miami Herald & blog items omitted
Dear citizens of Honduras, President Obama is not your friend. He is more of a Marxist than Zelaya could ever dream of becoming. Hugo Chavez is now in training under Obama to learn how to form a real Marxist civilization. The OAS is not your friend either, so throw that crap organization to the wayside and enjoy your freedom. Isn’t it great to wake up in the morning and know that the day is yours and yours alone? No more working for the king, the govt or the corrupt system. It is yours now seize the day! This is coming from an American that dreams of the day when he will be free from oppressive regimes with bad intentions against it’s own citizenry.
Here is an e-mail that I wrote to the Withe House. It will not accomplish nothing, but I did that in order to express my solidarity to the Honduran people.
Mr. President,
I am writing to you in order to express my frustration with your administration instance regarding events in Honduras. While I understand your concern in defending democratic values, I believe the US current position is contradiction with the principle of self-determination of nations. I regard your position as an usurpation of powers that rightfully and exclusively belongs to Honduras SCJ and Congress, even if it is coming, as I believe, from noble intentions. Who gave you, the OAS or even the UN the right to act as the court of appeal to decisions made by Honduras SCJ regarding constitutional matters in that country?
I call your attention to article 239 of Honduras constitution which clearly states that any official that tries to change some “set in stones” clauses immediately loses its position. Immediately – as in “no need for impeachment process”, as in “no need for hearings. Mr. Zelaya has breached this clause when he supported an illegal attempt to instate a Constituent Assembly in order to scrap the current constitutional order and come up with a brand new constitution.
The action of Honduras Armed Forces in deposing the President, which at that point was illegitimate by force of article 239, was in compliance with orders from the SCJ. If your legal experts would take some time to read Honduras Constitution they will see that the SCJ had the power to give those orders and the Military had a duty to follow then. It is true that the expatriation of Mr. Zelaya was illegal and the officials that have done that should be brought to justice. However, that illegality is immaterial to the decision to oust the President and can´t be a base to reinstate his illegitimate office.
Your current position is also tainted by hypocrisy, given that the US Government is on the OAS invoking the democratic clause while, very recently , has looked the other way to that same by permitting Cuba to join the organization.
We have yet to hear from you, sir, one word of condemnation to the open threats coming out of Caracas. I quote below a reporting from AP dated 07/03/09:
““Zelaya will return to Honduras. It may be by land air or water. Nobody knows,” Chávez said, while he talked by phone with Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolás Maduro, who is accompanying the ousted Honduras president.
“We are supporting his return to Honduras and we are planning several actions. (We are) contacting social leaders that are heading the resistance movements. We have contacted military leaders who disagree with what is happening in their country,” Chávez said.”
Is that acceptable, Mr. President?
From a political point of view, your position in this matter is also indefensible and reckless. Each and every organized sector of Honduras government and civil society have expressed their support to the new government. The people has also spoke, loud and clear, by marching on the streets in huge rallies that have, so far, overwhelmed the rather unimpressive crowds supporting the former president.
It is my understanding that to try to force Mr. Zelaya back in to power will throw the country into institutional chaos and may lead to unnecessary bloodshed.
Apart from all that, a ruler who abuses its power by acting outside the law, as undoubtedly Mr. Zelaya has acted, is by definition a tyrant. So, even if the Honduran people was subverting the constitutional order, which they aren’t, they would have a right to do so. 233 years ago, in this very same day, July 4th, a nation rose in other to achieve their right to self rule, to the delight of lovers of freedom around the world. No one can deny Hondurans that same right.
Sincerely yours.
Everybody knows about Zelayas corruption except other corrupt members of the OAS who are kneeling down in front of Chavez and his totalitarian friends.
Today we are all Hondurans!
Gee, isn’t this the same “organization” that included Cuba into its ranks, without any pre-conditions or concessions whatsoever?
Moreover, Fausta, as you undoubtedly know, in contravention of the explicit orders of the congress the OAS had on hand “observers” to give the imprimatur of legitimacy to Zelaya’s “referendum”.
Like the Vice FM, under my friend Ortez Colindres, said, perhaps Mr. Insulza, should go to Havana or Caracas first to talk about democracy prior to giving lectures to the brave and honorable people of Honduras, who reject tyranny and barbarism.
All these governments and puppet organizations such and the UN and the OAS have one thing in mind….stay in power. The military’s role is also to protect the constitution. People in power want to discourage any military from rescuing the people from despots. So, Obama, how do you feel about the USA Military? Do they pose a threat to you? What about Venezuela? Bolivia? Cuba?
There are millions of people in American who are supporting you,despite what our government and MSM are reporting.
I stand in agree with Vladimir; Thanks for your courage
Happy Independence to Honduras.
God Bless
Sybil
St Louis MO
Viva Honduras
“The caretaker government of Honduras cannot withdraw from the Organization of American States because it is not a legitimate government, a senior OAS official said on Saturday.
“Only legitimate governments can withdraw from an entity such as the OAS,” said Albert Ramdin, the OAS assistant secretary-general, told reporters before a special OAS meeting on Honduras.”
So how are they going to expel it from the OAS then? Are they going to briefly recognize Micheletti’s government, expel it and then “un-recognized” it…? This is soo confusing….
Zelaya told Honduras today that any lifes lost on his return the new goverment will be responsible for this. But is it not Chavez who is instigating the cival uprising upon his buddies return to Honduras ? Chavez you better not look forward to the day you are a private citizen again. I wish that all the supporters for Honduras around the world that we could be there upon Zelayas return to support the Honduras people.
WORLD, im Honduran and i have NEVER been so proud of Honduras government, finnaly there are some people that have the balls to say no! its enough. We like democracy thats why the congress (NOT THE MILITARY)decided by unanymous decition to take Zelaya out of his mandate, and if the rest of Nations that opose of the actions that were taken to defend our democrasy then im sorry but you are not better than these opresors are. I like to invite to this oposing Nations to take the time and read the evidence found agaisnt Zelaya. And i think i speak for most of the Honduran people we opose comunism and we say in one word WE ARE AN INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATIC NATION!.
And please to all the good people that support the actions taken by our congressman (Not the military) to take Zelaya’s mandate out, to write and support us, the people from Honduras and let us know that we are not alone despite what the ONU and some other organisations are saying that they are agaisnt of what was decided by our lawmakers was on the best interest of the peoples of Honduras. Please write letters of support to any newspaper and express your fellings.
Thanks
Thanks Vladimir and everybody supporting Honduras. Ulises I believe what they are saying at OAS is that Since the new administration of Honduras is not recognized by the OAS, This administration do not have right to withdraw. Therefore only the OAS has the right to take Honduras out of the organization.
Again a see the oligarchy in my country control the goverment. Its a shame that 90% of hondurans are campesinos who can not access the internet or are illiterate, they are the ones who want and need Zelaya, the would tell you a different story. There is not freedom in extreme poverty. There is no democracy with extreme social inequities. MIcheletti has been in the congress for 28 years, he represents the aristocracy and not the people. A “golpe de estado” is not a democratic accion. If Zelaya was guilty of anything he should have been charged and given the opportunity to defend himself.