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July 5, 2009 By Fausta

Honduras: will Zelaya show up? UPDATE Zelaya lands in El Salvador; 2 dead

UPDATE
Honduras’ Micheletti states that Nicaraguan troops are heading to the border with Honduras.
Zelaya’s plane landed in El Salvador – See 4:15PM update below.
2 dead in Honduras
See further updates.

A brief roundup of headlines:
Honduras will not allow the landing of any airplane that may be carrying Mel Zelaya back to the country.

While Zelaya was saying he was going back, in the company of OAS head Insulza, Argentinian president Cristina Fernandez, Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, and Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, Bachelet’s staff already denied that allegation, Insulza already visited Honduras and left (but will he be going back?), Fernandez is not going, and Correa and Paraguay’s Fernando Lugo are meeting at the Ecuadorian embassy in Washington DC to decide whether to go or not. Across the Atlantic, Spain’s José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero offered to negotiate, but demanded Zelaya’s restoration to the presidency.

As if that weren’t enough foreign intervention, Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega was predicting “a bloodbath” in Honduras. Here’s the Nicaraguan ambassador at the UN repeating that statement, which is what Chavez was saying the other day, but denies that Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela are supplying weapons to Zelaya sympathizers in Honduras (video in Spanish):

Last night the OAS suspended Honduras, even when Honduras had already left, or, as Richard put it,

They’re like the boss who won’t let you resign. They want to make a point of firing you.

Here at the US, the WaPo’s saying U.S. Misread Scale of Honduran Rift. That’s probably the understatement of the year, but the year is young. The article goes on,

The crisis also pits Obama’s nuanced approach to diplomacy against that of an often bellicose rival, Chávez, who has taken center stage in the showdown by threatening to overthrow the government that took over from Zelaya.

Zelaya’s airplane is scheduled to arrive in Honduras this afternoon.

1:45PM
The story gets even more “fluid”: Now Zelaya says he’s heading to Honduras with UN General Assembly head Miguel D’Escoto, while Fernandez, Correa and Lugo are heading to San Salvador.

4:15PM
Honduras’ Micheletti states that Nicaraguan troops are heading to the border with Honduras. Micheletti requested that Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega and Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez respect Hondura’s sovereignty and stop interfering in the country. Video in Spanish:


Michelettisedirigeahonduras
by noticias24

Update: Nicaragua denies troops headed for Honduras.
The Venezuelan plane carrying deposed president Mel Zelaya landed in El Salvador, according to Honduran daily El Heraldo. Venezuelan chancellor Nicolás Maduro verified that the airplane was Venezuelan and identified it as YV-1496.

Hugo Chávez is celebrating Venezuela’s Independence Day, July 5.

Welcome, Memeorandum readers.

5:40PM
Zelaya’s Plane Redirected to El Salvador; via Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, Hunter Smith is reporting from the airport:

Protesters are being held about a quarter mile from airport. Army feel back, police just fell back and it appears they are letting the protesters to the airport. No violence so far. Protesters are self policing. One protester threw a rock and hit a policeman. Police did not respond and protesters pushed the young man back to the back of the crowd. They have been negotating with the police and appear to have gotten access to the airport after promising no violence.

6:55PM
Hunter, from the airport, reports that shots were fired. Noticias 24 confirms at least two dead, according to a police source talking to AFP, in a clash between demonstrators and the armed forces at the airport. Video from Chavez-owed TeleSur


Incidentes en Tegucigalpa
by noticias24

7:45PM BBC:

At least one person has been killed as Honduran troops try to disperse supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya at Tegucigalpa airport. Mr Zelaya’s plane has been circling above the capital after flying in from the US, while the interim authorities insist it will not be allowed to land. They are seeking to re-route the plane to El Salvador instead.

El Universal reports the plane was unable to land when military vehicles obstructed the runway. Zelaya vows to try again tomorrow or the day after. The Right Scoop has a very graphic photo and links to a twitter stating that Zelaya’s flight was diverted to Nicaragua. However, Noticias 24 says the plane was heading back to El Salvador.
More photos WARNING: GRAPHIC at Noticias 24.

8:25PM
El Universal photo:

bloqueopistazelaya548229thumb

Not clear whether the Venezuelan plane carrying Zelaya will be landing in El Salvador or Nicaragua.

Hunter Smith, on location, updates.

9:05PM
The NYT confirms Zelaya’s plane landed in Nicaragua; additionally,

But even as President Zelaya’s flight approached Honduras, a flurry of diplomatic efforts were underway to try to stop the crisis from spinning out of control. Mr. Micheletti issued another urgent offer to the O.A.S. to negotiate a diplomatic resolution to the crisis, although even as he vowed to talk, members of the de facto government did not back down from their refusal to allow Mr. Zelaya to return to office.

And in a possible reciprocation by the O.A.S., the organization shifted away from a strategy that prohibited their diplomats from speaking with Mr. Micheletti. For the first time, officials indicated that the O.A.S. would open direct channels of communication.

In a telephone interview, a senior Obama administration official said that the United States, worried about the worsening tensions on the streets of Honduras, was also beginning its own diplomatic efforts, in coordination with the O.A.S., to get the negotiations with the de facto government moving sooner rather than later. The officials would not give details of their efforts.

“This is an extremely difficult and delicate situation,” the senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, “and from our point of view, speed is of the essence.”

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Filed Under: Argentina, Daniel Ortega, Ecuador, Honduras, Hugo Chavez, Nicaragua, Spain, Venezuela Tagged With: Fausta's blog, Manuel Zelaya, Mel Zelaya, OAS

Comments

  1. spartan says

    July 5, 2009 at 11:30 am

    If Zapatero (Spain’s President) is going to be in any negotiation, be sure this will end badly. He’s a kind of King Midas but instead of gold, everything he’s in, becomes shit.

    And his idea of consensus is “do what I say or you are a fascist”.

    About Zelaya, what I’d do is: letting him in, say hello and offer a cup or coffee/tea to Bachellet, Correa o whoever comes with Mel, and then take Zelaya to jail. Embarrassing? Yes. But the law is the law. Dura lex, sed lex.

  2. Pat Patterson says

    July 5, 2009 at 11:54 am

    The latest AP items show a downward descent of the support, at least among the other OAS nations, concerning the return of Zelaya. It appears that the two presidents, the foreign ministers of some countries and those three hundred journalists is now described as Zelaya and some aides. I would caution the Hondurans to not put all the efforts into blocking air flights but some into keeping out little old ladies with mustaches riding donkeys clearly marked Hecho en Venezuela.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090705/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_honduras_coup

  3. Vigilante says

    July 5, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    Dura lex, sed lex.

  4. Bill says

    July 5, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    I’m thinking that too many now realize that the legal deposing of Zelaya is by now a fait acomplis and from the beginning they were backing a losing horse. Even if they don’t recognize a thingie called a “constitution” (what a silly concept to most of them) they’re starting to see that some of them have been played by Chavez and Zelaya. Right now their priority is to save face and hope that Chavez doesn’t keep the drama on (they will be disappointed there). They will never admit that they were in the wrong, and certainly they’ll never admit that they were duped. But everyone except Chavez’s pool boys will begin to slowly recognize Honduras again — unless Chavez does something stupid, and Obama continues to be a total incompetent on the matter and can’t bother himself to point it out.

  5. spartan says

    July 5, 2009 at 3:08 pm

    There’s something I can’t understand. Honduras gives Interpol an “order” to search and capture Zelaya. And, then, they don’t let him in?

    The only explanation given by Hondura’s government is they don’t want revolts going on. Maybe is good as a temporal strategy, but eventually Hondura’s will have to take over Zelaya, and take him to jail. Thay cannot pass the “patata caliente” to other instituitions forever. (somebody please help me with the true translation of “patata caliente”)

  6. Melissa says

    July 5, 2009 at 3:47 pm

    Spartan,

    patata caliente = hot potato

    It’s fitting in both languages.

    =)

  7. spartan says

    July 5, 2009 at 4:22 pm

    Thanks a lot, Melissa. I’m learning a lot with Fausta’s blog and the commenters, XD.

    Zelaya has landed in El Salvador:

    http://www.libertaddigital.com/mundo/honduras-advierte-que-no-dejara-entrar-al-avion-de-zelaya-1276364077/

    http://www.laprensahn.com/content/view/section/244684

  8. Fausta says

    July 5, 2009 at 4:38 pm

    Thank you Spartan. I added the link just now.

  9. spartan says

    July 5, 2009 at 4:46 pm

    If you follow this link from honduran paper El Heraldo (is the source linked by Libertad Digital, see my previous post):

    http://www.elheraldo.hn/Especiales/Honduras%20en%20contra%20de%20la%20ilegalidad%20del%2024%20de%20junio%20de%202009/Ediciones/2009/07/05/Noticias/Presidente-depuesto-Manuel-Zelaya-cambia-destino-a-El-Salvador

    you will find this at the end:

    “Igual que los simpatizantes de Zelaya de organizaciones campesinas, sindicales y de clase media, grupos de leales a Micheletti, en su mayoría gente adinerada, han realizado sus propias concentraciones de apoyo durante los últimos días.”

    Translation (Melissa please cover my back, ;))

    “As Zelaya’s followers from peasant, labor union and middle class organizations, groups of Micheletti on-goers, MOSTLY RICH PEOPLE, have done their own support demonstrations during the last days”

    So, if I`m not wrong, Micheletti is supported from both Liberal Party and National Party. This two parties are the majoritiy parties in Honduras, and their voters are MOSTLY RICH PEOPLE, then I conclude that the majority of the people in Honduras are RICH (not even middle class, but BLOODY RICH).

    Bye, bye, Spain. Farewell siesta, paella and bullfighters. So long Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia. I’m flying to Tegu. I won’t come back, I wanna be rich !!!

  10. CajunCharlie says

    July 5, 2009 at 5:05 pm

    I have friends and family in Honduras. Just got off the phone with sister in law who lives in SPS and she says one thing they have noticed is that the red-masked protesters for Zelaya seemed to have picked American based restaurants as their target of chaice. Pizza Huts, Wendys, McDonalds have been trashed by these people. I wonder what the motive is behind that.

    She also says they have been try to get through to CNN and Univision to give their side of the story as to the actions of Zelaya, but their calls, when they get though, ar cut off.

  11. Papa Giorgio says

    July 5, 2009 at 5:26 pm

    Faust… didn’t see any email… will drop this h/t here:

    Michael Jackson Interviewed In Regards to Macaulay Culkin
    It is embeddable

    http://religiopoliticaltalk.blogspot.com/2009/07/breaking-michael-jackson-interviewed-in.html

  12. will shetterly says

    July 5, 2009 at 5:48 pm

    CajunCharlie, you and your sister-in-law should do a little reading about the history of US involvement in Honduras. I’ll warn you now, it’s not pretty. The protesters have good reasons to be suspicious of the US.

  13. Gerardo Paredes says

    July 5, 2009 at 6:44 pm

    Guys, its nice to see someon who is not against us, i am in Honduras, and i truly believe that zelaya is not acting in the best interest of this country but in behalf of a power grab that he owe to Chavez. If he really had love for this country he wouldn’t create internal strife.

    We have alway been a beacon of the Right in Central America, we will survive this, it would only make things easier if the USA would support us as we supported them on the 80’s against all the leftist governments in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

  14. safariman says

    July 5, 2009 at 6:56 pm

    Right on, Gererdo. Hope we can keep going against well organized de-stabilization efforts of Chavez, and his ALBA puppets, coupled by apparent acquiescence of the US and EU.

    From Tegucigalpa

  15. Gerardo Paredes says

    July 5, 2009 at 7:23 pm

    Yes, hope we can resist this

  16. Elroy Jetson says

    July 5, 2009 at 7:51 pm

    This episode makes me ashamed to be an American. It is so obvious Obama has taken the wrong side in this dispute.
    I pray for a peaceful resolution with the Honduran constitution in tact.

  17. Ewetender says

    July 5, 2009 at 7:55 pm

    Is anyone taking bets on what Obama will do if Venezuela or Nicaragua invades Honduras.
    One only has to look at Obama’s base to understand why he would support a rogue administration intent on subverting the constitution. The common link with Obama and despots like Chavez, Ortega, and Zelaya are the unions like SEIU and Socialist groups like Chicago DSA. Take a look at this: http://www.congresshotelstrike.info/

  18. CajunCharlie says

    July 5, 2009 at 8:14 pm

    For Will Shetterly. Will I understand where you are coming from. I am not proud of our actions in Central America, but from having spent much time in Honduras, including living there for 3 years, I never saw any hatred for the U.S. I just thought it was strange only American businesses were targeted and none of the local businesses who support Michelletti. As per my wife, who is a catracha, many Hondurans aspire to the American way of life, and “Americanization” is prevalent at all levels of society. I for one am sorry they feel this way, and in the long run will lose much of the cultural beauty of their ancestry.

  19. filthykafir says

    July 5, 2009 at 10:08 pm

    Bill said: “…unless Chavez does something stupid, and Obama continues to be a total incompetent on the matter and can’t bother himself to point it out.”

    Unfortunately, I think we can count on both to act and speak according to form — stupid and incompetent, *Dumb and Dumber,* but without the laughs.

  20. Pat Patterson says

    July 5, 2009 at 11:54 pm

    Zelaya must be beginning to feel like he has become a bit player in the old Twilight Zone episode, The Odyssey of Flight #33. He goes up and then finds that he can’t land where he wants and each time he does land the welcoming committee is smaller and smaller and not quite who he wants to see.

    http://www.cbs.com/classics/the_twilight_zone/video/video.php?cid=649555532&pid=J2xsmjzosNjeb2u0OIUm5NNzpCXB0gP7&play=true

  21. safariman says

    July 6, 2009 at 12:27 am

    I’m afraid Zelaya is well funded, and will continue to be all too powerful for some time. Keep talking, talking to your neighbors and congressman. May God help Honduras in what is really a quest for independence!

  22. The Monster says

    July 6, 2009 at 12:37 am

    I found this on Wikipedia, but I’m lousy at Spanish. Can anyone confirm the translation?

    The Constitution can only be modified by a two-thirds majority of Congress. Furthermore, certain core articles of the Constitution are “set in stone” and cannot be modified, either by Congress or by a referendum.[23] Furthermore, to prevent continuismo, Article 239 of Honduras’s Constitution explicitly prescribes:

    “No citizen who has already served as head of the Executive Branch can be President or Vice-President. Whoever violates this law or proposes its reform, 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.”[24]

    Here is the text in question:

    ARTICULO 239.- El ciudadano que haya desempeñado la titularidad del Poder Ejecutivo no podrá ser Presidente o Vicepresidente de la República.

    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 (10) años para el ejercicio de toda función pública.

  23. spartan says

    July 6, 2009 at 4:12 am

    I think this is going too far. Honduras must let Zelaya in, then take him to jail. If they are brave to defend their sovereignty, they have to be brave to take over Zelaya.

    Of course, democratic leaders must stop Chavez and his mariachi.

    But no more dead people in the name of democracy. That’s not the way.

  24. expat says

    July 6, 2009 at 12:15 pm

    Iain Murray over at National Review’s The Corner posted a link (7/06, 11:27 AM) to an article at the Examiner that goes into some of the legal details of this. It’s a goood article.

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