Crisis in Honduras
Tags: Latin America.
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Wonder if Obama will keep as hands off here as he has in Iran:
Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya said he awoke to gunfire in his home and was still in his pajamas when the military forced him to leave the country Sunday.
Zelaya, a leftist elected in 2005, had found himself recently pitted against other branches of government and military leaders over a referendum planned for Sunday that could have allowed the president to run for another term.
Honduras’ Supreme Court ruled the referendum illegal, and the military and Congress agreed.
Despite the military and Congress’ position, Zelaya pressed forward, vowing last week that he would push for the referendum. His four-year term ends in January 2010, and under current law he cannot run for re-election.
Obviously a very confused situation – as a general rule, we should back the legitimately elected President…on the other hand, the legitimately elected Legislature and properly established judiciary are saying that the President is breaking the law. Now the military has broken the law by removing the President. So, what to do?
Tread very carefully but let everyone know that maintenance of normal relations will require a very swift restoration of completely democratic governance in Honduras – no junta, no dictator. No going slow on democracy in the name of “stability”.
Thank you for visiting Blogs For Victory. If you enjoy our content, please consider making a donation to help us cover the costs of our servers.Mark Noonan is co-author (with Matt Margolis) of Caucus of Corruption: The Truth About The New Democratic Majority. He also blogs at Nevada News and Views. Follow Mark on Twitter.
22 Responses to “Crisis in Honduras”
Caucus of Corruption
Mark, why do you feel that the President should have his hands on all political eruptions that may occur in every other nation? What’s up with that?
CO,
Lets just say that I’m expecting a lot more hands-on here in Honduras because the people rebelling are anti-leftist…
Mark, technically, if the President is breaking the law, the military is enforcing it by arresting him (though I’m not aware of the particulars of Honduran law)
Earlier comment retracted… Looks like a coup by the military and leaders of the congress…
Interesting. President Neophyte didn’t want to meddle as Iranian protesters were beat, shot, clubbed, etc, but had no problem meddling when a Leftist was trying to have a referendum that their supreme court said was unconsitutional
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=200906281405dowjonesdjonline000276&title=wsj-update-obama-worked-to-prevent-ouster-of-honduras-president
William Teach says:
June 28th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Let me get this straight. A democratically elected leader tries to have a legal referendum to change the Constitution of his country and when the Supreme Court determines that the plebiscite would be unconstitutional the military removes the democratically elected President by force. The Court and the Congress were okay until they pressed the military into staging a coup d’ etat to remove Zelaya.
As far as leftists go Zelaya’s replacement in the interim is Roberto Micheletti a member of Zelaya’s Liberal Party of Honduras.
I’ve asked this before and gotten no answer. What exactly more is Mr Obama supposed to do for the Iranian people?
leadeconomist,
At one point Mark suggested we bomb Iran’s oil refinery. I’m thinking though that some people might consider that an act of war.
It doesn’t matter what Obama does, Mark and others on this blog will find fault in it.
casper says:
June 28th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
My partner reading over my should and munching on a huge sandwich [which he cruelly refuses to share!] says, “It doesn’t matter what the Yanks blow up in the Middle east on Terra. None of you are ever going to fly up ino the sky. Humans need AEROPLANES to fly.”
I fear you’re spot on that no matter which foot Mr Obama starts out on there will be those that find fault in it merely because there is a D after his name.
I would have thought that bombing an oil refinery would be illegal under international law. Not to mention immoral, an provoked act of aggression.
I know that if Iran bombed a US oil refinery, that it would unequivocally be treated as an act of war, no?
should read “unprovoked” above…
bongoman says:
June 28th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
qed
Except that the referendum was not legal, and was an attempt to illegally change their constitution to allow him to stay in power despite the term limits.
All we asked for in terms of Iran out of Obama was to stand for the rpotesters who were looking for the international community’s elected leaders to say “hey! Let’s have a real election.” Why else would Iranians have signs printed in English? And it took Obama around 10 days to get tough.
Casper, can you name something that you and the rest of the left didn’t go nuts over Bush doing? Something you agreed with him on? I agree with Obama’s continued and escalated bombings in pakistan and Afghanistan. But, here’s the thing: we on the Right disagree with Obama’s policies, not with him personally.
“Casper, can you name something that you and the rest of the left didn’t go nuts over Bush doing? Something you agreed with him on?”
His invasion of Afghanistan and his aid to Africa to name two. i also agreed with parts of NCLB.
“But, here’s the thing: we on the Right disagree with Obama’s policies, not with him personally.”
I disagreed with many of Bush’s policies, but I don’t hate the man himself. And perhaps you don’t hate Obama, but there are a lot of others on this blog that do. Why else call him a facist?
He is called a fascist not as a slur (though, I can’t speak for everyone,) but because of his policies. Progressivism is a fascist doctrine.
But, regarding NCLB, even though it was the brain child of Ted Kennedy, most on the left attacked Bush over it. They attacked him over aid to Africa, saying he didn’t do enough, even though he went farther than any other president.
William Teach,
“He is called a fascist not as a slur (though, I can’t speak for everyone,) but because of his policies.”
So were you ok when Bush was called a fascist because of his policies? I wasn’t and I’m not ok with Obama being called one. We haven’t had a fascist president, at least not compared to some of the fascist leaders of the last 100 years.
“But, regarding NCLB, even though it was the brain child of Ted Kennedy, most on the left attacked Bush over it.”
I didn’t. While there are parts of the bill I disagree with, I also think it has helped more than it’s hurt.
“They attacked him over aid to Africa, saying he didn’t do enough, even though he went farther than any other president.”
Again, I didn’t and to be honest, this is one area that most liberals give him credit.
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 with the military in the middle. 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 there this was no 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 saw the presidents actions as an overt and aggressive attempt to install a Chavez style dictatorship in Honduras have rejected that attempt in a lawful manner that resulted in the presidents removal from office. Hugo Chavez is an ego maniac that has attempted to spread his left wing 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.
Why else call him a facist?
Oh I wouldn’t call him a fascist. I believe him to be an inexperienced, idiotic, tele prompter reading, marionette.
I should most certainly hope not. The diplomatic situations are near polar opposites.
So she went into the garden to cut a cabbage-leaf to make an apple-pie; and at the same time a great she-bear, coming up the street, pops its head into the shop. “What! No soap?” So he died, and she very imprudently married the barber; and there were present the Picninnies, and the Joblillies, and the Garyulies, and the grand Panjandrum himself, with the little round button at top, and they all fell to playing the game of catch as catch can till the gunpowder ran out at the heels of their boots.
The referendum was non-binding.
You mean the government and the military saw it that way. If the actual people of Honduras saw it that way, they would have indicated so in the referendum.
Hondurans want freedom and democracy. Of course Dictator Obama and Frau Hillary are worried. Their game plan is the United States of Venezuela. And all the little Chavanista trolls support it.
RE- your jab (I think it was a jab) at Obama’s “soft” response on Iran.
I read a column this morning by Fareed Zakaria (get his book, btw: The Post American World. Great read) that pointed out that Obama’s acting tough on Iran plays into Ahmedinejad’s strategy of trying to make the US the “meddler” and bad guy, distracting the people from the election. As you pointed out in an earlier post, Mark, there’s no surer way to show patriotism for your country than by standing up to the Big Guy on the world stage.
Food for thought.
IN REFERENCE THE REMOVAL OF THE HONDURAN PRESIDENT MANUEL ZELAYA (NOW EX-PRESIDENT), I AM SO GLAD THAT THE HONDURAN MILITARY, ALONG WITH THE CONGRESS, TOOK PROMPT ACTION, TO PREVENT THIS NATION FROM FALLING IN THE ARMS OF COMUNISM.
LET’S MAKE NO MISTAKE. THIS IS THE REALITY…
MANUEL ZELAYA, IS A COMUNIST; A PERSON THAT LACKS THE INTELLIGENCE, WISDOM, AND ALL THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS A PERSON NEEDS TO BE A PRESIDENT. AS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, HE LIED TO HIS OWN POLITICAL PARTY (EL PARTIDO LIBERAL = LIBERAL PARTY), MAKING THEM BELIEVE, THAT HE WAS A PERSON WITH DEMOCRATIC VALUES. ONCE HE BECAME THE PRESIDENCY, HE TURNED AGAINST HIS OWN POLITICAL PARTY, AND CAME OUT WITH HIS REAL AGENDA…COMUNISM.
PRECIDENCY NORMALLY WON BY MAKING ALL KINDS OF PROMISES THAT NEVER GET FULLFILLED. KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE PROMISED ARE ALWAYS MADE BY MANY, IF NOT ALL POLITICIANS, AND NEVER GET INITIATED OR COMPLETED (THIS IS USUAL IN ALL THE LATIN AMERICA).
PROMISES MOSTLY MADE TO THE POOR, WHICH IS A MAJORITY IN HONDURAS, AND THAT LACK A STRONG EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND. MANY OF THESE PEOPLE REALLY BELIEVE THE PROMISES (LIES) MADE BY THEIR POLITICAL CANDIDATE.
IN HONDURAS, EVEN THOUGH IT IS SAID TO BE A DEMOCRATIC ELECTION; THERE IS NO REAL DEMOCRATIC ELECTION. DURING ELECTIONS MANY PEOPLE GET PAID TO VOTE FOR CERTAIN CANDIDATE. THESE PEOPLE DON’T HAVE A JOB AND NEED MONEY, SO THEY ARE WILLING TO SELL THEIR VOTES.
DURING ELECTIONS PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES (IN THIS CASE, FROM NICARAGUA, SALVADOR, AND GUATEMALA) ARE ABLE TO GET HONDURAN CITIZENSHIP AS LONG AS THEY VOTE FOR THE PARTY THAT GIVES THEM THE PAPERS.
OTHER PEOPLE VOTE FOR THEIR POLITICAL PARTY, WITHOUT CARING IF THEIR POLITICAL CANDIDATE IS CORRUPTED, AS IT IS THE CASE OF MANUEL ZELAYA; THE ONLY THING THEY CARE IS THAT THEIR PARTY WINS THE ELECTIONS.
EVEN DEAD PEOPLE ARE RESURRECTED AND END UP VOTING, OR THEIR IDs ARE GIVEN TO OTHER PERSONS.
LASTLY, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT VOTE BASED ON WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS RIGHT, FOR A BETTER FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY, WITHOUT CONSIDERING THEIR POLITICAL PARTY.
SINCE THIS PERSON LACKS ALL THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE A PRESIDENT TO RUN A COUNTRY, HE JOINED FORCES WITH DICTATOR HUGO CHAVEZ, DANIEL ORTEGA (NICARAGUA), EVO MORALEZ (BOLIVIA), RAFAEL CORREA (ECUADOR), FIDEL (IF HE IS STILL ALIVE) AND RAUL CASTRO, AND SOON TO JOIN THE GANG, THE NEW ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE EL SALVADOR, MAURICIO FUNES .
BEING HUGO CHAVEZ THE ONE THAT USES THEM AS PUPPETS, WITH THE FINAL INTENTION TO CONVERT CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA TO COMUNISM; AND THEREFORE, FIGHT AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND ANY DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY THAT STANDS AGAINS THEM.
GUIDED BY HUGO CHAVEZ, EX-PRESIDENT ZELAYA TRIED TO PUSH FOR A REFERENDUM, WITH THE INTENTION TO BE RE-ELECTED (BY A FAKE DEMOCRATIC ELECTION), AND REMAIN IN POWER FOR LONG TIME. THIS WOULD ALLOW HUGO CHAVEZ, ALONG THE SUPPORT OF HIS OTHER PRESIDENT PUPPETS TO FORCE HONDURAS TO COMUNISM; AND BY ADDING ONE COUNTRY AT A TIME, TRY TO CONVERT ALL LATIN AMERICA TO COMUNISM.
MANUEL ZELAYA DIDN’T GET THE APPROVAL OF THE CONGRESS AND MILITARY, BUT HE STILL PERSISTED FOR HIS PLANNED REFERENDUM, WHICH WAS SCHEDULED ON 06/28/09 (SUNDAY). THAT IS WHY HE WAS REMOVED FROM POWER THAT DAY.
HE WASN’T KIDNAPPED BY THE HONDURAN MILITARY; INSTEAD, HE WAS TAKEN OUT OF HONDURAS TO PROTECT THE COUNTRY AND ENSURE THAT HONDURAS REMAINS AS A DEMOCRACY.
NOR THE HONDURAN MILITARY OR CONGRESS HAS DONE ANYTHING WRONG OR UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY REMOVING A PROMISING DICTATOR. INSTEAD, THEY PROTECTED THE CONSTITUTUION AND THE PEOPLE OF HONDURAS.
THE DESIGNATED TEMPORARY HONDURAN PRESIDENT, MR. ROBERTO MICHELETTI, BELONGS TO THE SAME POLITICAL PARTY (PARTIDO LIBERAL) AS MANUEL ZELAYA. HIS OWN PARTY EVEN AGREES THAT THIS GUY SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM POWER AND FACE CRIMINAL ACTIONS.
AS A BORN HONDURAN, AND NOW A PROUD U.S. CITIZEN, THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW OUTSTANDING THINGS I HAVE HEARD ABOUT HONDURAS.
AFTER COMMUNICATION WITH RELATIVES AND OTHER PEOPLE, IN HONDURAS, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE HAPPY THAT THIS GUY IS NOT ON POWER.
I AM ASHAME OF THE UN, THE EUROPEAN UNION, AND LASTLY PRESIDENT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA FOR MISJUDGING THE HONDURAN MILITARY AND CONGRESS. THESE BUNCH OF IGNORANTS STILL LIVE IN A CLOUD, ARE BLIND AND REFUSE TO SEE THE TRUE THAT IF MANUEL ZELAYA GETS REINSTATED AS PRESIDENT, HONDURAS WILL BECOME ANOTHER COMUNIST COUNTRY.
IT DOESN’T SURPRISE ME THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA SUPPORTS THE IDEA TO HAVE MANUEL ZELANA REINSTATED TO POWER, BECAUSE HE IS NOT AS DIFFERENT AS HUGO CHAVES. THEY HAVE SIMILAR IDEAS.
FOR INSTANCE, CHECK THE NEWS FOR PRESIDENT’S OBAMA IDEA TO CHANGE REGULAR LIGHT BULBS FOR FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS…IDEA ALREADY EXECUTED BY HUGO CHAVEZ, AND IDEA WHICH HAS EXTENDED TO HONDURAS, BECAUSE HUGO CHAVEZ DONATED THE FLUORESCENT BULBS, USED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
ALONG WITH TAKING CONTROL ON BANKS, EVEN THE CAR INDUSTRY, ATTEMPTING THE SAME WITH OUR HEALTH CARE, AND OTHER SOCIALIST IDEAS.
PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ HAS THREATENED TO INVADE HONDURAS, AND REMOVE, BY FORCE THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT. I AM MORE THAN SURE THAT THE PRESIDENT OF NICARAGUA, DANIEL ORTEGA, WILL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO PROVIDE THE LAND OF HIS COUNTRY TO EXECUTE SUCH INVASION.
MY QUESTION TO PRESIDENT OBAMA IS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO???
I KNOW THE HONDURAN MILITARY AND PEOPLE WILL FIGHT FOR THEIR COUNTRY. FOR SUCH A LONG TIME, HONDURAS HAS BEEN AN ALLIED COUNTRY OF THE U.S. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CURRENTLY HAS AN AMERICAN BASE (THE STATE OF COMAYAGUA), AND HONDURAS PLAYS A VERY ESTRATEGIC PLACE, WHICH IS OF IMMINENT IMPORTANCE TO THE SECURITY OF THE U.S.
NOTE: MANUEL ZELAYA HAD PLANS TO REMOVE THE AMERICAN BASE FROM HONDURAS.
WILL THE U.S. ALLOW HONDURAS BECOMING A COMUNIST NATION??? I BELIEVE THAT UNDER PRESIDENT BARAK HUSSEIN OBAMA IT IS POSSIBLE.
MAKE NO MISTAKE, PLACING THIS PERSON BACK ON POWER WILL BE A TREMENDOUS MISTAKE. IF IT HAPPENS, DON’T COMPLAIN WHEN YOU EVEN HEAR OF TERRORISTS BEING TRAINED IN HONDURAN LAND.
SO PLEASE, LEAVE HONDURAS ALONE, MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS. WAIT NEXT YEAR FOR THE ELECTIONS, AND IF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT CONTINUES, WHICH I DOUBT, THEN YOU CAN TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS.