Comments on: Cunning Micheletti Determined to Outfox Zelaya, Insouciant U.S. Diplomats; Meanwhile, Clinton Delivers a Likely Fatal Blow to Ousted Honduran President Zelaya’s Already Grim Prospects

By: Sick of Haters

Sick of Haters — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:26:53 +0000

Why can't people post comments without being so negative, nasty and hateful. BTW Jefe, you would think democracy-more than US interests- should be a priority.

By: Lor

Lor — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:56:49 +0000

Then again, we had a really violent and assassin change of power from a democratically elected president to a de facto dictator whose army has killed and wounded many peaceful hondurans protesting, who has repressed many demonstrations, who has forbidden freedom of speech and closed down our media and is still interfering it and sabotaging it. If anyone thinks this is better than a hypothetical claim of someone wanting to "circumvent an electorate", a charge, which FYI WAS NOT amongst the charges the Congress lifted against Zelaya (just to show the ignorance of many people here who post about Honduras and have NO IDEA about my country and who these people are, so self-righteously, these conservative, retrograde, barbaric minds who still live in the cold war), I think you are "trying to cover up the sun with a finger". This is a signal to the rest of Latin America that violent changes in power are coming up. Fernando Lugo and Ortega are facing dangers and threats of a coup d'état. They are going to make a fascist party out of our America again, like in their good old days.

By: ajk

ajk — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:59:58 +0000

In electing the Obama team the US does indeed get change, as does Latin America. Change in that there are no accusations that the US was behind the Honduran crisis. The fact that Zelaya might be returned to power as little more than figure head for a brief span, still signals the rest of Latin America that even non violent changes in power (circumventing an electorate) will not be tolerated. Thats's victory enough, hopefully it will come to fruition.

By: Manticore

Manticore — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:48:34 +0000

The whole matter is so laughable that we, latinamericans, let it happen not because there is nothing to do against massive show of force, but because allowing this blunder to happen is a short cut to a swifter undoing.

Finally, there are those who see in these US actions a geopolitical strategy to maintain Honduras, as well as Colombia, a last ditch effort to secure what is left of a dying empire. But again, it surelly is the slow undoing of this most abhorent foreing policy towards a continent which will not remain without exacting a price in due time. It's just wait and see.

By: Manticore

Manticore — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:47:30 +0000

There is yet another dimension to US "non-intervention". That same "non-intervention" everybody actually sees, but because at some level it is better to say nothing and pretending to go along with the propaganda machine of the Pentagon avoids a worse outcome, everybody knows the extent of US early support to the coup and its mentoring during the whole process. Just as well everybody knows of the desire of the US to have Zelaya's power fade away with the legitimacy of his presidency at the end of his term. But those who allow hind sight to prevail, against the mask of pseudo-sanctions and Obama's supposed noncommital to clear interest in manintaining Honduras enslaved, know full well is a sure sign of bad policy and lousy intervention in a continent which is sliding whole out of US influence. Worse yet, the US acts as if there is nothing unusual happening and no one keeping tabs. Besides, the US wills itself not to see the unanimiy at the OAS, and waves it away with a flick of the wrist as if it will disappear by magic.

By: Manticore

Manticore — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:45:56 +0000

I rather appreciate the comments of El Jefezito. Because it comes to show in no uncertain terms, like the gas comming out of the cannisters against the protesters, the fog in which the US foreign policy operates to sustain corporate interests. The same interests which undermine every residue of democracy in that country, as well as in any other country where "US interests" are at stake, namely, the phantom of democracy. For we are seeing every day a two track policy that secures corporate interests at the expense of the rule of law and social well being. For who has not yet seen the deterioration of social order and moral and economic value in that country? Surely a country too small to be given attention, except by the second tier of government, diplomats who come to give the coup-de-grace in a continent crowned by so many coups. Actually this one is to ensure many more will come.

By: El Cid

El Cid — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:56 +0000

Zelaya did not attempt to illegally extend his mandate. The proposed referendum ('cuarta urna') proposed the notion of a Constituent Assembly which might, in the future, IF it happen, propose changes to the Constitution.

Had the referendum been held, nothing would have occurred until long after Zelaya's term expired in January.

Anyone who makes that comment simply did not look at the proposed referendum. If you don't care enough to know the slightest bit of what you're talking about, Google is there for you.

But it's perfectly okay for Alvaro Uribe to amend the Colombian Constitution once and now attempting twice now, just because.

By: ElJefe

ElJefe — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:19:00 +0000

There is a difference between being the legal president of Honduras and being the legitimate president of Honduras. Zelaya lost legitimacy when he attempted to illegally extend his mandate. As to the polls, Hondurans may not hold Micheletti in high esteem, but they have not placed much pressure on the regime. Aside from Zelayista protests which are quashed with comical ease, most Hondurans are going about their daily lives. Am I reactionary? Maybe. Hondurans, like most other people in this world, have transient interests. Ten years from now, who will remember the Zelaya question? I for one am thankful for people like Hillary Clinton. Hondurans would have not removed Zelaya on their own, and, even if it sounds politically incorrect, must be saved from their own poor decisions. The Left can scream about coups and legality all it wants, but at the end of the day these are the same people that supported Fidel Castro, the world's longest serving dictator. These are the people that think Hugo Chavez is something other than a mentally unstable thug. The Latin American Left thought it could gerrymander its constitutions without consequences, and received a blow in Honduras.

By: El Cid

El Cid — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:47:08 +0000

Not true. All kinds of people have made tons of money off of that country. Particularly a lot of people and companies in the U.S. And the U.S. finds it to be a very valuable base of military and logistic operation throughout Central America and the Caribbean.

I think you mean to say that no one actually cares about *Hondurans*. That's probably more accurate.

By: El Cid

El Cid — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:26:10 +0000

It's really depressing that for one moment, you almost could believe that the U.S. was going to do the right thing and help restore the legitimate government of Honduras.

But, no, they'd rather indulge the old ways and please Acting Secretary of Right Wing Latin American Affairs, Senator Jim DeMint.

Fine.

So now, conservative pro-coup forces throughout the hemisphere, most proximately likely in Paraguay where the President is publicly begging the people not to allow one, and maybe Nicaragua, and a few other places, think that they can maybe throw out an elected government as long as they have some sort of Constitutionalist argument to do so.

But I tell you what: don't act so surprised when one of the next coup-mongering forces turns out to be some aspiring *leftist* military officer who finds some friendly court ruling or friendly legislature as allies — oh, but the response will be different then.

What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, and don't think that in places even like Mexico and Colombia the Presidents will learn to look cautiously over their shoulders at what national armed forces leaders and some set of opposition or former allies might be planning.