Like a fly that just won't buzz off, ousted Honduras president Manual Zelaya continues to buzz around Honduras. His actions, however, may actually have the effect of further demonstrating who really holds power in Honduras - and it isn't Zelaya.
After attempting a foolish act of childish defiance by ever so slightly (and quickly) walking across the Nicaraguan border into Honduras and back again, Zelaya has now set up camp in Las Manos, which is a Nicaraguan town that borders Honduras. Replete with a megaphone and his white cowboy hat, Zelaya is coming across as a caricature of the man portrayed by the now sitting government of Honduras, led by Roberto Micheletti.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Zelaya's walking-into-Honduras stunt "reckless". On Saturday, he did more to exacerbate the problem by setting up shop on the Nicaraguan side of the border than he did to patch up the political damage he'd done.
What's truly amazing here is Zelaya's curious lack of patience. He has the U.N., the OAS, and the United States all willing to do the legwork for him and he insists on putting himself on the front lines. It'd be akin to General Patton getting on a horse and leading a battalion of tanks because he can't sufficiently scratch the itchy trigger finger while staying back to let things play out.
There are various consequences of these antics and they are all bad for Zelaya. First, he appears sophomoric and comes across as an indignant child who was pushed out of a sandbox. Secondly, he continues to make Micheletti's case for him. The sitting government insists that Zelaya is a would-be tyrant who is so hell bent on acquiring power that he would do anything, including trashing the Constitution, to get it. Apparently, this also includes the childish act of walking into Honduras to make a statement, which is about as effective as sticking his tongue out at Micheletti. Literally.
The next consequence of Zelaya's actions may be the most deleterious. Namely, the erosion of world support.
The world is run by political forces that make decisions based on political events and sentiment. In politics, when the perception that you are taking the side of a fruitcake becomes reality, you begin to either fold up your tent or change sides.
Zelaya is a fruitcake and he is doing some extremely boneheaded things when one considers the forces that have decided to get behind him.
Currently, the Micheletti-led government of Honduras is on an island, alienated by the UN, the OAS, and the United States. Zelaya seems to be somewhat envious of that alienation (why, I have no idea). There's no other reason I can think of for his behavior.
As for Micheletti, I encourage him to take a certain Napolean quote to heart.
"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake"
h/t to the Wall Street Journal
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