Honduras Back in the News (Not Good)

When would-be dictator Manuel Zelaya was legally removed from power back in 2009, the interim president who replaced him - Roberto Micheletti - took on the world and won. Zelaya, a Hugo Chavez stooge and leftist, attempted to permanently install himself as the president of Honduras; the congress and the military removed him because the Honduran Constitution specifically states that no president can serve more than one term. What ensued was an international crisis with all of the world's powers aligned against the interim government.

Micheletti remained in power just long enough to see elections take place a few short months later. His replacement as president, Porfirio Lobo, is making a big mistake right now in allowing Zelaya to return to Hondura - a Very BIG mistake.

Via CNS News:

An agreement signed in Colombia this week allowing the ousted former Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya, to return home and resume political activity without fear of prosecution marks “a great day” for the Honduran people, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

But in the view of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the accord sets the stage for Zelaya and his leftist ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, to further damage democracy in the small Central American country.

“Hugo Chavez’s handprints are all over this deal,” Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement. “He can’t wait to have Zelaya back in Honduras so he can begin pulling the strings again and undermine that nation’s democracy.”

Clinton, by contrast, said on Monday that the U.S. “commends” the Chavez regime for its role in securing the agreement.

Micheletti's resolve in 2009 was unmatched in modern times. He did not buckle in the face of very strong international and hemispheric pressure from the U.N., the O.A.S., and the United States but in hindsight, he made one mistake. Instead of arresting Zelaya and putting him on trial, Micheletti exiled the former leader. Now Zelaya is coming back without condition. Look for Zelaya to work day and night to amend the Constitution so that he can be reinstalled.

Though Micheletti set a high standard for courage, Lobo has proved with this agreement that he doesn't meet that standard.

Read it all.

WIKILEAKS CABLES POINT TO OBAMA SUPPORT FOR HUGO CHAVEZ

It was a saga that carried on for months beginning in the summer of 2009. Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was constitutionally removed from office for attempting to stay in power. The only thing the judicial, legislative, and military branches failed to do when removing Zelaya was follow the most strict interpretation - instead of detaining him, they exiled him. The Obama administration was adamant that Zelaya be returned to office and that his removal was the result of a coup. Such a stance flew in the face of the facts.

Zelaya, a protege of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, was a would-be dictator. It was obvious that the Obama administration was backing a thug but thanks to cables released by Wikileaks, the why can be more clearly sustantiated.

Via Wall Street Journal:

Lots of hypotheses have been floated to explain why the Obama administration went to such extremes last year to try to force Honduras to reinstate deposed president Manuel Zelaya.

Now the release of two WikiLeaked cables from the U.S. embassy in Tegucigalpa strengthens one of those theories: that the U.S. knew Mr. Zelaya was a threat to democratic Honduras but had decided the country should tolerate his constitutional violations in the interest of realpolitik.

Practically speaking, Hugo Chávez was the man to please. After a decade in power, the president of Venezuela's influence around the region was notable. George W. Bush had clashed with him. Barack Obama was out to prove that they could get along, as evidenced by the warm handshake at the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain in April 2009.

Honduras offered a bonding opportunity. Mr. Zelaya was a protégé of Mr. Chávez. Standing up for him as democratically elected was a way to score points with Latin America's hard left.

Obama allied with the hard left? Say it ain't so!

In the quintessential underdog story, Honduras stood up to the world - including Obama - and won.

The two cables provide two different perspectives. The first was from Charles Ford, who was U.S. ambassador to Honduras during the Bush administration. In 2008, he warned of Zelaya:

The insightful diplomat also recognized Mr. Zelaya's disdain for other institutions. He "resents the very existence of the Congress, the Attorney General and Supreme Court." That resentment rose to the surface in June 2009 when the Supreme Court ruled that a referendum on his re-election was unconstitutional. Mr. Zelaya responded by leading a mob to break into a military installation where the ballots for his initiative were being stored.

Ford's successor, Hugo Llorens provided the other perspective, which was one that showed support for Zelaya after his removal from office. However, unlike Ford, Llorens - the Obama administration by extension - had no defense for standing with Zelaya.

Mr. Llorens sent his own legal analysis to Washington. In it he acknowledges that there might have been a case to be made against Mr. Zelaya for a number of violations of the constitution. But he also claims that there is "no doubt" that the Supreme Court's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Mr. Zelaya was "a conspiracy" with Congress and the attorney general.

In the many months that have passed since Honduras stood up for its own Constitution - and won - their colleagues in Venezuela have chosen to stand down as Chavez gobbles up more and more power.

h/t Weasel Zippers

REMEMBER HONDURAS?

That small country of Honduras was in the news quite a bit between June 28th, 2009 and November elections there. It was high stakes and high drama for an underdog nation that was taking on the world. Sitting president of that country, Manuel Zelaya attempted to install himself as dictator; the Constitution was followed by the other branches of government, thereby preventing it.

The Obama administration sided with the world against interim leader Roberto Micheletti, who stuck to his guns and his principles to defeat the world. Regardless of what people might say or how it is spun, Obama's Alinsky-ite / Community Organizing tactics failed to bully Honduras on a world stage.

The AP reported just this past April 30th that the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras basically conceded defeat but in true Obama fashion, blamed someone else. In this case, that someone else was Zelaya himself. In fairness, Zelaya was a certifiable kook but the White House lost an international battle when everything BUT Zelaya was stacked in Obama's favor.

U.S. officials who voiced strong opposition to Honduras' coup last June now say the ousted president took an "erratic and imprudent course of action" in the months leading up to his overthrow.

The comments from U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens mark the first time U.S. officials have so directly criticized former President Manuel Zelaya for his pre-coup actions.

Llorens told about 300 community leaders at a Thursday meeting of the Honduran Cities Association that the November election of President Porfirio Lobo was a crucial step toward putting this poor Central American country back on track.

"We understood very well that former President Zelaya pursued an erratic and imprudent course of action in the management of the country, and the growing opposition to his polarizing style," Llorens said.

Did Llorens actually concede defeat while citing "growing opposition to (a) polarizing style"? Perhaps Mr. Llorens should step back and look at how his boss in the White House fits that description. The irony here is that Zelaya is being blamed for Obama's loss in Honduras while his attributes that are allegedly responsible for that defeat are very much applicable to how Obama is governing his own country. Can anyone say health care and immigration? Two instances of many in which Obama has shown that he can generate growing opposition to a polarizing style.

Read it all.

HONDURAS: ELECTIONS HELD AND TURNOUT BAD FOR ZELAYA

Since Hugo Chavez lackey Manuel Zelaya was removed from the presidency forcibly on June 28th, the international community - including the Obama administration - has aligned and done virtually all it could to reinstate Zelaya. Interim president Roberto Micheletti has stood his ground and by all accounts, it's paying off. The Wall Street Journal reported that voter turnout for the elections held today has been very strong. That doesn't seem to bode well for Zelaya since he called for people to boycott the elections.

Voter turnout was seen as a crucial factor in persuading more countries to back the poll. Although it started out light, it appeared to pick up considerably, and Honduran election officials said it was high enough to keep the polls open for an additional hour. High turnout could represent another setback for Mr. Zelaya, who had urged supporters to boycott the poll.

Mr. Zelaya's removal at gunpoint in June caused a stir in Honduras and abroad, where the global community condemned the ouster as a coup. Honduras's political institutions, including its congress and supreme court, backed the ouster as the legal removal of a president who they said was illegally trying to get himself re-elected -- charges Mr. Zelaya denies.

Interestingly, both Zelaya and Micheletti are from Honduras' liberal party but the turnout and early returns indicate that a conservative candidate is going to win.

Neither of the two men claiming to be president during the past five months -- Mr. Zelaya and interim President Roberto Micheletti -- was on the ballot. Instead, Hondurans chose between Mr. Lobo of the conservative National Party and Elvin Santos of the Liberal Party -- to which both Mr. Zelaya and Mr. Micheletti belong.

The vote, seen as punishing the Liberal Party for the crisis, hands power to Mr. Lobo, a conservative rancher who was narrowly beat by Mr. Zelaya four years ago. "It's going to be Pepe this time," said Higenio Garcia Ponce, 74, an agricultural laborer who said he had just voted for Mr. Lobo. "There was a rupture in the Liberal Party over what happened with Zelaya."

Frankly, Micheletti is probably rooting for Lobo based on what he's had to deal with since assuming power - power he appears to be all too willing to relinquish (unlike Zelaya).

Micheletti should be considered a hero of Honduras. He has stood on principle and he has stood against the world. While he hasn't crossed the finish line yet, he appears to have won. The United States has already indicated that it will recognize the winner of this election.

Only the U.S., Costa Rica and Panama have said they will accept the winner, though other countries, including Mexico and Canada, appear to be leaning that way as well. The government is betting that U.S. recognition will lead other nations to back down from earlier positions. "They may not recognize the elections Sunday itself, but I believe they will at some point in the future," Mr. Lobo said Saturday.

If the results of this election come out the way it looks like they might, Micheletti will have been far more victorious than Lobo. What Micheletti will have accomplished with the election of a conservative and a smooth transition of power with the world against him is nothing short of Churchillian.

Well done, Roberto.

Read the ENTIRE WSJ piece.

HONDURAS: ZELAYA BUSTED....AGAIN

Talk of reinstatement of Manuel Zelaya as president of Honduras last month appears to have been premature. He is still holed up in the Brazilian embassy and Roberto MIcheletti is still in power. If you remember, the reason for Zelaya's ouster on June 28th was that all branches of government determined he was attempting to use a referendum to stay in power beyond his one term in office, a move strictly prohibited by the Honduran constitution.

All along, Zelaya has denied that he was attempting to do such a thing. Now we learn courtesy of the Canadian Press that Zelaya will not accept any deal calling for his reinstatement if he must endorse the elections.

The RECORD reports:

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya insisted late Saturday that he will not accept any deal to restore him to office if it means he must recognize elections later this month.

In a letter addressed to President Barack Obama, Zelaya also repeated his accusation that Washington reversed its stance on whether the Nov. 29 vote should be considered legitimate if he was not in office.

There is another fascinating dimension in all of this. In particular, assuming the November 29th elections proceed as scheduled and there is a peaceful transition of power, it will have meant that the interim Honduran government, led by Micheletti will have not only defended its own constitution but it will have defeated nearly unanimous international opposition with the United States, under Barack Obama arguably being the most aggressive in its support of Zelaya (behind only Hugo Chavez).

Here's the part of the article that highlights both the U.S. backing off this battle and Zelaya's childish immaturity:

Washington has said it supports Zelaya's reinstatement, but the pact set no deadline for his return to office. And after brokering the deal, U.S. diplomats indicated Washington would support the elections, which had been scheduled before the coup, as long the deal was implemented.

"The future that you show us today by changing your position in the case of Honduras, and thus favouring the abusive intervention of the military castes ... is nothing more than the downfall of freedom and contempt for human dignity," Zelaya said in the letter to Obama. "It is a new war against the processes of social and democratic reforms so necessary in Honduras."

Throughout this entire ordeal, Zelaya has put his personal quest for power above what is best for his country, which points to Micheletti being justified in replacing him. This latest bit of yammering is just further evidence of that. If Zelaya were truly interested in peacefully ending all of this, he would work out a deal that would allow him to return to Honduras while ceding power.

Lastly, don't you know that Micheletti is counting the minutes until he can step down? He's like a quarterback in the 4th Quarter, trying to protect a lead. Just run out the clock and get the W.

Speaking of W's, the first president of the United States, George Washington, could have been king but didn't want it. He could have stayed in office as president but he didn't want to. His legacy is great indeed. Something tells me that Micheletti's legacy will be grand as well (once all of these passions cool). Maybe it's just one of those paradoxes in life. Those who lead out of a sense of duty and service and not necessarily a desire to lead, make better leaders than those whose quest for leadership outweighs all other considerations.

h/t to FR

HONDURAS: MICHELETTI NEPHEW SHOT EXECUTION STYLE

Though still too early to draw conclusions, the nephew of sitting president Roberto Micheletti has been found dead in his country. Enzo Micheletti was not just found dead. His body was found with his hands tied behind his back and he appears to have been executed. The BBC reports:

The nephew of the interim President of Honduras Roberto Micheletti has been found dead in what the police are calling an execution-style killing.

Enzo Micheletti's body was discovered on Sunday in woodland near Choloma, 250 km north of the capital, Tegucigalpa.

Police say his hands were tied behind his back and his body was riddled with bullets.

The TIMES OF INDIA is also reporting on the story as National Police spokesman Orlin Cerrato provided more details about another man that was killed.

Col. Concepcion Jimenez was gunned down Sunday night in front of his Tegucigalpa house....Col. Jimenez died Sunday night at Tegucigalpa's Military Hospital shortly after being shot while getting out of his car in front of his house in a southern district of the capital.

The suspects in the killing are "three or four young men who were in a taxi", Cerrato said.

Jimenez headed the Honduran armed forces' Industria Militar, which makes uniforms and other equipment for the military.

It will be very interesting to see how Micheletti deals with this news. While reports are that there is no evidence of a connection between the Honduran crisis and this murder, tell that to Micheletti. Until all of the facts are known, he's got to be wondering and is quite possibly being very hard on himself. As difficult as it would be, it will show an even deeper level of courage and strength if Micheletti continues to hold the hard line and not give in.

The reaction of the White House will be interesting to see as well. I can't believe there won't be sympathies expressed by the Obama administration. If there isn't, it will reveal an even deeper low.

h/t to DRUDGE

ZELAYA HEADED TO SPAIN?

Nobody's been closer to what's going on in Honduras than Fausta, which is why this report, while unconfirmed, should be considered credible speculation. Earlier today, it was reported that ousted Honduran president, anti-semite, and Hugo Chavez stooge Manuel Zelaya may be returning to his former position as president.

However, FAUSTA'S BLOG is now reporting that Zelaya may actually be headed to Spain as part of the deal. If this is true, all of the cowards in the world who would otherwise do the right thing should read the Roberto Micheletti memoir whenever it comes out.

If this is true, it will have meant that the leader of a small country (Micheletti in Honduras) took on not only the Organization of the American States, the United Nations, and the United States AND DEFEATED them all.

Yes, it's early but if this ends up being true, it would be a MAJOR slap in the face to the Obama Administration and Hugo Chavez. Have no fear you Obamautomatons. Your leader is getting good as distancing himself from his own embarassments.

C Ya, Manny! Buh Bye now!

REUTERS: SHILLING FOR ZELAYA

This may be a sign that Roberto Micheletti's government is beginning to win the stand-off. Reuters coverage of what's going on there seems to have moved away from implied support of the Obama administration's policy of reinstating ousted president Manuel Zelaya and toward blatantly biased reporting.

Quoting REUTERS:

Suspicious deaths. Beatings. Random police shootings. Life under the de facto government of Honduras at times feels uncannily like Latin America's dark past of military rule.

In the three months since soldiers overthrew leftist President Manuel Zelaya and marched him out of the country in his pajamas, international and Honduran human rights groups say security forces have committed a litany of abuses.

Lost on Reuters, apparently, is all of the reckless behavior of Zelaya who is the individual who should be feeling the most heat over all of the unrest there.

Between crossing into Honduras by foot to make some statement and his recent surfacing in the Brazilian embassy, it is clearly Zelaya who is inflaming any tensions in Honduras. Check out THIS verbiage!!

Repression of protests against the coup increased after Zelaya slipped back into the country on Sept 21, took refuge in the Brazilian embassy and called his backers onto the streets.

Note how repression increased after Zelaya surfaced in the Brazilian embassy and not BECAUSE of it.

UTTERLY PATHETIC, yes but it may indicate that Micheletti may be winning the standoff. Be sure to read the whole article.

Case in point. WND is reporting that Honduran Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas appears to be making a plea to the United Nations for more attention.

"It is getting worse every day," Rodas explained to a sparsely attended news conference at U.N. headquarters today.

The meeting with reporters was viewed as an attempt to gain attention for a campaign many have seen as "losing steam."

How interesting that the Reuters piece comes across as an attempt to carry the water for the likes of Rodas when it had been much less subjective in the past. This seems to indicate that Zelaya is losing (by extension, so is Obama) and Micheletti is winning.

Micheletti needs to KEEP HOLDING ON! He is on the right side of this fight.

JIM DEMINT REPORTS BACK FROM HONDURAS

A prime example of why John Kerry didn't want Republican Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) to travel to Honduras on a fact finding mission. If you remember, Kerry tried to blackmail DeMint by preventing the trip because DeMint was holding up ambassadorial appointments as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee.

It seems Mr. DeMint has written a column for the WALL STREET JOURNAL that details what he found. As suspected, Micheletti's government was further vindicated by DeMint's trip, which seems to explain Kerry's alleged blackmail attempt.

After visiting Tegucigalpa last week and meeting with a cross section of leaders from Honduras's government, business community, and civil society, I can report there is no chaos there. There is, however, chaos to spare in the Obama administration's policy toward our poor and loyal allies in Honduras.

That policy was set in a snap decision the day Mr. Zelaya was removed from office, without a full assessment of either the facts or reliable legal analysis of the constitutional provisions at issue. Three months later, it remains in force, despite mounting evidence of its moral and legal incoherence.

Calling the Obama adminstration's policy toward Honduras a "snap decision" without the "facts" is actually giving him the benefit of the doubt and a bit kind. Assuming that's all it was would likely mean another beer summit, this time with different guests. Obama would speak to the White House press corps. and tell them that he should have "calibrated" his "words differently". But unlike the fracas Obama caused domestically with his "police acted stupidly" comment, there has been no real political damage for his insistance on reinstating a would-be dictator and friend of Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega, and the Castro brothers.

I found two more very revealing things in DeMint's column. One is that the only person in Tegucigalpa that he met who insisted that Zelaya was ousted via coup was the U.S. Ambassador:

In a day packed with meetings, we met only one person in Honduras who opposed Mr. Zelaya's ouster, who wishes his return, and who mystifyingly rejects the legitimacy of the November elections: U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens.

When I asked Ambassador Llorens why the U.S. government insists on labeling what appears to the entire country to be the constitutional removal of Mr. Zelaya a "coup," he urged me to read the legal opinion drafted by the State Department's top lawyer, Harold Koh. As it happens, I have asked to see Mr. Koh's report before and since my trip, but all requests to publicly disclose it have been denied.

Again, take note of the socialist tendency to withold the truth because the positions taken by socialists are so untenable, sunlight would lead to certain defeat in the debate arena.

As further illustration of my point: John Kerry (D) tries to prevent DeMint from going on a fact-finding mission to Honduras and fails. While in Honduras, DeMint asks the U.S. Ambassador why the Obama Administration insists on siding with a would-be dictator. Said Ambassador doesn't answer DeMint's question but instead directs him to a legal opinion written by another Obama appointee, Harold Koh. When DeMint attempts to obtain that legal opinion, he can't get it.

Obama is acting stupidly on Honduras.

Be sure to read DeMint's ENTIRE COLUMN.

SHOWDOWN: JIM DEMINT V. JOHN KERRY

In light of everything that's happened since Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was removed from office on June 28th, it's really not surprising that John Kerry (D-MA) is trying to prevent Jim DeMint (R-SC) from traveling to Honduras.

The WASHINGTON POST reports that:

A simmering feud over U.S. policy toward Latin America burst into the open Thursday when Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) tried to prevent a fact-finding trip to Honduras by a Republican senator who is blocking two important diplomatic appointments.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) denounced Kerry's move on the Senate floor and sought the intervention of the minority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). The Republican leader appealed to the Defense Department to provide an aircraft for DeMint's trip and the Pentagon agreed to do so, according to the South Carolina senator's office.

"These bullying tactics by the Obama administration and Senator Kerry must stop, and we must be allowed to get to the truth in Honduras," DeMint said in a statement. His spokesman, Wesley Denton, called Kerry's action "unprecedented."

The Obama administration's stance that Zelaya was illegally removed is becoming an increasingly embarassing one.

I find it interesting that the oh, so idealistic and holier-than-thou liberal John Kerry, who invoked the name Genghis Kahn upon his return from Vietnam is on the side of a policy that is calling for the reinstatement of a would-be tyrannical dictator. A man who appears to be an anti-semite in addition to being best buds with Hugo Chavez, who is more than a little cozy with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

SOURCE OF HITLER RANT IN HONDURAS

Yesterday, I blogged about an article in Portuguese that made some disturbing claims about where the ousted president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya stands on what Hitler did in the Holocaust. Information was somewhat vague because I had to rely on translations.

Here is some additional context from the CANADA FREE PRESS. Turns out the guy who needs to be looked at is someone identified as one of Zelaya's chief propagandists who leads Honduras' Radio Globo. His name is David Romero Ellner and by all accounts, he is a bad guy. His daughter allegedly accused him of molesting her for many years, starting when she was 10.

Radio Globo is also one of the media entities the Mainstream Media has attempted to portray as being singled out and bullied by the interim Honduran government, led by Roberto Micheletti, who continues to be vindicated on a nearly daily basis, simply by holding his ground and sticking to his guns. CFP reports:

David Romero Ellner and Radio Globo are significant because the media aims to make them into the newest martyrs of the Honduran government’s “crackdown” on civil rights. Reuters and other media outlets are already carrying touching narratives of the police raid on Radio Globo and David Romero Ellner continuing to carry on broadcasting over the web.

Your leftwing media at work.

It appears though that Ellner took some liberties with Zelaya's claims that Jewish mercenaries were poisoning him with radiation while he is holed up in the Brazliain embassy in Honduras. Here is what Ellner is quoted as saying on Radio Globo after Zelaya's comments.

“There are times when I ask myself if Hitler was or not correct in finishing with that race with the famous Holocaust. If there are people that do damage in this country, they are Jewish, the Israelis. I want to name, this afternoon here in Radio Globo, by name and last name, who are the two officers of the Jewish army who are working with the Armed Forces of our country and who are in charge of carrying out all these conspiracy activities and undercover actions and everything else that is happening to the President of the Republic.

“After what I have learned, I ask myself why, why didn’t we let Hitler carry out his historic mission. Forgive me for the grotesque expression. But I ask myself after I have realized this and many other things. I believe it should have been fair and valid to let Hitler finish his historic vision…

There is definitely a Marxist resurgence taking place in Latin America and thanks to Micheletti, we are seeing what is behind its mask. Zelaya is obviously an anti-semitic marxist who has the support of Hugo Chavez and Chavez has been getting quite cozy with another anti-semitic Islamist named Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Obama administration continues to support reinstating Zelaya, even after the latter continues to be exposed for a would-be tyrannical and now an anti-semitic dictator whose lead propagandist champions the cause of Hitler.

Two very disturbing realities about Barack Obama. He is showing either a weakness or unwillingness to confront Iran. He is supporting anti-semitic Marxists in our southern hemisphere.

And, oh yeah, starting at the age of 9, he was mentored by a radical member of the Communist Party USA, FRANK MARSHALL DAVIS.

Relationships do indeed matter.

Here is my EARLIER POST on this.

ZELAYA: PORTUGUESE TRANSLATOR NEEDED

Ok, this whole Zelaya in Honduras thing needs to get exposed in a big way (and Obama's support of him along with it). A translation of the video below, if true, would say some very dangerous things about what Zelaya believes. As I've posted before, ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya accused Jewish mercenaries of trying to assassinate him and poison him with radiation as he was holed up in the Brazilian embassy.

The MIAMI HERALD reported:

It's been 89 days since Manuel Zelaya was booted from power. He's sleeping on chairs, and he claims his throat is sore from toxic gases and "Israeli mercenaries'' are torturing him with high-frequency radiation.

"We are being threatened with death,'' he said in an interview with The Miami Herald, adding that mercenaries were likely to storm the embassy where he has been holed up since Monday and assassinate him.

Yes, that's outlandish but in addition to having been confirmed, it would add credibility to a report that says Zelaya is on board with Hitler's efforts to eliminate the Jews.

Renaldo Azevedo, who writes for a Portuguese site called VEJA has written what appears to be a disturbing article about Zelaya. If the translation on FREE REPUBLIC is right, one of the things Zelaya said is:

[Excerpt of Zelaya's radio address] "At times, I ask myself if Hitler had no reason to have terminated that race with the famous Holocaust. If there were people what caused damage to that country, it was the Jews, the Israelits. I want, this afternoon, on Radio Globo, to say, with name and surname, who are the officials of the Jewish Army that are working with the Armed Forces of our country and which are responsible for all those activities of conspiracy happening to the president of the Republic [Zelaya referring to himself].

TRANSLATORS NEEDED! If you know anyone who can translate Portuguese, please email me or comment on this post. Based on the wording of the Free Republic post, I'm having a difficult time understanding if these are words specifically out of Zelaya's mouth or interpretations by the director of Globo radio, an entity that supports Zelaya.

Here is a link to audio from what the Free Republic post says is David Romero, director of Globo radio, who supports Manuel Zelaya.

Translators needed for this as well.

Antisemitismo y Xenofobia en Radio Globo from Daniel Lean on Vimeo.

If any of this is true, it sinks Manuel Zelaya to a despicable new low and takes Obama with him.

Be sure to read additional translations of Zelaya's alleged RADIO ADDRESS.

VIDEO: NEWT SLAMS OBAMA ON HONDURAS

Even the far left needs to own up to this one. The Obama administration's stance on restoring Honduran president Manuel Zelaya is aging like a sweaty sock. The longer Roberto Micheletti holds his ground, the more Zelaya exposes himself for who he is.

On June 28th, he was removed from office and even the CONGRESSIONAL LAW LIBRARY has determined their actions to be completely constitutional, except for deporting Zelaya - a move that could arguably have been an extension of kindness by Micheletti, who otherwise would have had to arrest Zelaya and charge him with treason.

As Zelaya remains holed up in the Brazilian embassy, he has made outrageous claims that Israeli mercenaries are plotting to assassinate him and that he is being poisoned with radiation. While neither Hillary nor Obama will admit it, they've both gotta be rolling their eyes inside a face palm.

To her credit, Greta has picked up on this story in recent weeks. Here she is talking with Newt about the situation in Honduras:



Leaders in the United States needing a lesson in courage (there are many) should look to Roberto Micheletti because he provides it in spades. With each passing day, he seems to impress while Zelaya looks increasingly like someone in need of medication.

For a microcosm of what I'm talking about, look no further than the current situation. Initially, Zelaya appeared to have done an end run around Micheletti by popping up inside the Brazilian embassy. Micheletti's hard line even then coupled with Zelaya's nutty words and actions have actually served to turn up the heat on Brazilian leadership from within.

REUTERS is reporting that the longer Zelaya is in Brazil's Honduran embassy, the more domestic support Brazil seems to be losing.

Brazil's government is facing growing criticism at home over its handling of the Honduran crisis as senior lawmakers accuse it of allowing the ousted president to use its embassy as a political platform.

Manuel Zelaya, who was toppled as Honduran president by a coup on June 28, has set up camp in the Brazilian embassy with dozens of supporters and has given numerous interviews to foreign and domestic media.

That last part, about him giving numerous interviews might be part of the problem. On Thursday, the 24th, Zelaya caused many to wonder if his white cowboy hat is made of tin foil when he made the outrageous claims about Israeli mercenaries going after him in an interview with the MIAMI HERALD.

h/t to GP for the Newt video.

U.S. BLASTS ZELAYA FOR HIS RETURN TO HONDURAS

Uh, pardon me for asking but...........WHAT TOOK SO LONG? On July 24th, Hillary Clinton called Zelaya's actions "reckless" when he crossed the border of Nicaragua into Honduras by foot with his tinfoil cowboy hat and a megaphone.

Last week, Zelaya sneaks into the capital of Honduras (Tegucigalpa) and takes refuge inside the Brazilian embassy. Yes, that was ONE WEEK AGO. Only now is the Obama administration making any kind of statement on Zelaya's antics. It's a shame they waited until after he made the delusional claim that Israeil mercenaries were planning to assassinate him while Israeli operatives were poisoning him with radiation. I guess you can start having visions when you have to sleep on chairs and don't have toothpaste.

Now for the real question. If the Obama administration thought Zelaya was "reckless" in July and that he's "foolish" for his latest stunt, how long will it take them to see the truth - Zelaya was removed from power legally.

REUTERS reported:

The United States blasted ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya for his "irresponsible and foolish" return from exile before a settlement was reached in the Central American country's political crisis.

At an emergency meeting of the Organization of American States to discuss the Honduran face-off, Lewis Anselem, the U.S. ambassador to the OAS, also criticized Honduras' de facto government for its "deplorable" action in barring entry of an OAS mission and declaring a state of siege on Sunday.

ZELAYA CLAIMS HE'S BEING TORTURED BY JEWS

Who'd have thought that Zelaya would unmask himself to this degree since June 28th, when he was forcibly removed from power? Just think, if current president Roberto Micheletti would have backed down, this kook Zelaya would actually be running a country.

The MIAMI HERALD reports:

It's been 89 days since Manuel Zelaya was booted from power. He's sleeping on chairs, and he claims his throat is sore from toxic gases and "Israeli mercenaries'' are torturing him with high-frequency radiation.

"We are being threatened with death,'' he said in an interview with The Miami Herald, adding that mercenaries were likely to storm the embassy where he has been holed up since Monday and assassinate him.

Micheletti has got to be laughing out loud. In fact, I understand that shortly after it was discovered that Zelaya was inside the Brazilian embassy, loud speakers were placed outside the building. I'm not sure if they're still there but a recording of Micheletti laughing on a continuous loop would be a great addition to the play list.

Somebody needs to check Zelaya's white cowboy hat and see if it's made out of tin! Hillary was close enough when she was shaking his hand. Perhaps she should have checked that out.

Then again, maybe Honduran officials are lying.

Witnesses said that for a short time Tuesday morning, soldiers used a device that looked like a large satellite dish to emit a loud shrill noise.

Honduran police spokesman Orlin Cerrato said he knew nothing of any radiation devices being used against the former president.

"He says there are mercenaries against him? Using some kind of apparatus?'' Cerrato said. ``No, no, no, no. Sincerely: no. The only elements surrounding that embassy are police and military, and they have no such apparatus.''

When Zelaya first arrived in Honduras, it was a source of great concern for many who are in support of Micheletti but with these developments, the only radioactivity that may be inside that embassy is emanating from Zelaya and potentially keeping his supporters away.

With words like the ones coming out of Zelaya's mouth while inside the Brazilian embassy, it's quite possible he may find himself under the Obama bus soon.

Other suggestions for the playlist:
Beatles' White Album
Jewish Folk Songs
Twilight Zone Music
Continual loop of Six Million Dollar man's bionic eye in action.

WOW!

h/t to DRUDGE

HOTEL CALIFORNIA FOR MANUEL ZELAYA?

Has the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa become Hotel California for Manuel Zelaya? Perhaps a better comparison might be the roach motel. In any case, he may be second-guessing his decision. It was obviously much easier for him to enter that embasssy than it will be for him to leave.

Yes, he caught Micheletti flat-footed by showing up in Tegucigalpa but now Micheletti knows exactly where Zelaya is and will probably descend on him rather quickly the second he steps off of sovereign Brazilian land.

The AP reported on the events surrounding Zelaya's arrival at the embassy.

Zelaya, forced out of his country at gunpoint June 28, triumphantly popped up in the capital Monday, telling captivated supporters that after three months of international exile and a secretive 15-hour cross-country journey, he was ready to lead again.

Now that it's been more than 24 hours since his arrival, I wonder if Zelaya is having an "uh-oh" moment. It's becoming clear that at best, Zelaya is a narcissist, making everything about him while showing no regard for the consequences of his actions. At worst, he's the would-be tyrant he's suspected of being. Even Hillary Clinton called his actions "reckless" when he crossed into Honduras briefly back in July. Now, as then, Micheletti appears to be the one showing restraint. Zelaya's latest stunt has enflamed tensions as well, shutting down businesses in the city and causing government resources to be focused in one tiny area (the Brazilian embassy).

The entire country was largely shut down, with almost no cars or pedestrians in the streets and few businesses open under a nearly round-the-clock curfew decreed by the interim government that ousted Zelaya in June. It accused Zelaya of sneaking back into the country Monday to create disturbances and disrupt the Nov. 29 election scheduled to pick his successor.

Now we have even further evidence that would indicate that Micheletti's government has shown respect for the rule of law while excercising controlled restraint in dealing with these situations. Despite the brazeness of Zelaya, Micheletti is honoring (for now) the sovereignty of Brazil, even after its government obviously helped exacerbate Micheletti's problems with Zelaya.

Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez said the government would not try to enter the embassy to arrest Zelaya, but he also said Honduras' interim leaders had no intention of yielding on the central point demanded by the international community: the reinstatement of Zelaya to serve out the remaining four months of his term.

Micheletti has continued his hard stance on Zelaya's fate if he returns to Honduras. He will be arrested, charged, and likely sent to prison.

Later in the day, Lopez, the foreign minister, quoted Micheletti as saying that "I will talk to anybody, anywhere, any time, including ex-president Manuel Zelaya." But Lopez said the offer did not include allowing Zelaya to serve out his presidential term or avoid arrest on a Supreme Court warrant charging the ex-leader with treason and abuse of authority.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out but unless international bodies are willing to forcibly install Manuel Zelaya, thereby showing complete disregard for the Honduran constitution, Zelaya could end up second-guessing his decision to take that piece of cheese perched on the rat trap.

Here is Hillary on July 24th, calling Zelaya "reckless" for crossing the Nicaraguan border into Honduras.



So Hillary, if venturing across the border is "reckless", what do you call sneaking in to the nation's capital under cover of darkness and finding refuge in a foreign country's embassy?

Micheletti continues to hold his ground and show true courage. Keep it up, Roberto!

ZELAYA'S RETURN PUTS HONDURAS ON BRINK

I'm really struggling to understand something here. In July, when the deposed (and annoying) Honduran president Manuel Zelaya walked across the Nicaraguan border into Honduras donning a white cowboy hat and a megaphone, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called such actions "reckless".

Now we learn that Zelaya (with at least some level of international support) has made his way into the Brazilian embassy that sits in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa. Riots have already begun. Considering that sitting president Roberto Micheletti is willing to step down if Zelaya agrees not to pursue a return to power, we're seeing who is the more power hungry of the two. So far, the U.S. State Department, through spokesman Ian Kelly, is urging that violence be prevented.

Help me with this one. Hillary called Zelaya's half-cocked actions "reckless" in July. Yet, ever since Zelaya was removed on June 28th, the official American stance has been to support his return to power. Now we learn that the "reckless" behavior Zelaya engaged in this past July by walking into Honduran territory has been escalated to the point that he is literally the source of unrest in the country he claims to hold so much love for.

With each passing day, Zelaya is exposing himself as the power-hungry thug and leader he was removed for being. Yet, our nation's leaders continue to support him while the leader of our State Department seems less willing to confront Zelaya the more "reckless" he becomes.

Micheletti' stalk continues to rise with me and he didn't fail to disappoint when, while talking to Reuters, he made reference to how welcome Zelaya is in Honduras by using terms that obviously referenced prison time:

Micheletti assured Zelaya that he can stay in Brazil's embassy for "five to 10 years" if he chooses. Micheletti said he has no intention of confronting Brazil or entering its embassy to go after Zelaya.

Did I mention that Micheletti's stock is rising with me?

UPDATE: ZELAYA'S RETURN TO HONDURAS

UPDATE AT 6:17PM CST. Well, it now appears that Manuel Zelaya is in fact in Honduras according to multiple sources. Specifically, he is said to be camped out inside the Brazilian embassy and this stinks to high heaven. The U.S. State Department appeared to know Zelaya was back before the U.N. did if reports are accurate.

THE AP is reporting that while Zelaya is inside the Brazilian embassy, neither Brazilian leadership nor the OAS seems willing to claim responsibility for Zelaya's arrival.

OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza called for calm and warned Honduran officials to avoid any violation of the Brazilian diplomatic mission, saying "they should be responsible for the safety of president Zelaya and the Embassy of Brazil."

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorin said neither his country or the OAS had any role in Zelaya's journey before taking him in.

This is really a despicable development. The current Honduran government did nothing more than defend its constitution and foreign nations seem to be attempting to force Zelaya back into power. The United States' continued support of Zelaya also calls Obama into question on these developments.

In July, Hillary Clinton called Zelaya's crossing into Honduras by foot, "reckless". His arrival in Tegucigalpa via the Brazilian embassy seems to be a bit more reckless than that. So far, I haven't heard a peep from Hillary.

Lesson for sitting president, Roberto Micheletti... When a thug in pajamas is in your custody, don't let him go.

Be sure to check out FAUSTA'S BLOG for granular details.

El Tiempo reported earlier that former Minister of the Presidency Enrique Flores stated that Zelaya was returned “thanks to a coordinated international operative”.

A coordinated international operative? If there's one thing we're learning about Obama it's that when he's on the wrong side of an issue, he ignores it. Has anyone seen him speak out about Honduras to any degree recently? The last time I remember him doing so included something about an illegal "coup" on the part of the Honduran government, which did nothing but protect and defend its constitution.

I particularly like how State Department spokesman Ian Kelly says he can confirm Zelaya is in Honduras but that he doesn't know where. Here's a partial transcript of a state department press briefing on the matter today:

QUESTION: How did he come in, and where is he? What –

MR. KELLY: Don’t know.

QUESTION: When did it happen?

MR. KELLY: Like I say, the Embassy is trying to find out these details. But I do know that we have confirmed that he’s in Honduras. Where exactly he is, I don’t know. And we’re just trying to find out more details.

QUESTION: Last time we tuned in, he was under threat of arrest if he came home. Is that still what’s in play right now?

MR. KELLY: I’d have to refer you to the de facto regime in Tegucigalpa. Of course, we believe that he’s the democratic – democratically elected and constitutional leader of Honduras.

Call me crazy but I don't believe for one second that Kelly doesn't know where Zelaya is.

h/t to GATEWAY PUNDIT

------------------------------
INITIAL ENTRY ON THIS POST..

Either former Honduran president Manuel Zelaya is lying or current president Roberto Micheletti is wrong (or lying). Based on what I've seen since June 28th, when Zelaya was forcibly removed, my money is on Micheletti telling the truth and being right.

REUTERS is reporting that Zelaya is claiming he's in the capital of Honduras right now (Tegucigalpa). Micheletti is on record saying Zelaya is not in Honduras at all.

"I am here in Tegucigalpa. I am here for the restoration of democracy, to call for dialogue." Zelaya told Honduras' Canal 36 television network.

A close aide said Zelaya, a close ally of Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chavez, was in a U.N. building in the capital Tegucigalpa.

But Roberto Micheletti, a bitter rival of Zelaya who has run Honduras since the June 28 coup, denied that the president had returned, saying he was still in exile in neighboring Nicaragua.

At one point this past summer, Zelaya crossed into Honduras by foot from Nicaragua with a white cowboy hat and a megaphone, nearly setting off an international incident. Even Secretary of State Clinton called the move, "reckless".

All of that aside, when it comes to Zelaya's whereabouts right now, regardless of who is right, Micheletti is in the right. If Zelaya is in Honduras right now, he is continuing his reckless behavior. Micheletti has said on multiple occasions that Zelaya would be arrested if he returned to Honduras. If Zelaya isn't in Honduras, then he is lying for no productive reason.

In Iraq, Baghdad Bob denied that American troops had entered Iraq as they were in the background of Bob's camera shot. With Zelaya, he appears to be doing that in reverse, claiming he is in Honduras when he really isn't.

If Zelaya is lying, what does it say about how badly he wants to return? Perhaps he wants to return so badly that he's begun lying to himself while believing it.

h/t to DRUDGE

HONDURAS: HILLARY AND ZELAYA TO MEET

In the now infamous conference call with Peter Paul and Stan Lee back in 2000, Hillary Clinton jokingly said, "Onward with the Mutant Vote". Since Manuel Zelaya was ousted on June 28th, we've learned that he was going to administer a mutant vote in the form of a referendum that would allow him to be re-elected, despite that scenario being 100% against the Honduran Constitution.

Now Hillary and Zelaya are going to be meeting with each other according to the AFP:

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to meet Thursday with Manuel Zelaya to discuss the deadlock following his ouster as president of Honduras in a June 28 coup, her spokesman said Tuesday.

"On Thursday Secretary Clinton plans to meet with him to discuss the best way forward on the situation in Honduras," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters.

The Obama administration continues to back the wrong horse in this battle and Micheletti continues to make Zelaya look foolish. To illustrate with an example, as Zelaya is reduced to recklessly (Hillary's word) walking into Honduras by crossing their border with Nicaragua so he could yell through a megaphone while wearing his white cowboy hat, Micheletti writes an OP-ED for the Wall Street Journal enumerating the many Constitutional reasons for Zelaya's removal.

Now Hillary, who called Zelaya's actions "reckless" relative to the aforementioned example, is meeting with him in the United States to work out a solution?!

Mrs. Clinton, some might call that "reckless".

tsk tsk tsk

HONDURAS: OSCAR ARIAS NOT AS ADVERTISED?

When Manuel Zelaya was removed from power on June 28th, he was deported to Costa Rica. Since then, Costa Rican president Oscar Arias has been tasked with moderating an agreement. Juan Carlos Hidalgo at The Cato Institute now provides legitimate concerns that Arias was attempting to pull the same stunt Zelaya did:

President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica has joined the trend in Latin America of calling for a new constitution that would expand executive powers and get rid of “unnecessary checks” on the president’s authority. Although Arias has less than 9 months left in office and can’t run for reelection, his brother and current minister of the presidency — a primer minister of sorts — has openly said he’s interested in running for president in 2014. A new constitution with expanded executive powers would fit him just fine.

Gee, anyone wondering if Arias is taking notes of all Micheletti's moves out of self interest?

Apparently, Costa Rica's leading newspaper, La Nación has some concerns as well:

(La Nacion) said that the idea of dismantling the checks and balances on executive power sounds like an effort to create an “imperial presidency.”

Arias also called out the media as being “corporations interested in making a profit” that don’t necessarily pursue the “public good.”

You know, Roberto Micheletti appears to be smoking out characters he never intended to be exposed. The truth is a powerful weapon when you insist on following it without fear.

Micheletti continues to get the better of Zelaya, who long ago unmasked himself as the man he was accused of being. Now, it appears that an unintended consequence of Micheletti holding to the line is that Oscar Arias may be getting exposed as well.

Time will tell.

Here's the entire CATO INSTITUTE ARTICLE

h/t to HOT AIR