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.

Honduras Showing More Backbone than Obama

As Manuel Zelaya garners the support of the US, the UN, the OAS, and every tin pot dictator in the Southern Hemisphere, the current government of Honduras is treating all of them like the French Kuhnigots treated King Arthur in Monty Python's "Holy Grail".

They don't seem to care about money, recognition, or political solutions at this point. So far, acting president Roberto Micheletti, who was installed after Zelaya was removed by the military while in his pajamas (no word on what Disney character gives Zelaya the most comfort when he sleeps).

Micheletti and company don't seem too deterred by the prospect of losing money that the OAS guarantees but then again, I won't believe they mean business until the rubber meets the road and they literally conduct it.

The sitting government of Honduras gets an A+ for how it has handled everything to this point but it needs to realize it is an underdog with a ton of people just waiting to support it IF it makes the right moves from here on out.

There is a reason Zelaya didn't return to Honduras on Thursday, the 2nd, like he said he would. That reason is that the sitting government threatened to lock him up if he touched down. What's key here is that Micheletti not bow to regional, U.S., or international pressure and actually follow through on his promise to lock Zelaya up if he shows up.

If they do that, all of the coverage the truth is not getting in the MSM will start coming out. When a full battle ensues, both sides MUST be told.

It is absolutely critical that Micheletti bow up to these forces and stand up for good. It is a battle that truly needs to be won.

I mean, heck, everyone else thumbs their noses at the U.N. It's about time for those who have a legitimate right to do so to do so.

h/t to Hot Air (as usual)

The Honduras Gauntlet

Ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya first said he would return to his country on Thursday, the 2nd. He's now vowing to do so by Sunday, the 5th. The sitting government that removed him did so with the mutual support and effort of the Judicial, Legislative, and Military branches.

The Supreme Court provided the orders for removal, the military provided the means, and the congress provided a replacement. On Sunday, June 28th it all went down.

With the support of the United States, the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), and oh yeah, Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega, and the Castro brothers, Zelaya had a lot of backing. His problem is that the sitting government isn't backing down.

The Straits Times is Reporting that Zelaya is throwing down the proverbial gauntlet with a (to this point) sitting government that has proven to be quite adamant that he will not be reinstated.

h/t to hot air

And I know I've posted this video of Krauthammer already but it just seems appropriate again..

Honduras: Bloomberg Calls Referendum a Poll?

The reason for the ouster of Honduras president Manuel Zelaya last Sunday was because he was trying to ensure his re-election via referendum despite the fact his country's constitution prohibits it. The only legal way for him to get his wish is through the amendment process.

While otherwise reporting objectively on the story, Bloomberg's word choices are distubring. Instead of calling attention to the primary reason for Zelaya's ouster, Bloomberg has decided to identify the referendum as a "poll" and a "survey".

Instance #1:
Honduras’s institutions remain united in support of Zelaya’s overthrow. The Supreme Court ruled that Zelaya violated the constitution by trying to hold an illegal poll on whether people support his proposal to change the constitution. The court issued an arrest order for the president on June 26.

Instance #2:
Zelaya also ignored a court order that said he couldn’t fire the head of the military for refusing to oversee the survey, and stormed a military base with a mob of civilians to “liberate” the ballots.

Yet, when referring to how Zelaya ally Hugo Chavez did the same thing to ensure that he would retain power in Venezuela, Bloomberg DID use the term.

The Venezuelan president won a referendum to amend the constitution in February that will allow him to run for re-election indefinitely.

Just to illustrate that I'm not splitting hairs here, check out Merriam Webster's definition of referendum.

1 a: the principle or practice of submitting to popular vote a measure passed on or proposed by a legislative body or by popular initiative b: a vote on a measure so submitted

The terms "poll" and "survey" seem to insinuate that what Zelaya was doing was innocuous and without consequence other than to test sentiment. A referendum carries the tone of something that prompts some sort of action. In this case, the action would have been discarding the constitution.

As the United States, the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), and the Mainstream Media has decided to align with Zelaya, word games such as this only serve to further alienate those in Honduras who are defending their country's constitution.

Any and all arguments coming from those in support of Hugo Chavez ally Zelaya have totally avoided the reason for his ouster, a sure sign they have no real defense for it. The spinmeister arguments simply say he was democratically elected and was the victim of an illegal coup.