Honduras showdown boils over, Update: 2 dead

A supporter of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya shows his bloodstained hands after helping wounded peeple during clashes with soldiers at Toncontin International Airpot in Tegucigalpa Sunday. (AFP)

The shit is going to hit the fan in Honduras today, and few seem to be watching.

I think it's because Latin American conflicts aren't as sexy as Middle Eastern ones. Perhaps it's because these countries are too close to home, therefore not exotic enough, although probably it's because they don't represent a nuclear threat. Then again hot Latin tempers can't outdo volatile Iranian or Iraqi or Palestinian tempers...

The unrest in Honduras won't match that in Iran in the aftermath of the June 12 elections, but people will be hurt, some might die, and--once again, for the second time in less than a month--the international community will find itself wondering what to do, if anything.

After years of military coups, Honduras settled into democracy in the 80s. But a week ago, its president was ousted by a military-led coup d'etat, and despite strong international opposition to the coup and calls for the interim government to restore President Manueal Zelaya, the new leaders aren't backing down, but neither is Zelaya.

Supporters of the deposed president have been rallying and protesting his removal in the streets of capital city Tegucigalpa, clashing with police and soldiers.

Supporters of ousted Honduras President Manuel Zelaya clashed with soldiers near the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa on June 29, a day after Zelaya was ousted. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

These encounters should turn more violent today, when Zelaya will attempt to return in defiance of the interim government's warnings that he's not welcome and would be arrested if he tried.

Zelaya is on his way to the Central American country as we speak to reclaim his post undeterred by threats from coup leaders he would be arrested if he set foot on Honduras.

“I am the commander-in-chief of the armed forces elected by the people, and I ask the armed forces to comply with this order to open up the airport and avoid any problems with the landing,” Zelaya said according to the local Telesur TV.

United Nations General Assembly President Miguel D'escoto is on the plane with Zelaya, while a delegation of supporters including Organization of American States Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza and presidents Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, and Fernando Lugo of Paraguay is flying on a separate plane to nearby El Salvador.

"It is important that Insulza go with Zelaya to avoid the manipulation of information, " Fernandez de Kirchner said. "It's not an ideological problem but one of the restoration of democracy."

The de-facto government is determined to block his return--denying permission for Zelaya's plane to land, closing the airport and access to it, boosting police and military reinforcements at the airport and surrounding areas, and vowing to arrest Zelaya if he enters the country any which way.

Enrique Ortez, foreign minister the caretaker government in Honduras, said any aircraft carrying Zelaya would not be allowed to land.

"I have given orders that he not be allowed back. We cannot allow recklessness," he told local radio.

Right: A soldier stands guard at the international airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Sunday.

The 34-member OAS yesterday expelled Honduras from the group because of coup leaders' refusal to restore Zelaya.

Zelaya originally planned to return Thursday but postponed his trip until a OAS deadline to allow him to return to his post expired Saturday.

So far, Zelaya has given no indication of changing his mind, which means a showdown--most likely violent--is imminent.

Since the coup, Zelaya has called on his supporters to protest using only non-violent methods, but the interim government is fully armed and, apparently, ready to do whatever it takes to keep Zelaya out of Honduras, enforcing curfews and passing resolutions suspending Hondurans constitutional rights in the meantime.

At dawn on June 28, a military-led coup d'etat removed Zelaya from power. The reason: despite strong opposition from the country's high court, Congress and military, Zelaya instroduced and pushed a referendum to draft a new constitution that, among other things, would allow presidents to run for a second four-year term.

Zelaya fired the head of the military for not supporting the referendum, but the Supreme Court, which deemed the referendum illegal, ruled the firing was illegal and reinstated General Romeo Velasquez to his post.

Last Sunday, under orders from the Supreme Court and just hours before the polls were scheduled to open for the referendum, the army stormed the presidential residence, arrested president Zelaya and put him on a plane to Costa Rica, then took possession of the residence. Congress faked a letter of resignation from Zelaya and voted to place its leader, Roberto Micheletti, as interim president of Honduras. Hondurans have taken to the streets both in support and opposition to Zelaya's return.

The leftist leader has been adamant about returning to Honduras to complete his term, which began in 2006 and is set to end in 2010. Neighboring Latin American countries, the U.S., European Union, UN and OAS, among other countries and groups, back him. But the new governement is not giving in, claiming there was no coup but a constitutional removal of the president from power due to his illegal actions.

Micheletti said he was open to “good faith” talks with the OAS, but reiterated that his government was legitimate and would not be moved.

“We are going to remain here until the country becomes calm,” he said.

The clock is ticking.

A fatally wounded supporter of Manuel Zelaya--a 10-year-old boy--is carried away after he was apparently shot by Honduran soldiers outside of the international airport in Tegucigalpa July 5. (AP Photo)

UPDATE: The shit hits the fan, 2 dead...so far

As predicted, the alarm went off, unleashing intensified violence between Zelaya supporters and soldiers outside the Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa ahead of Zelaya's arrival.

Troops reportedly fired shots in the air and used tear gas to control the crowd.

Two casualties have been reported so far: an 18-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy. (Now, what are children doing in such a place? Why would parents take a 5-year-old kid to such an event?)

Zelaya begged for permission to land, but it was denied. The plane also could not land because of vehicles the military placed on the runway.

"If I could parachute to the ground, I would," he said via phone from the plane.

The plane reportedly is was heading to El Salvador but ended up landing on Managua, Nicaragua, because of fuel issues.

Meanwhile, Venezuela President Hugo Chavez reportedly has had the audacity to accuse the "yankee's government" for supporting Honduras' interim government.

Come again?

So the all-powerful U.S. somehow masterminded the coup d'etat in Honduras and the bloodbath that followed the June 12 presidential elections in Iran. I suppose it could happen. I mean, it's not like the resources aren't there, but we've got bigger fish to fry right now--don't we?

Source: Telesur via BNO

Copyright © 2009, Primetime Oracle
All Rights Reserved

Recent Honduras posts:
Ousted Honduras president in his words, posted June 28
Honduras president resigns...not!, posted June 28
Coup d'etat in Honduras, Zelaya safe in Costa Rica, posted June 28

Coup d'etat in Honduras, Zelaya safe in Costa Rica

Honduras President Jose Manuel Zelaya during the 61st session of the United Nations Assembly in June 2007. (UN photo)

Honduras President Manuel Zelaya has been arrested by troops over a disputed re-election bid and flown on board a military plane to an undisclosed location in Costa Rica.

Zelaya was pushing for a referendum to change the constitution of the Central American country so that he could run for re-election, and the arrest came minutes before polls in the controversial vote were to open.

In a press conference at the San Jose Airport in Costa Rica, Zelaya said he was awaken by bullets and kidnapped after his bodyguards fought off soldiers for about 30 minutes.

"They invaded my house...broke down doors...threatened to shoot me. This was a brutal kidnapping with no justification," the 56-year-old leftist leader said, noting he was taken in his pajamas. "There are ways to protest without arms."

Zelaya, who was elected in 2005, is not asking for political asylum. "I only ask for hospitality," he said.

The Honduran Congress has voted in favor to accept Zelaya's resignation and appoint Congress chief Robert Micheletti as acting president.

The Honduran Supreme Court said today it told the army to oust president Zelaya due to his attempt to hold illegal re-election vote, noting the presidential election will go ahead as planned on November 29.

Some 200 soldiers surrounded the presidential palace and heavy gunfire followed before arrest. The troops reportedly fired tear gas at a crowd of people gathered outside the palace to protest the coup. Armed troops roamed the streets urging residents to stay inside.

Moments after calling on supporters of the president to stage rally in the capital, the pro-government TV channel was taken off the air, radio stations played only music, and several websites of national media outlets went offline. Electricity, too, went out in parts of Honduras right after the arrest.

First Lady Xiomara Castro de Zelaya is hiding "in a mountain at the east of the country," news agency EFE reported; however, according to other reports, she was hiding in the capital city of Tegucigalpa in the southwest region of the country.

"We're in the process of filing an international complaint," the presidential secretary said according to local newspaper reports. I communicate with the international community to do something about it."

The Venezuelan, Nicaraguan and Cuban ambassadors in Honduras, as well as San Pedro Sula Mayor Carlos Padilla Sula, and the Honduras foreign minister were also "kidnapped" and/or arrested by troops, local media reported.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez put his country's armed forces on alert, warning of military action if.said he will do "everything necessary" to abort the military coup and "bring down" any new government sworn-in in Honduras. Chavez threats intensified after he heard the Venezuelan ambassador had been kidnapped, beaten and left by a roadside. Venezuela is in the northern coast of South America, closest to Central America.

Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina, also in South America, blasted the coup and called for the international community to reject it. Ecuador said it would not recognized a new government, adding it would support military action if any of its diplomats or allies were threatened.

Military troops took over the streets of Honduras' capital city Tegucigalpa during a coup d'etat today . (Amateur YouTube video)

The Organization of American States was meeting about the crisis unfolding in Honduras, AFP reported.

"This is a tragic day," said Carlos Sosa, Honduras's ambassador to the Organization of American States."Hopefully it will be a historic day."

Zelaya called for "peaceful resistance" against the coup and asked the U.S. to "clarify if it had a role" in military coup, adding that the U.S. should demand the restitution of the legitimate government in Honduras. (Demand? Do we really rule the world?)

Wonderful. First we "interfere" with Iran's June 12 presidential elections and somehow incite massive, violent anti-government protests--Iran leaders had nothing to do with it, of course--and now we somehow mastermind a coup d'etat in Honduras. WTF? Before long, the U.S. government will be blamed for the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Billy Mays...Jeez.

The Obama administration worked in recent days to prevent President Zelaya's ouster, a senior U.S. official said according to a Wall Street Journal report. The State Department, in particular, communicated to Honduran officials on the ground that President Obama wouldn't support any non-democratic transfer of power in the Central American country, WSJ reported.

"We had some indication" that a move against Mr. Zelaya was a foot, said a U.S. official briefed on the diplomacy. "We made it clear it was something we didn't support."

The White House rejected any involvement in the coup and released the following statement from President Obama:

"I am deeply concerned by reports coming out of Honduras regarding the detention and expulsion of President Zelaya. As the Organization of American States did on Friday, I call on all political and social actors in Honduras to respect democratic norms, the rule of law and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. Any existing tensions and disputes must be resolved peacefully through dialogue free from any outside interference."

U.S. Secretary of State Clinton said the military coup "violates democratic precepts" and should "condemned by all."

"We call on all parties in Honduras to respect the constitutional order and the rule of law, to reaffirm their democratic vocation, and to commit themselves to resolve political disputes peacefully and through dialogue," Clinton said.

The European Union is demanding Zelaya's release. "Military coup is unacceptable violation of the constitutional order in Honduras," the EU said in a statement.

"The EU strongly condemns the arrest of the constitutional president of the Republic of Honduras by the armed forces," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout told reporters.

The military had ruled Honduras for 25 years, until a democratically elected civilian government came to power in 1982.

Zelaya won the presidency in 2005 with 49.8% of the vote. His term ends in January.

Sources: BNO, AFP, WSJ, AP, Reuters
Copyright © 2009, Primetime Oracle
All Rights Reserved