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

Zelaya-Micheletti clash in expected Saturday

New Foreign Minister Enrique Ortez Colindres (center) and new Finance Minister Gabriella Nunez (right) are sworn in before Roberto Micheletti (left) who took power on Sunday after a military coup ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Micheletti swore in the first ministers who will join him during the six months of his planned interim presidency. (Xinhua/David De La Paz)

Things are about to get uglier in Honduras, with ousted President Manuel set on returning despite a warrant for his arrest if he does, and interim President Micheletti claiming it will take a foreign invasion for Zelaya to be restored.


Zelaya "has already committed crimes against the constitution and the law," said Micheletti, a member of Zelaya's Liberal Party who was named interim leader by Congress hours after coup.

"He can no longer return to the presidency of the republic unless a president from another Latin American country comes and imposes him using guns."

Oh, brother...is he asking for it?

Micheletti said he would not resign, defying the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the Obama administration and other leaders that have condemned the military coup d'etat that overthrew Zelaya, and insisting Honduras would be ready to defend itself against any invasion.

"No one can make me resign if I do not violate the laws of the country," Micheletti told AP. "If there is any invasion against our country, 7.5 million Hondurans will be ready to defend our territory and our laws and our homeland and our government."

The OAS said Wednesday called for the "immediate, safe, and unconditional return of the president to his constitutional functions," giving coup leaders three days to restore Zelaya to power before Honduras risks being suspended from the group.


If that's all the leverage they've got--a suspension from the OAS--they've got nothing...if you ask me.

"We need to show clearly that military coups will not be accepted," OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza said. "We thought we were in an era when military coups were no longer possible in this hemisphere."

Zelaya, who had planned to return to his country Thursday, said he will wait until Saturday, when a three-day deadline expires. He was on his way to Panama today, Reuters reported.

Micheletti again vowed Zelaya would be arrested if he returns, even though the presidents of Argentina and Ecuador have signed on to accompany him along with the heads of the OAS and the U.N. General Assembly, AP reported.

"As soon as he enters he will be captured," he said. "We have the warrants ready so that he stays in jail in Honduras and is judged according to the country's laws," Enrique Ortez, the interim government's foreign minister, told CNN.

Warrants for Zelaya's arrest on charges of violating the constitution and drug trafficking were issued earlier this week. Ortez said Zelaya had been letting drug traffickers ship U.S.-bound cocaine from Venezuela through Honduras, noting the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was aware of Zelaya's ties to organized crime, CNN reported.

That's a heck of a low blow if it isn't true. And if it's true...he's toast.

DEA spokesman Rusty Payne could neither confirm nor deny a DEA investigation.

Well, if the U.S. is set on standing by Zelaya, shouldn't it clarify this allegations?

U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Washington saw no acceptable solution other than Zelaya's return to power, AP reported. He said the U.S. is considering cutting off aid to Honduras, which includes $215 million over four years from the U.S.-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation.

All this foreign aid...and meanwhile we can't afford a healthcare reform.

Micheletti has promised that he would step down in January and that he has no plans to ever run for president, AP reported. He said a key goal of his short term in office would be fixing the nation's finances. Zelaya never submitted the budget to Congress that was due last September, raising questions about what he was spending state money on, according to the report.

In a military coup at dawn Sunday, troops took Zelaya by force and flew him out of the country to Costa Rica, effectively blocking a referendum he intended to hold that day asking Hondurans if they wanted to reform the constitution. The Supreme Court, Congress and the military all deemed his planned ballot illegal.

The Honduran constitution limits presidents to a single, four-year term. Congress claims Zelaya, whose term ends in January, modified the ballot question at the last minute to help him eventually try to seek re-election. Chavez has used referendums in Venezuela to win the right to run repeatedly, AP reported.

Zelaya, who is an ally of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, backed down from the referendum Tuesday, saying he would no longer push for the constitutional changes he wanted.

Isn't it a little too late for that? Surely he had the time to give up on his plans before the coup. Congress, the courts and the military were clear on their opposition to the referendum.

Zelaya's popularity has sagged in recent years, but his criticism of the wealthy and policies such as raising the minimum wage have earned him the loyalty of many poor Hondurans, and thousands have rallied to demand his return, AP reported.

Thousands of others rallied in favor of Micheletti, accusing Zelaya of trying to bring Venezuelan-style socialism to Honduras. Yet beyond the demonstrations at the presidential palace and the capital's central square, there has been little sign of major disruption to daily life, according to the report.

I think Honduras coup leaders are hoping the issue will blow over just as the Iran election fallout is sliding toward the back burner, especially when there's no revolt in Honduras, just a few scattered protests, so there's much less pressure from the public to undo what has been done.

Sources: AP, Reuters, CNN
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