Honduras coup leaders get 3-day ‘ultimatum’

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Honduras coup leaders get 3-day ‘ultimatum’
Regional bloc threatens action over ‘alteration of the democratic order’

updated 40 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Honduran coup leaders have three days to restore deposed President Manuel Zelaya to power, the Organization of American States said Wednesday, before Honduras risks being suspended from the group.

OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza delivered what he called "an ultimatum" as OAS talks regarding the crisis dragged into the early-morning hours. The talks began Tuesday afternoon.

In a sharply worded resolution, the OAS said it vehemently condemned the coup and "the arbitrary detention and expulsion" of Zelaya.

The coup, the resolution said, has produced an "unconstitutional alteration of the democratic order." The envoys demanded Zelaya's immediate and safe return to power.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31677410/ns/world_news-amer... /

[excess_3]

1. where did the referendum come from?

did Mr. Z just create it with the stroke of a pen?

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Even if the referendum wasn't properly set up, and thus invalid

the reaction to that can't be "arrest the guy at gunpoint, and chuck him and his ministers out of the country". That's not following the rule of law, it's a coup.

[excess_3]

4. the H. Supreme Court ordered his arrest

edit for spelling

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. And they have the right, under their constitution, to depose the president

without a trial? Any kind of hearing, in which he gets legal defence and a chance to put his case? I don't think so.

[excess_3]

6. arrest does not imply deposed

( I am discussing somebody else's country, with that said)

way too soon for a trial,
or impeachment proceedings,
if that even applies

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. But that's the point - they arrested him, and expelled him from the country at gunpoint

and did the same for various of his ministers, and opposition politicians too.

If the Supreme Court had said "we believe you have broken the following laws/articles of the constitution; turn up at parliament/the high court etc. on such and such a day for proceedings", then it'd look like the rule of law. A dawn raid on his residency is deposing him.

[excess_3]

11. 'lead time' concering the referendum

( i should point out that i am discussing a country
about whose laws, I know nothing)

when did Mr Z announce the referendum?

twelve seconds before the polls opened?


or not
Please enlighten me.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. I can't see how that is relevant

It's quite possible that Zelaya overstepped his powers by trying to hold the referendum. But that doesn't mean he loses the protection of the law. You can't just force a man, and his associates (and even rivals, if they were left wing), out of the country at gunpoint and call it 'law and democracy'.

[Zorro]

16. The problem is that Zelaya manufactured this situation

by defying the orders of the Honduran Supreme Court that ruled the impending vote to be illegal and unconstitutional.

The situation was exacerbated by Zelaya continuing to press forward with the referendum, with little political support within his country. There have also been reports that the ballots/ballot boxes were flown in from Venezuela, which the Chavista crowd doesn't seem to think unusual -- but which the Hondurans apparently do.

I also find it curious the media keeps reporting this as the first coup since 1993, when the Ecuadorean military took over the government in 2000. Why is that, do you suppose?

[Odin2005]

21. +1

[Odin2005]

12. Somebody was defnitely being really stupid or really gung-ho.

What Zelaya was doing was definitely fishy, but that is no excuse for what happened. What the word for Impeachment in Spanish? Some people there obviously doesn't understand what it means!

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Update in story: Micheletti says only foreign invasion will remove him

Honduras' interim leader warned that the only way his predecessor will return to office is through a foreign invasion, setting up a dramatic showdown with the ousted president who is preparing to come home accompanied by world leaders.

A defiant Roberto Micheletti said in an interview with The Associated Press late Tuesday that "no one can make me resign," defying the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the Obama administration and other leaders that have condemned the military coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

(same link as OP)

I hope it's just bluster.

[bemildred]

23. He might be sorry someday that he brought that subject up.

It's not like foreign intervention is unusual in Latin America.

[Mudoria]

7. Zelaya is finished. He should get over it and move on..

[Robb]

8. Yeah, let's back the soldiers on this one!

I can't think of a single time, looking back, I haven't been happy I sided with the armed troops that deposed an elected leader.

[IsItJustMe]

18. In favor of dictatorships, are you? I find it sometimes unbelievable that such authoritarian types

like yourself can be found here at DU.

[Jazzgirl]

22. There apparently is a string of them.

They all start posting in the same threads.

[Poll_Blind]

28. I noticed that too.

PB

[melm00se]

10. I think that there

is a lot more going on here than has been reported in a single place.

the MSNBC article states:

One of several clauses that cannot be legally altered in the Honduran constitution limits presidents to a single, 4-year term, and 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.

which calls into question the motivations of Zelaya.

this WSJ article (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124623220955866301.html ) reports that:

The Supreme Court ruled his referendum unconstitutional, and it instructed the military not to carry out the logistics of the vote as it normally would do.

and then goes on to say:

The top military commander, Gen. Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, told the president that he would have to comply. Mr. Zelaya promptly fired him. The Supreme Court ordered him reinstated. Mr. Zelaya refused.

there is plenty of blame (on both sides) here.

[Odin2005]

14. Sounds like somebody panicked.

So much for the "It's a big CIA conspiracy" knee-jerk assumptions.

[melm00se]

19. what it sounds like

to me at least, is that Zelaya tried to push the envelope of his powers, the Honduran Supreme Court pushed back and Zelaya pushed back again and instead of talking things through, overly firm and reactionary steps were taken and Zelaya found his ass out on the door step.

[Odin2005]

20. I agree.

[David__77]

27. There is no evidence to support this claim.

How exactly would any of this allow Zelaya to run for reelection? The language of the nonbinding referendum makes NO reference to this in any way. You are spreading misinformation in the service of a fascist coup.

[flyboyscotty68]

13. Invade them, we need another war.

NOT!!!!!!

[fascisthunter]

17. oooops

[Judi Lynn]

24. Magbana just posted news the coup people have extended their curfew to Friday. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

25. Honduras: a Coup With No Future

July 1, 2009

The Usurpers of Tegucigalpa
Honduras: a Coup With No Future
By VICTOR FIGUEROA-CLARK and PABLO NAVARRETE

Sunday’s overthrow of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has vividly raised the spectre of Latin America ’s dark history: coups de etat and brutal military dictatorships. In a break with the past however, the region is speaking in unison, condemning the new dictatorship and calling for Zelaya to be reinstated as President. And significantly, the US government has joined its southern neighbours in rejecting the new dictatorship and recognising Zelaya as Honduras’ only legitimate president.

Regional bodies such as the OAS, the Rio Group, ALBA, Mercosur and UNASUR have also called for the restoration of the constitutionally elected president. Furthermore, Zelaya has received the support of the Inter American Human Rights Commission, and been invited to address the UN General Assembly “as soon as possible” by its President, Miguel D’Escoto. After this address Zelaya plans to return to Honduras , accompanied by Jose Miguel Insulza, the Secretary General of the OAS, and possibly other regional heads of state, with the aim of being reinstated as President.

The story behind the coup Honduras is a deeply unequal country, with the richest 10% of the population taking home 43.7% of the National Income. In contrast, the poorest 30% take just 7.4%, and just under 40% of the population live in poverty (defined as earning less than double the cost of the basic food basket). Only 4.7% of Hondurans have access to the internet, which might go some way to explaining the social background of Honduran coup cheerleaders on English-language websites such as the BBC’s.

~snip~
The catalyst for the assault on the Presidential home by the Honduran armed forces, and the subsequent detention and expulsion of the President from the country was the non-binding consultative poll that was due to take place on Sunday (June 28th) on whether a referendum ought to be held on the convocation of a constituent assembly, alongside the Presidential election ballot in November 2010 (when Zelaya’s term ends). In other words, the coup was sparked by a non-binding vote intended to consult Hondurans on whether or not they wanted to be asked about a constitutional reform, and not because Zelaya wished to extend his term indefinitely, as has been widely reported in the mainstream international media.

This last point is one of several lies and misleading statements issued by the new dictatorship, which have been amply covered uncritically in the mainstream media. Another key one is that the coup is in fact a “constitutional transfer of power”. This requires a bizarre leap in logic if we consider the facts of Zelaya’s overthrow: the President’s home was assaulted by the military; after 15 minutes of combat the President himself was kidnapped and bundled into a military aircraft in his pyjamas and flown into exile; his Ministers were detained and beaten, alongside the ambassadors of Cuba , Nicaragua and Venezuela.

More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/clark07012009.html

[Amonester]

26. "a deeply unequal country, with the richest 10% of the population taking home 43.7% of the"

"a deeply unequal country, with the richest 10% of the population taking home 43.7% of the National Income"

Looks familiar, doesn't it? /sarcasm