Belén Fernández: Honduras’ Illegitimate President and His Cheering Squad

[Judi Lynn]

Belén Fernández: Honduras’ Illegitimate President and His Cheering Squad
May 14, 2012

Honduran President Pepe Lobo received an International Leadership Award last week from the U.S. Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute. But why?

By Belén Fernández

Last week, in Washington, D.C., Honduran President Pepe Lobo was honored with an International Leadership Award from the U.S. Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI, endearingly pronounced “chili”).

This is the latest in a sequence of preposterous euphemisms emitted by the U.S. political establishment with regard to the Honduran regime, described by Hillary Clinton in 2010 as being committed to democracy. All this despite Lobo’s ascension to power via illegitimate elections conducted in the aftermath of the coup d’état against democratically elected President Mel Zelaya.

One possible explanation for CHLI’s enthusiasm is that the organization’s Board of Directors includes Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, former Congressman Lincoln Díaz-Balart, and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen—who paid a joint visit to Tegucigalpa in 2009 to reaffirm the democratic nature of the military coup. The Board also includes corporate representatives from AT&T, Coca-Cola, and Wal-Mart.

Lobo’s achievements

According to a CHLI press release, Lobo was selected for the award due to “tireless dedication to strengthening the U.S. Hispanic community by promoting the advancement of Hispanics in all sectors of the U.S. and global economy, consistent with the mission of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute.”

More:
http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/belen-fernandez-honduras-illegitimate-president-and-his-cheering-squad/

[Bacchus4.0]

1. Lobo is the legitimate president and this is just an OP/ED

writer's opinion. Lobo might suck as president but he is president. Lobo had nothing to do with the coup perpetrated by Zelaya's own party.