Honduras: whither amnesty?
Submitted by WW4 Report on Sat, 01/16/2010 - 18:36.
The Chinese news agency Xinhua, citing "local media," reports Jan. 16 that the Honduran congress approved a decree to grant amnesty to de facto president Roberto Micheletti and others involved in last June's military coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya. However, actual local media (Radio Progreso, Jan. 15; El Heraldo, Tegucigalpa, Jan. 12) report that the National Congress voted Jan. 12 to put the issue off until a new congress convenes after president-elect Porfirio Lobo Sosa takes power later this month.
An amnesty bill was introduced by president-elect Lobo earlier this month, and debated before being shelved. Lobo, now a National Party legislator, The head of the National Party bloc in Congress, plugged the bill as part of a national reconciliation process. Rodolfo Irias Navas, defended the bill, stating during the debate, "Amnesty will undoubtedly benefit all... I reject that amnesty is impunity." He asserted that the bill "clearly defines what crimes are covered." These include treason, terrorism, sedition and corruption—presumably covering the military's June 28 arrest and summary deportation of Zelaya. (Honduras News, Jan. 11)
The source of the confusion may be a measure passed Jan. 13 that grants a security detail for life to Micheletti and some 50 other officials of the de facto regime, including Supreme Court president Jorge Rivera, Prosecutor General Luis Rubí, and six members of the armed forces high command. (Tiempo, Tegucigalpa, Jan. 14) ...
http://www.ww4report.com/node/8212But, to answer your larger question: No, the amnesty bill wouldn't cover Zelaya