Miguel mentioned earlier today how most of the Hondurans he’s talked to have been supportive of Sunday’s coup which ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Reactions amongst Hondurans living in the U.S. have been more mixed, however.According to the Miami Herald, Hondurans in the south Florida area believed that the coup was a necessary step to stop Zelaya. ''The military is supposed to protect the country and that's what they did today,” said on expat who claimed that Honduras “does not want to be communist.” The fear that Zelaya may’ve gotten a little too close to “communist” Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was the main worry felt by Hondurans in Miami including some who claimed that the coup was entirely “democratic”.
As the Boston Globe noted, on the other hand, Hondurans in Massachusetts were unhappy that the coup took place with some claiming that it was reminiscent of the military junta which seized power in 1963. Not everyone backs Zelaya, according to the article, but the community has repudiated the use of a coup to knock him out of power:
“People are afraid,’’ said Patricia Montes, a native of Honduras and naturalized US citizen who is the executive director of Centro Presente, a nonprofit group in Somerville that aids immigrants. “It brings back the dark days of Central America’’…Reports have emerged of protesters and police clashing today in the capital city of Tegucigalpa as international condemnation of the coup continues.
“We’re poor, but we’re a free country,’’ said German Ponce Ramos, a manager at Catrachos restaurant in Chelsea; the restaurant’s name is a nickname for Hondurans in Central America. “To me, they should bring the president back and try to clear things up.’’
Image- AP (“A demonstrator, with a Honduran flag on his shoulders, stands next to a bonfire near to the presidential house in Tegucigalpa, Monday, June 29, 2009. Honduras' new leaders defied growing global pressure on Monday to reverse a military coup, arguing that they had followed their constitution in removing President Manuel Zelaya. (AP Photo/Fernando Antonio)”)
Online Sources- Miami Herald, boston.com, CNN, Bloomberg, The Latin Americanist
Greetings:
ReplyDeleteI write to you with great concern and alarm regarding the current political situation in the nation of Honduras. The truth of the sequence of events, as always, has been twisted, and citizens of the world have the right to know the true story. As a citizen of Honduras and truthful member of my society I stress to you and the rest of the world truthful information.
The world believes that the acts of the Honduran congress to fly the ex-president Mel Zelaya to Costa Rica was un-constitutional and an offense to democracy. But, the truth is that Mel Zelaya executed several federal crimes that granted the legislative and judicial branch of the Honduran government permission to remove Mel Zelaya of his presidency.
The acts commenced when Mel Zelaya chose to join the Alternative of Bolivarian States (ALBA) giving a shift to our nation from democratic-right to an extreme left. He divided the nation by insulting the productive sector and accusing them of the poverty, when they are the ones that supply the working force. This eventually led to Zelaya’s decision of “consulting the people” for a 4th ballot box in the elections. Zelaya then created a “survey”, which was proclaimed unconstitutional by the Tribunal Supremo Electoral (Electoral College), the Congress, the Supreme Court, the Human Rights System, and the Jury. The constitution allows the other two powers of the state to act against the third one if it fails to comply with the Constitution.
Mel decided to carry his illegal survey anyways. The Armed forces proclaims on its Constituent that they have to follow the law. This caused Mel Zelaya to make the decision of firing the Minister of Defense and the Commander of the Armed Forces, resulting with the resignation of the Commander of the Army, Navy and Air force. Honduras had no military leaders. Hence, there was no one in charge of carrying out the “survey”. It unraveled as follows:
• Mel entered by force into the Air Force base to get back his survey materials,
• The survey was carried out with a ballot box, finger ink, and identification requirements, no longer making it a survey but a vote,
• On Saturday June 27th, Mel chose to publish in La Gaceta (Law Newspaper) a law by himself saying that the result of the survey would summon a dictatorship that same day, perpetuating him on power,
• Mel was taken under Art. 323 of the Constitution by the military forces under law of the Judicial and the Legislative Branch
• Mel was expelled from the country, and according to lay the new president is the president of Congress.
• This is not a military coup because the Armed Forces General Romero Vasquez Velasquez would be the president; it is called by our constitution a Technical Power Succession.
• A new government is now in place under President Roberto Michelleti and democracy has triumphed.
The following are links to truthful sources of the current situation in our country. I wish that you keep your mind open on the matter and inform yourself with the correct information.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124623220955866301.html#mod%3Darticle-outset-box%26articleTabs%3Darticle
http://www.thenextright.com/category/blog-tags/alg
http://hondurans4democracy.blogspot.com/
I hope my voice is heard and that the truth eventually unravels, may peace prevail in our nation. God bless Honduras. PLEASE listen to us.
What occurred in Honduras on June 29th, was the removal from office of the top of executive of the country, who was no longer serving the best interests of the country and its people. The removal of Manuel Zelaya is an example of how the system of Checks and Balances works to preserve the rule of law and maintain a Democratic system which was threatened in its existence. Manuel Zelaya dishonored the office of the Presidency of Honduras by bowing to the interests of the Chavez agenda, selling out his Country and the very same Constitution which gave him the right and trust to preside over the affairs of State.
ReplyDeleteManuel Zelaya lost his right to remain in office by promoting a referendum for reelection, established as illegal by the Honduras Supreme Court and its Congress, and deemed himself above the Constitutional law, carrying on a rogue approach with utter contempt to the Checks and Balances the Honduras Constitution provides to maintain its Democracy.
Manuel Zelaya’s agenda to promote his reelection through the referendum which he planned to carry out, posed a threat to Honduran Democracy. This is the same method spearheaded by Cuba and Venezuela within Latin America. If carried out, the International Community would have stood idle as the current system was overthrown through pseudodemocratic processes designed specifically to target fragile democracies, and institute “democratic” dictatorships which are spreading throughout the hemisphere.
Hondurans do not wish their democracy and liberties to be trampled upon, and in majority, are backing the removal of a former President, which had no interest whatsoever in steering the country in the right direction, but merely satisfying the outside interests which governed him. The actions taken on Sunday will ensure that Hondurans are allowed to vote for their next President on November 29th and God willing, will have to choose between a pool of candidates which are aware of what their Country expects of them.
These comments are typical. Clearly from right-wing Hondurans, probably in the United States - as Tegucigalpa has no internet with the military blocking access.
ReplyDeleteI posted on my blog a short update immediately as I heard of it. Just to update readers. Within hours I got two posts (similar, huh?), and have seen this elsewhere, of what appears to be trollers commenting:
"we hondurans are proud of this day in which we defended our constitutional system viva honduras!"
and
"WE DON’T WANT MEL ZELAYA HERE!!! TRAITOR!!! OUR COUNTRY IS NOT FOR SALE!
LISTEN VERY WELL CHAVEZ, OUR COUNTRY IS NOT FOR SALE!!!"
The top above me are more wordy but express the same sentiments. Curfews, murder, running over protesters are freedom-loving expressions. The military is "defending" the constitution - which these people have not yet read.
I am truly frustrated by the miscommunication that is going on in the world. What to many may seem as an illegal movement WE HONDURANS, THOSE WHO ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE COUNTRY AND HAVE SEEN FIRST HAND THE ABUSE OF POWER on behalf of FORMER PRESIDENT ZELAYA, see this movement as the ONLY OPTION to improve our country and stop corruption disguised as progress. Zelaya has manipulated the media making himself seem as a Martyr but us Hondurans know better, we will not allow a single stubburn man and his pack of followers jeopardize the security and peace of our beloved Honduras. Please open up your eyes and hear our voice... get your facts straight. We want a free and peaceful Honduras. WE DO NOT WANT MANUEL ZELAYA as our representative much less as our leader. He had his opportunity and he failed to his country...We do not want him back!...
ReplyDeleteI´m tired of people "outsiders" getting involved in our problems, We (hondurans) don't want Zelaya back and CNN should give equitable reports not like those just in favor of Mel Zelaya, Yesterday his followers disturb our peace, Zelaya paid for these... to get people ignorants allied for what? to destroy not only our nation but our environment. Those people were burning tires contaminating the air they breath... I bet Zelaya is having fun with this and so Mr. Monster Chavez. Mr. President Obama I´m disappointed, You should be helping Us not taking part with Zelaya, maybe Our Congress is not the best but I bet U its better than Zelaya´s idealisms...So is you wont helps Us Hondurans by taking Zelaya away from Honduras,than don´t get involve, and I demand all those countries in favor of Zelaya to Respect our Laws and our Decisions!!! They don´t know what happened they just know what they want to believe of what Zelaya and the Monster is telling them!!! He is diabolic!!! Only God can Help Us!!!You should see yesterdays reactions on those people Zelaya leads...they were possess and finally they were stupid putting their lives at risk for some stupid guy who just wanted their votes to destroy our peace.
ReplyDeletei am a citizen living in honduras. It is true that no one is worthy to be treated as Zelaya was, on the other hand, he was not willing to leave the power pacefully as he said. He tried to make an agreement to resign the precidency in condition to leave the contry with his foreign minister Patricia Rodas, and the agreement was fulfilled. The constitution empower the congress to take away from power a president that commits felonies, or is against the law, as he did. Our constitution does not allows re election becouse of the dictators of the past, he was becoming an outlow dictator paid by venezuela, we the people of honduras clap the action, regret the way, claim to be heard and respected, we want to live in democracy respecting our constitution that for good or for bad, is a our way to live!
ReplyDeleteFYI: I LIVE IN TEGUCIGALPA
ReplyDeleteWhat is really a coup? Or why I lost faith in international news.
Personally I am very sorry now, seeing news on the internet because the opinions of people (say, journalists) whom fall in ignorance of the constitution of Honduras. The news, with not half the facts, are giving judgments against the movement to preserve the constitutional order in Honduras. Deposition of Zelaya was to preserve this order, not demolish it.
Anyone who has lived in Central America, lived or studied its history knows that a coup happens when a president was deposed by force and put in his place a military junta. This has not happened in Honduras. Appointing a temporary president so we can get to elections in November and thus maintain order, preserve the constitution and prevent armed conflict (that was cooking) if Zelaya was able to change the constitution.
The political crisis, whose outcome by force I regret, reached a "point of no return" with the presidential ruling about “the public opinion poll” to call the Constituent National Assembly. The day before the popular consultation (as it was called) the executive (Zelaya) approved the following law:
"Instructions to all units and organs of government: Secretary of State, decentralized and devolved institutions to enter and actively implement all the tasks assigned to them for completion of the project entitled: Survey of public announcement of Assembly National Constituent Assembly which is an official activity of the Government of the Republic. "
Read with emphasis the National Constituent Assembly. For those who don’t know the purpose of this group would re-organize the country (the state powers, the constitutional form, etc). For this the first step is to dissolve the National Congress, the Supreme Court (the other two branches of the state).
"The ALBA is just like a mutual aid society for autoperpetuación in power. They were elected democratically by promises to fight corruption, but most as soon as they took office, focused all their energy on changing the constitution to stay in power indefinitely. "(La Prensa)
It seems that they are all following the same script. Act 1: Introduction to the country as an idealistic -whether leading a military coup attempt, like Chavez, or leading violent protests such as Evo Morales and seize the headlines to instantly become the center of national attention.
Act 2: After winning the presidential election, to change the Constitution to introduce a clause that allows re-election.
Act 3: Just passed the Constitution, to bring forward the next presidential election.
Act 4: Once reelected, accusing United States, the Church and the oligarchy of an assassination attempt, and use this pretext to imprison opposition leaders and closing media critics, paving the way to govern with no opposition, and assume absolute powers. (Taken from La Tribuna News)
Democracy does not imply permanency in power. Zelaya was an unpopular president, who came from the right and left with the left, this year he could not even pass the national budget.
In these difficult days the Honduran people need understanding and support from regional bodies and the democracies of the hemisphere to strengthen institutional normality, eliminate authoritarianism and restore "a climate of social peace, dialogue and understanding. But journalists like sharks smell blood and ignore the claims of the people, preferring broadcasting the speeches of Zelaya.
I am also a Honduran citizen and I agree with my fellow citizens. Before analyzing if this was a military coup, people should take a look at our constitution and see what it has to say. A few months ago, Zelaya signed a treaty joining the ALBA, and we were never consulted if we wanted to be a part of it. If Zelaya is really such a democratic person, and so into his polls, why didnt he make one for that event. The poll that was going to place on Sunday 28th was going to be used to change our Constitution, most likely changing our democratic and capitalist economy into a social government. We DONT want this type of regime in our country. The international community is against what happened last sunday here because a president elected by the people was ousted. The real question is, why was he ousted. In his search for ongoing power, President Zelaya neglected real problems that are happening in our country. Our economy has been severly damaged because of his so called solutions. Our security has never been so bad. There were earthquakes that destroyed severly parts of out country, and what did he do.....nothing. Why didnt he do a single thing about these problems? He was so into his poll that he forgot that Honduras needs a REAL PRESIDENT. He was ousted because he wasnt fullfilling his duty as a President. Our Supreme Court banned the poll on the 28th, and he neglected to obey this ruling. We have three equal powers: legislative, judicial and executive. The executive branch can never be above any of the other powers. If you, that live in a democratic country, with all of your rights and duties, suddenly hear your president, changing his speech, and you know that you are heading towards a social regime, would you really stand still and see how things change right before your eyes and do nothing. I dont think so. What was the International Community going to do when elections were banned here on Nov 29th and an authoritarian government took over our country, and with it our liberty??? What was done here was to prevent these events from occuring. A president who wasnt doing his job, who thought he could rule, and that his power was above everybody, was removed.
ReplyDeleteHe was a bit of a tyrant anyway.
ReplyDeleteDidn't he want to pass a bill making him president for life?
Sounds like the military made the right decision.
Las grandes mayorias soberanas de Honduras se han pronunciado hoy...con un contundente apoyo a NUESTRA CONSTITUCION Y NUESTRAS INSTITUCIONES! La necedad de un presidente mentiroso que prometió una cosa y luego nos traicionó a todos, es la razón por la cual ahora está fuera. Ya esta grandecito don MZR...el que juega con fuego...tarde o temprano se puede quemar. Ahora si tenemos garantizada nuestra democracia.
Mel has not turned in a procuradia in months wich is a report to the Congress on how much he has spent. Mel lies on national television. Spends millions of lempiras on propacanda for his 4ta urna, when children are dying in hospitals with no medication, were driving down the street and theres this huge hole and theres holes everywhere, there are people starving in the cities. Mel doesent care about that he just wants to stay in power and turn Honduras into a new Venezuela where kids are property of the government. Where children see their parents twice monthly. Where you can not choose what school you want your kids in. You cant leave the country without the governments permission. And this could go on and on and on. I am very pleased that congress put another man in power and took the disgrace of mel out.
There's a lot of misinformation surrounding Jose Manuel Zelaya's arrest on Sunday morning. Both CNN's and the international community's belief of a military coup is wrong. The president broke the law by going ahead and pushing for an illegal poll in an attempt to rewrite the constitution and perpetuate himself in office in spite of a supreme court's previous ruling... Under these circumstances Honduran law allows for such measures; however it isn’t clear why the military would arrest the president only to put him on a plane to Costa Rica, which is why many now believe this was an orchestrated act by president Zelaya to gain sympathy from the international community.
Please take note that the grand majority of Honduran citizens don’t support the president’s actions since they believe this to be attempt of the president to adopt Fidel Castro’s and Hugo Chavez’ model... For the real story and updates on what is really happening please go www.elheraldo.hn
it's amazing how all countries hurried to say it was a coup, forgetting or not knowing that Zelaya was the one who was violenting the Constitution and thinking he was above the law. please think about what you would think if someone did the same in your country. The army just followed an order from the Supreme Court of Justice. All that had happen is because Zelaya's intentions to break the State of the Law and not at all a coup. Let the other part of the conflict talk and then make a judgement if you will. Thanks for posting this comment.
barbaridad hace dias necesitabamos el overthrow d mel porque el es un sinverguenza nos odiaba ......nos metia en problmeas en deudas en toda maldad ......queria quedarse con su cuarta urna para quedar el y quitarnos todo nuestro dinero ......lo q le hciimos esta correcto ......ok porfavor haganos caso
MEL ES UN MENTIROSO Y LADRON. TODOS LOS PAISES ESTAN CON EL PERO HAY QUE DEMOSTRAR QUE EL PUEBLO DE HONDURAS SI SE PUEDE DEFENDER A LO QUE ES CORRECTO.
ReplyDeleteZelaya no queria consultar al pueblo para hacer cambios profundos a la constitucion, sino para eliminarla y la gran mayoria del pueblo hondureño se ha pronunciado en el sentido de que en Honduras no necesitamos cambiar la constitucion sino el corazon de las personas que conforman los diferentes poderes del estado.
si por presiones internacionales el presidente Zelaya retorna el poder, la grna mayoria del pueblo hondureño no quiere saber nada ni de consultas ilegales ni de cuarta urna ni de cambio de nuestra constitucion.
al señor Hugo Chavez le exigimos que respete los asuntos internos de Honduras y todas las naciones.
CNN's reporter Glenda Umana is fanning the flames by reporting only half the story, the emotional fanatics that gain by a move to the left. She should get the rest of the story, talk to the leaders that are trying to protect the government built carefully over the last 28 years. This isn't a military takeover, it is a move by the entire government and business world, the congress, the supreme court to protect the country. The military is the tool used to protect the constitution from all enemies both foreign and domestic. Glenda, don't be a pawn, be a responsible reporter.
Please take into account the other side of the Honduran problem.
Remember that this is a RESPONSE to an illegal action by the President Zelaya, an IMPOSED consultation this Sunday.
The decision was taken by the Supreme Court and Congress.
PLEASE report about last weeks happenings where the now pacific and calm president was going against any laws and imposing his Asamblea Nacional Constituyente consult.
Also Pay attention to the closest friends of the president and his clear intentions, now that he is being watched by the international media he is not talking in the same tone!.
Wooohoo! Out with Mel Zelaya. Get that tyran out along with his Chavez friend. I'm proudly Honduran and we are people of peace. I'm so glad that the government took the courage to take action and get him out. We need an interim president until elections in November this year. Mel was trying to get his way to change the constitution and re-elect himself like Chavez and spread that regime to our peaceful country. VIVA HONDURAS!!!
It was time already.
His government has been just a fraud, and nothing else. He has been buying people off. Al the people outside of the presidential house, have been paid. He has paid up to 20,000 lempiras for a signature for his survey. He has made public employees, work for it, telling them that they should support it or they would loose their jobs
It's time for the world to know that Mel Zelaya is a corrupt politician. I'm from Honduras. It's no secret anymore, he is a corrupt politician. He wanted to stay in power no matter what. Nobody wants him in power anymore.
Muy buen dia tengan todos los televidentes, y muchas gracias por la participacion.
La verdad es que el pueblo esta cansado de ser manipulado por las minorias de grupos de poder, y el presidente Zelaya y nuestro mandatario es el unico con el valor para enfrentarlos. Odiamos y repudiamos a Roberto Micheletti y todos sus ecuaces, y el pueblo esta en disconforme porque uno es el que elige al presidente no a esas personas antidemocraticas y corruptas.
ReplyDeleteQueremos de vuelta al presidente, porque el es el unico que nos pide la opinion.
Most of the comments that appear on my FB from my Honduran friends and family support the ousting of the President. People did not have energy or phones for a while, but I was able to communicate with my family by phone that same Sunday.
ReplyDeleteI have dear family friends that are missionaries in Honduras, and echo the same sentiment as those posting here. They are to asking for any media to write about how the Honduran people really feel, and can not understand how the rest of the democratic world are condemming their defense of democracy in their actions.
ReplyDeleteWhile I mainly write about American Politics, it is hard not to stand up and speak out with and for the Honduran people.
www.thisprogressivelife.blogspot.com