The Economist: Honduran leaders should back compromise

For the most part, The Economist is a conservative-leaning publication and it has been critical of leftist Latin American leaders from Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez to the more moderate Michelle Bachelet of Chile. Yet their occasions when the newsmagazine attacks those who it sees as dangerous to democracy like its criticism of rightist Colombian president Alvaro Uribe’s possible bid for a third term.

The British publication gave its two cents today on the political crisis in Honduras. It blasted elected president Manuel Zelaya for his “many faults” before being deposed and warned that he has “unhelpfully called on his supporters to stage an ‘insurrection’”. The article even took a shot at regional boogeyman Chavez who it claimed was “egging” Zelaya’s desire to “reverse the coup through violence.”

Yet The Economist also ripped claims by Republicans that Zelaya was legally deposed and that it’s best for Honduras to stay in “deadlock” until elections in November. “This argument is short-sighted and wrong...Coups are bad whatever the political color of their victims” according to the article.

The magazine also called for both Zelaya and interim president Roberto Micheletti to accept Costa Rican president Oscar Arias’ latest proposal. Arias’ “proposal is sensible” and the article criticized both leaders (especially Micheletti) for their reluctance to accept the compromise.

The article concluded with a call for the U.S. to either place sanctions on the Micheletti regime or (if it’s accepted) ensure that Arias’ plan is executed. Other countries in the region could also help:

Brazil and others could help too—by pushing Mr. Zelaya to be patient, accept the Arias plan and distance himself from the likes of Mr. Chávez and Cuba’s Raúl Castro, whose commitment to democracy ranges from dubious to non-existent. Mr. Micheletti is right that democracy can be undermined by autocratic presidents. But this caveat should not cloud the central issue: a coup in a region which has shed authoritarianism should not be allowed to stand.

Arias’ latest proposal will not satisfy all of Zelaya’s or Micheletti’s demands but it’s the best alternative so far to plunging Honduras into an avoidable civil war. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and prevent conflict from tearing apart that Central American country.

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- The Economist, Miami Herald, The Latin Americanist