Honduras’ undiplomatic diplomat

Nineteen Republican congressmen have urged in a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to meet with a group of diplomats representing the appointed Honduran government. (Quick aside - I agree that they should meet and discuss a possible pacific solution to the mess in Honduras even though the GOP’s letter is far too lenient in criticizing Micheletti’s ascent to power). If they do meet let’s hope that Enrique Ortez Colindres is nowhere near Washington.

Ortez Colindres was named as acting Foreign Minister shortly after the coup which deposed Manuel Zelaya on June 28th. Since then, he has goofed repeatedly via several insensitive remarks of U.S. President Barack Obama. In a recent televised interview, Ortez Colindres referred to Obama as "this negrito (little black man) who has no idea where Tegucigalpa is". In subsequent interviews he continued to refer to Obama with the condescending moniker of negrito.

After the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Hugo Llorens “condemned” Ortez Colindres for his comments, the diplomat gave "his most profound apologies" on Tuesday. Yet Ortez Colindres uttered an even worse verbal faux pas that not only targeted Obama but others:

"He negociado con maricones, prostitutas, con ñángaras (izquierdistas), negros, blancos. Ese es mi trabajo, yo estudié eso. No tengo prejuicios raciales, me gusta el negrito del batey que está presidiendo los Estados Unidos."

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"I have negotiated with queers, prostitutes, leftists, blacks, whites. This is my job, I studied for it. I am not racially prejudiced. I like the little black sugar plantation worker who is president of the United States."

Apparently sick of his idiocy, acting president Roberto Micheletti removed Ortez Colindres from his post yet transferred him to become Minister of Governing and Justice. Rather than being booted from the acting Cabinet, Ortez Colindres got a slap on the wrist and will even be part of the negations between Zelaya and Micheletti!

Unbelievable.

Image- LAHT
Online Sources- AFP, AP, The Hill, The Latin Americanist, Daily Kos, COPE, El Tiempo