Monday, November 30, 2009

Wyoming, Honduras

Regional governments continue to be divided over whether to recognize (or in the Spanish case "neither recognize nor ignore") yesterday's win for Pepe Lobo in the Honduran elections.

The crisis has shown a leveling of the playing field when it comes to which outside powers hold the most sway in Honduras. But the basic fact that outsiders will have a say in Honduras' internal affairs remains unquestioned.

On this note, an entertaining Google News alert landed in my inbox today with the Casper, Wyoming Star-Tribune's profile of a Wyoming man who years ago was imprisoned for attempting to assassinate former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega.

Tom Bleming, who spent nearly two years in jail in Panama after the ill-fated Noriega plot, now finds himself among the international cadre of ardent Zelaya supporters and even gained access to underground opposition groups during his recent trip to Honduras.

With Zelaya's chances of getting back to power now nearly zero, it will be interesting to see if how long he remains a cause celebre for his international supporters.

Image Source: Wyoming Star-Tribune (Courtesy Tom Bleming)
Online Sources: Wall Street Journal, 1st Lead, Wyoming Star-Tribune

2 comments:

Tambopaxi said...

I'm surprised at you. Zelaya's out permanently, the elections take place, Honduras goes on, and you maintain that outsiders continue to have a say in internal affairs there? Where did you get that? It doesn't flow from your posting narrative...

Thomas Bleming said...

I went to Honduras to see for myself what was transpiring there.
I can not say something to a reporter that is/was not true.
Hondurans (now) have the exact same type of repression which I witnessed while I was a prisoner in Panama under the late General Omar Torrijos and which I detailed in my book "Panama: Echoes From A Revolution".