Relative calm in Honduras, despite what you might read
pro-Zelaya protesters in La Ceiba, HondurasAll this international blustering about the "coup" in Honduras is really bothering me. I really regret using that word because after learning more about what happened, I would not call it that.
Do I speak for Hondurans when I say, "Leave to Honduras what is Honduran"? We don't want or need international intervention from Venezuela, Nicaragua, the US, or anyone else. I feel a little resentful hearing the meddling comments from other countries. The US can't and does not need to try to save every country in the world. Hmmm, now I understand how all those other countries feel.
There is so much misinformation on the internet, even from respected news sources, about what happened here and why it happened that I am astounded.
First of all, the military did not make a coup d'etat or golpe de estado against the government of Honduras. The government of Honduras (at least two branches of it) have been and continue to be in charge. The military were just following their orders. One branch of the government, the Executive branch, put himself above the others and ignored a verdict of the Supreme Court, who agreed with the Legislative Branch, who agreed with the majority of the population. This was no out-of-control military or rogue guerrilla group taking over our government.
Apparently the Honduran constitution does need to be changed, however. It needs to allow for calm, peaceful, and legal manner of impeaching/removing a president who puts himself above the law and the other branches of government. Call what happened today an impeachment, Honduran style.
Maybe forcibly removing a renegade president is not the way that things are done in more developed countries, but that is the way it was done here. This is Honduras and things are different here. I was shocked, worried, scared, but I've gotten over it and they should, too.
However, note that there was no real violence, no shootings, no riots in the streets, no looting, no overzealous military beating up or killing citizens. I congratulate Honduras for finding a peaceful solution to a difficult problem!
Soldiers maintaining order in La Ceiba, HondurasThat's it. Maintaining order. No stopping or bullying of protesters. Simply assuring that things don't get out of control and that there are no riots.
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16 comments:
Very interesting!
Sounds like this 'less developed' country's citizens handled things much better than the US's would have. No rioting? No looting? No violence? Way to go Honduras.
Thanks for keeping us truly updated.
So far! Lets hope for a calm few days but no shouting till the fat lady sings as they say, its not over yet! But I agree that the Hondurans are generally not up in arms about this whereas the international community is!
Yes, LG , I agree, but.....if Chavez invades, intervenes, overpowers the hondurian impeachment, then can hondurians fight Chavez by themselves ?? Yes, I also want a peaceful just hondurian solution, but will it be possible?....can Honduras defend itself against Chavez'/Ortega's armies ? I just talked to my family in Honduras, they said " Le's see what happens tomorrow "
Thank you for this post and the pictures....wow, seeing the military in -Avenida San Isidro- what a sight....praying for peaceful solution......
Thank you! Nice to hear your citizen-journalist report. I've always thought this is one of the best benefits of blogging... linking to real people and by-passing the propaganda. I agree that the US can't and does not need to save every country... Many many of us are trying to make changes. From here, too, please don't believe all that you read. Peace.
I agree completely. Had there been a contingency in the constitution for impeachment of a president who defies the law, today's headlines would've read much, much differently.
I have a hard time describing as peaceful an invasion of the president's home, even if no one was killed.
And leaving this to Hondurans? Last time I checked Zelaya was a Honduran.
He might be wrong, a jerk, doing illegal things, but guys with guns putting him on a plane ain't what I'd call a calm peaceful solution.
Honduras is the only Latin American country that has stood up to another Chavez/Fidel. MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU!
Honduras should be an example to other latin american nations that when they smell a Chavista Rat comming they can stop it. I for One am happy we did not become another venezuela/cuba where everyone is controled with little or no rights.
Zelaya can go live with Chavez if he wants and live in that communist country. Good riddance!
Why do people insist on calling it a Coup???? Zelaya was impeached. He was arrested and sent out of the country to avoid violent protest and Chavista infiltration to free him.
Zelaya is impeached he broke the law! He went against a Supreme Court Ruling. He was mad with power and Chavez was giving him the guidance to do it in exchange of becoming yet another communist country.
I hope Zelaya rots where ever he goes! He was the worst president ever, surrounded with the greatest corruption scandals in the history of Honduras. He used all the public funds to persue his illegal referendum leaving the country without a budget, bad roads, lack of medicines in public hospitals, lack of help for the poor, etc. I dont understand how other governments can condemn the impeachment of Zelaya when countries like the US who has a permanent stay in Honduras knew damn well what Zelaya was intending.
HE WAS IMPEACHED. TAKEN INTO CUSTODY BY THE MILITARY AND EXILED.
My highest congrats for the people and Nation of Honduras (invested in the power of those policeman). What they did was just upholding the constitution and not allowing they be turned into another backyard to serve chávez spread his neosolialism. It's a clear sign there's still intelligent minds in that country...
I was just wondering if now that the army are tear gassing the protestors, there are rports of peole with gun shot wounds, they have blocked all the news from the TV and radio, have arrested reporters who were posting live feeds on the internet and have put in a curfew, whether the above comments in hind site may have been a little premature. I was also wondering what is illegal about asking a population if it wanted a referendum on its constitution. The poll that was meant to take place was not a referendum in itself but was to gage public opinion. So if people didn't want a referendum could they not just have answered "no". Instead the opposition decided it couldn't take the rick and intervened. Where is the democracy in that and after "restoring" democracy why do they stop free speech, stop free movement and attack their own citizens. I am no Mel supporter and disagree with his politics, yet the army and Michiletti are not a great replacement.
I wish there had been another way to stop Zelaya's forward march into a dictatorship, but I am hard-pressed to think of one. LG...great, great post. Right on the money, too.
My only beef so far is that at times, local and international news (on AMNET cable, anyway) is spotty. When questioned, customer service reps are honest and flat out say that the gov't has told them when and which channels to block. Drives me nuts.
I live in Honduras. La Gringa is right on target. My website, under construction, has my own heartfelt commentary.
Safariman
Those who say the actions were excessive, why try to stop a simple vote for people's opinions, miss the point that the Honduran Constitution prohibits the approach Zelaya was taking. The Honduran legislature and supreme court told him, several times, that his actions were illegal. He not only persisted, but openly broke the law by using mob tactics to break into a military base (Zelaya himself leading the mob) to sieze the contested election materials. He then proclaimed that he as president was not subject to the rulings of the legislature and supreme court.
How else could the supreme court react? To allow Zelaya to proceed would codify his claim to "supreme comander" and true democracy for Honduras would have ended right then and there. The actions by the military, based on the orders of competent Honduran courts, were not just legal, they were heroic. The legislature, with no dissenting votes, removed Zelaya from office and installed his replacement entirely in accordance with the constitution of Honduras.
I am lost trying to figure out how ANYONE can call this a coup.
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