Another OAS Emergency Session on Honduras
OAS Secretary General José Miguel InsulzaI frequently torture myself by watching the hours-long videos of the Organization of American States (OAS) meetings about Honduras. While much of it is a bunch of diplospeak with threats and condemnations from a bunch of arrogant Chávez puppets, every now and then, there is something that makes it worthwhile.
One example is the Venezuelan Ambassador Roy Chadderton who reminds me of Darth Vadar and who can be quite humorous. Apparently I am one of the few who can bear to watch more than Insulza's sniff-sniff-sniffing rants as the occasional gems are rarely reported.
To summarize yesterday's OAS emergency session on Honduras (November 10), Secretary General José Insulza informed everyone that the dialogue was going nowhere, that it was all Micheletti's fault, that Zelaya must be restored to office, and that the media was misreporting. (I assume that he was referring to the reports that Zelaya refused to provide nominations for the unity cabinet − one of the few things that the media has gotten right.)
He misreported that Micheletti has unilaterally installed a Unity Government. Not true. Micheletti did not even release the names as he said they must approved by the Verification Commission. Additionally, Micheletti did not 'unilaterally' do anything. He, unlike Zelaya, consulted the political parties, presidential candidates, and civic groups.
For a 'unity government', more than the personal interests of two people need to be considered, a concept which neither Zelaya nor Insulza grasp. If Zelaya's appointment to the Verification Commission is any example, there would neither be unity nor reconciliation in any cabinet which includes his appointees.
Insulza very plainly stated that conditions in Honduras were not right for elections and that the OAS could not even consider sending election observers to bless the elections. (It has been frequently pointed out in the news that the OAS was going to send election observers for the illegal cuarta urna vote on June 28.)
Insulza was followed by excruciating hours of each country lamenting the extended Honduran crisis, pretensions of speaking for the poor oppressed people of Honduras, congratulating Insulza for his incredible work, and reporting falsehoods about the conditions and the election process in Honduras.
Ambassadors from many countries parroted that the "restoration of José Manuel Zelaya Rosales to the presidency was indispensable to the recognition of elections" − proving my point that a "Honduran solution to the Honduran problem" would only be accepted by the 'international community' as long as the solution was the restoration of Zelaya. Some went so far as to say that Honduras would never be recognized, seeming to be perfectly content to punish the candidates as well as the people of Honduras.
God help us all if these parrots are in charge of the world.
However, making my time worthwhile, in the last two minutes of the session, US Ambassador to the OAS, Lewis Amselem, spoke for the second time. Here is a transcript of what he said:
Mr. Chairman, I'm just a simple middle class boy, born to immigrant parents in New York City. I went to public schools. I shop at Costco and Walmart. I watch TV. I fly coach class on American Airlines and I drive an old, very simple Chevy truck. Umm, I'm just not very sophisticated so I want clarification from my betters here.
Uh, we repeatedly heard in this room that some here will not recognize the elections in Honduras. Uh, uh, uh, I'm not trying to be a smart guy or a wise guy or anything else. I just want to know, what does that mean in the real world? Not in the world of words and magical realism, but in the real world? What does that really mean?
Are embassies going to be closed? No trade? No travel? No investment with, to, or from Honduras? And if so, for how long?
Are we going to apply that same standard to each and every country in this room that has experienced a disruption of its constitutional order [pointing his finger at the person next to him who was out of view] and saved itself through elections? [shrug]
If we do, this room is going to be pretty empty!
My faith was somewhat restored in the United States of America. Unfortunately, José Insulza has already left the room, and of course, no answers to his questions were received.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
President Micheletti has been called a dictator even though Honduras' institutional democracy is working better than it ever did under Emperor Zelaya who attempted to subvert it many times. A quick look at "successful coup d'etats" in Wikipedia tells me that the "international community" must act immediately to suspend recognition of the following governments:
Afghanistan
Algeria
Argentina*
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bolivia* (listed 14 times!)
Brazil*
Burkina Faso
Burma
Burundi
Cambodia
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile*
Republic of the Congo
Cuba*
Cyprus
Dominican Republic*
Ecuador*
El Salvador*
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Fiji
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala*
Guine
Haiti
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
South Korea
Laos
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Mali
Mauritania
Niger
Nigeria
Panama
Pakistan
Paraguay*
Peru
Portugal
Romania
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islnds
Somalia
Sudan
Suriname
Syria
Thailand
Togo
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Upper Volta
Uruguay*
South Vietnam
Yemen
Long list, huh? I only included the last 50 years and omitted some countries that you've probably never heard of. Depending upon how far back you want to go − since according to some OAS ambassadors legitimate elections can never be held unless a coup d'etat is reversed − we may also need to add the following countries to the list of unrecognized countries: Spain*, Czechoslovakia, Costa Rica*, Venezuela*, Colombia, Nicaragua*, Mexico*, Italy, and others. That is, unless we are going to say that there are "good coups" and "bad coups".
The countries marked with an * are strongly against the Honduran government and press relentlessly for the restoration of Zelaya as the only solution to the problem.
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36 comments:
LA
Well done. Keep it up your excellent work. I love the list of the countries, specially when you see the hypocrite Latin American ones that are condemning the up-coming election.
Gringa, you got a big fan here. Let's hope the USA has come to understand what is really going on in Honduras, maybe that attack on their Nicaraguan embassy has made them understand on which side they should be.
Thank you so much beautiful gringa! As a Honduran living abroad your blog keeps me objectively informed about the Honduras situation and gives me hope about the future of my homeland. I am very pleased and relieved to see that the US has changed his position about Honduras and I just love reading that the US ambassador in the OAS is given everyone a piece of his mind!
Chavez puppets... well said.
Nice work, LG. Keep exposing the lies and hypocrisy being waged against Honduras.
you missed the good old USA and Mexico where assassination has been the method.
Great posting!
LG, Your point on other LA countries coming out of similar situations is a good one, even assuming (which I do not) that what happened in June in Honduras was a coup.
I lived in Honduras in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, including under the military governments of Melgar Castro and Policarpo Paz, which WERE golpista governments and military run. No one/no one had any problem in recognizing Roberto Suazo's government when it was elected and came in behind Paz - but that's all conveniently forgotten now...
I am shaking my head in amusement at his preamble:
"Well, I'm just a poor ole country boy, trying to survive in a hostile world..."
Anytime you hear that kind of line from someone, you had better keep your wits about you. That person is anything BUT the simple person he is claiming to be.
I am glad he is on our side.
Thank you all so much for your comments. They help to motivate me. ;-D
LG, you've been on the forefront of exposing Insulza and the OEA for the two faced liars they are.
Kudos to you for having the persistance and stamina to sit through and document these travesties of the truth!
This article from the Miami Herald focuses on the plight of poor el Presidente Chávez. Although Venezuela is going down the tubes,
"According to an Oct. 28 El Nuevo Herald report, Chávez's 2010 government budget includes a more than 600% increase in the president's spending budget, which will rise to $2.2 billion. The new budget includes $264,000 for clothing, $18,500 for shoes, $145,000 for soap, shampoo and other bathroom products. At a time when Venezuela's economy will fall by about 2 percent this year and the country has Latin America's highest inflation rate, few Venezuelans find the news of Chávez's personal expenses amusing."
Chávez is Zelaya's mentor and the one who has been leading the charge by the international circus that Zelaya be reinstated as president of Honduras.
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.,is my next entry for LG Hall of Shame.
Here is an example of the unbiased and totally fair reporting which continues. It's all the "coup mongers" fault, and poor Zelaya is going down the toilet. There should be a law!
I just checked Dan Miller´s ´´Here´´ link for the ´´unbiased and totally fair reporting ...´´ Well, it is insidecostarica.com a website where you can ´´find true love in Costa Rica´´ and ´´rent limousines´´ Oh, Dan?
Czargnzz,
I thought it was obvious that I was being facetious. If that thought didn't come through, I apologize.
Anon. 4.
Eduardo Maldonado has just announced his withdrawal from the so-called 'resistencia' and his full support of the Liberal candidate, Elvin Santos.
pfft. you ever study up on yuor neighbors in guanacolandia and their past military coups>? Why include El Salvador on that list.
Explain that one please. >?>?!>!
Ok Dan got it. Ya´ll have a nice weekend. Maybe Monday Mr. Z will be ´´bailando samba in Rio´´.
This article appears to suggest that the Supreme Court is trying to figure out a way for Zelaya to be reinstated in the least harmful way possible. The article cites nothing from the Supreme Court to support the suggestion, but notes that
"As Election Day approaches, however, Zelaya's return to power is seen as a necessary technicality to enable the vote to take place under a semblance of legitimacy, analysts said. No one seriously believes Zelaya can exercise any power, whether nominally reinstated for the election period or for a longer period until his term expires in January."
It strikes me that it would be very difficult for the Supreme Court to accept Zelaya's reinstatement, even for a brief period, without simultaneously declaring that its previous actions and those of the National Congress were improper under the Constitution.
It also seems, at least to me, that if Zelaya were to be reinstated but have no presidential powers, Honduras would be without an actual president. However, were the reinstated Zelaya to become head of the unity government, as he most likely would in the event of even a brief reinstatement as president, he could do quite a lot to disrupt the elections -- more than he can now sitting at the Brazilian Embassy.
No wonder I have lost all respect for politicians.
A some hemlock would have been more expedient.
Will this ever end?
Thank you so much of keeping us apprised of what is going on. It is heartening to hear that at least one US rep seems to understand what is truly happening. The imperialistic bullying of Honduras by the Obama administration has been beyond shameful.
Ex-President Zelaya announced on November 14 that "As the elected president of the Honduran people, I reaffirm my position that starting today, no matter what, I will not accept any agreement on returning to the presidency of the republic to cover up this coup d'etat. . . ." In a letter to President Obama, he stated "The future that you show us today by changing your position in the case of Honduras, and thus favouring the abusive intervention of the military castes ... is nothing more than the downfall of freedom and contempt for human dignity. . . It is a new war against the processes of social and democratic reforms so necessary in Honduras."
It would be interesting to leap forward about thirty years in time and see how history recorded the sorry efforts of the Obama administration to make friends with the leftists in Latin America, and then its belated change of course a couple of weeks ago. At the moment, it seems that its strategy didn't work very well, and that for any country to place its trust in the present U.S. Government would be foolish. I hope the U.S. Government does not back off in Colombia in an attempt to appease Chávez and his friends.
President Martinelli of Panamá has confirmed that Panamá will recognize the November 29 elections. He called upon the international community to do the same.
Zelaya sent a letter to President Obama late Saturday night in which he states that he no longer seeks to be re-instated as President of Honduras! It looks like he is preparing to go on exile! It's a great day for Honduras and democracy!
You have received the Gorgeous Blogger Award! A dear friend really brightened my weekend with this award, so I thought I would cheerfully pass it along to you! Rules: list six little-known facts about yourself, then recommend six more bloggers that deserve the title. http://witnessinghope.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/gorgeous-blogger-award/
Here is an analysis of the elections scheduled for Venezuela. It casts some light on what would likely happen in Honduras were Zelaya, whose mentor is Chavez, to be reinstated as president with the full power of the presidency.
LG -- if you proceed with the Gorgeous Blogger Award, I hope that Daniel down in Venezuela will be one of your six nominees. He clearly deserves it. I don't know whether he would qualify as "gorgeous," but I think that requirement should be waived. You keep us up to date on Honduras, and Daniel has been keeping us up to date on what's happening in Venezuela. Without both of you, we would have to rely on the "mainstream" media, which has done a miserable job.
Dan
Info question: Does anyone know of a blogger/blog site regarding Nicaragua that's similar to LG's or Daniel's?
Is LG ok?
Hello La Gringa, Haven't heard from you in a couple of days. 'Hope all is well. Would be nice if you mention that you are taking a little (well-deserved!) vacation if that's the case as your followers may become worried as your posts have been daily for so long. Thanks for all you do and have done!
Yes, I'm okay. Sorry if anyone was worried.
Anon 2:02, El Salvador is on the linked list as having FOUR coup d'etats.
Dan, thanks for keeping everyone informed. ;-) I will never understand why anyone believes that Zelaya would legitimatize elections. I almost wish that he would come back because I know he would prove us right by stopping them somehow, or at least trying to.
Emily, Audrey, Safariman, thank you.
Tambopaxi, I don't know of a blog, but Nicaragua Living has some interesting conversations. Someone there is very well informed about Honduras.
LG,
Six days have now gone by without anything happening in Honduras (politically) that was blog-worthy. That is a very good sign indeed.
Great article. I've been out of Honduras for several days (still am) and just now checked to see what the status was of the "Unity Government."
Zelaya will never honor any agreement, will use it only to further his ideals, greed, agenda and, therefore, no matter what everyone says (OAS/International), I am awed that the Hondurans in charge are sticking to their guns and not bending. Heck, OAS will not give in, why should Honduras who has a lot more to lose?
Guanaja Sharon
I guess waffles are better than apologies.
I have read some news mostly in Spanish and have a hard time understanding what is happening between Honduras and the El Salvador border. Seems one side stop letting some goods in the country and the other retaliated with simialr measures. Anyone with a good link or insight on this? I am concerend as a business owner within Honduras. These things effect the economy and we do not need anymore economic shocks. We need stimulus and lots of it.
One bit of good news a missionary group out of Arlington,Va has becoming to Comayagua to help with poor villagers in the mountains. In the summer they canceled trips based on State Dept travel message. I have heard that they are now planning a trip and coming again soon.
Dan,
Thanks for the link to the press conference transcript. I had to feel really sorry for the spokesman, Ian Kelly. That HAD to have been awkward!
When I, as a person, make a mistake (and I sometimes do), I have to suck it up, apologize and try to make right whatever damage I did. Without trying to sound naive, it would be nicer, and a lot simpler, if nations behaved the same way to one another.
Obama has been running around the world apologising for real and percieved American transgressions. Why shouldn't the State Dept. simply say, "We got it wrong initially and now that we know better, we are changing our policy appropriate to our new understanding of the facts."? It would be a whole lot easier for everyone than defending the idea that U.S. has not changed its policy, when it obviously has.
LG, Thanks for the info on Nica blogs. Take care, and we hope to see you soon!
According to BBC, the National Congress will decide on Zelaya's return in "early December" and therefore after the elections. Meanwhile, "Craig Kelly arrived in Honduras on Tuesday to meet the two sides, a spokeswoman for the US embassy in Tegucigalpa confirmed."
I wonder whether he brought the waffles along.
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