Listening to Radio Globo

Eduardo Maldonado, Radio Globo

I was listening to Radio Globo, the "opposition" radio station that used to promote insurrection and violence. Radio Globo is also responsible for spreading many of the rumors that we've suffered through in the past four months − murders and kidnappings that didn't happen, invasions that didn't happen, power outages that didn't happen, not to mention the arrival of Mel Zelaya on several different occasions.

Eduardo Maldonado also was complaining about the US heavy artillery that arrived today. "Solo falta que Barrack Obama viene!" ("Only lacking is that Barack Obama comes!" they sneered.)

They were running a text message poll asking "Do you think that that the US commission will force Zelaya's return to power?". Not many votes, but the results showed that 60% didn't believe so. Keep in mind, this is the group who wants Zelaya restored to power and their audience has been led to believe for the past four months that Micheletti is a dictator who has no plans to turn over power. But their anger isn't only directed at Micheletti.

"Who are they to come here?! No hay un pueblo mas macho que el pueblo Catracho!" (There is no people more macho than the Catracho* people.)

Someone called in to suggest a question for tomorrow: Do you think with the help of the "gringuitos" (little gringos), Zelaya will be able to continue bothering our country? That received a chuckle.

Several others called in to say that voting on November 29 is the answer for Honduras. Then there was a long string of callers, who, interestingly, parroted almost the same message: "There are not conditions now for an election. I won't vote unless there is a constitutional government. Zelaya must be restored as president." The wording sounded somewhat stilted.

The announcer reported Barack Obama's position: That Hondurans are so repressed that he will only recognize elections if Zelaya is restored to office first. That was news to me.

The announcer also read parts of the letter dated yesterday from 16 Democratic US Representatives to President Obama, demanding that Obama take strong action to restore Zelaya. (You only have to read to the third paragraph to know how extremely misinformed those US representatives are!)

How is it that US diplomacy went so wrong that they have made enemies of both sides of Honduran issue?

Butt out! Let Honduras solve its own problem.

* What the heck is a Catracho?