Honduran crisis - the day before the election

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Some of the issues that Hondurans believe should have
more priority than the cuarta urna
Photo: La Prensa, Honduras June 24, 2009

Today on Saturday morning, the day before the illegal election being forced by President Mel Zelaya, the TV stations were quiet, showing cartoons and other fluff programs. The government-run propaganda channel is showing reruns of yesterday's interviews.

Yesterday, Zelaya retracted the firing of General Romeo Vásquez Velásquez as was ordered by the Supreme Court and the National Congress.

Ex-generals of Honduras issued a strong joint statement declaring support for General Vásquez, the constitution, and the laws of Honduras. In his usual insulting fashion, Hugo Chávez, president of Venezuela, called the general a gorilla.

The congressional order to confiscate the election materials was ignored. Election materials are being delivered to voting locations, not by the military as was originally planned, but by Zelaya supporters and police.

Ramón Custodio, Commissioner of Honduras Human Rights organization, Elvin Santos, presidential candidate of the Liberal Party (Mel's own party), churches, and several other organizations and prominent people urged citizens not to participate in the illegal election. Aaron of Pensieve calls boycotting the election a suicide tactic based on what happened in Venezuela.

The Honduran military is out in full force, as shown on Channel 10 news, who reported that they are guarding entrances to the capital, Tegucigalpa, and the borders. Channel 12 noon news and La Prensa just reported that Nicaraguan military are now in Honduras.

At 1:37 p.m., an announcement was made on the propaganda channel that these are merely observers of the election as is completely normal.

At 1:28 p.m., El Heraldo reported that pobladores (citizens) are fighting off Nicaraguan and Venezuelan troops -- up to with machetes! -- to keep them from entering the country! The TV stations have nothing! Very frustrating that I can not find any more details about this!

Several ironies in this crisis

What we have here is not a case of white knight(s) standing up for democracy and defying the president. What we have is the corrupt national congress and the corrupt judicial system backed by the corrupt oligarchy attempting to fight the corrupt executive. The military, which has had its own share of corruption in the past, seems to be trying to stay neutral. If only there were a group of white knights that the people could believe in.

Another irony is that both sides are accusing the other of the exact same things. "What they are doing is illegal." "They are against democracy." "They are trying to manipulate the voters." For months, both sides have been accusing the other of trying to destabilize the government.

A personal irony is that I agree 100% with much of President Zelaya's words to the people, though I don't believe that he means what he says or that a change in the constitution would result in those improvements. People do need a voice. People should have the right to be heard. People should have a right to a dignified life. People should have the right of free speech without fear of retaliation or lawsuits. The courts only impart justice for the powerful, the rich and the bankers. All those statements and many more are true! The problem I have is that if Mel Zelaya really believed them, why hasn't he taken any action to address or correct these issues in the past 3 1/2 years? It isn't the constitution stopping him. Operation scissors, grey telephone traffic, the Hondutel bribe scandals, and several attempts to control the media are only a few examples of situations in which he has acted to support the rich and corrupt, not the citizens of Honduras.

God is on my side

Increasingly, President Zelaya is bringing God, the bible, and the virgin Mary into the conversation with the people, even comparing himself to Jesus dealing with Judas. He and his wife and daughter have stated that he is doing God's work on the government propaganda channel.

"Nobody is going to take away my legal authority because the people, who are the voice of God, are with me" was one recent statement by Mel Zelaya. "Every check that every mayor, congressman, and functionary is because I give it to them", said Mel. "I'm the one who is responsible for what happens at the end of the month....from where the money comes to pay them, who gets subsidies, what works get performed. Don't forget that. I'm the executive. You owe me obedience and gratitude."

Reader conversations

For some very strong Honduran and other views, see the reader comments here.

A reader wrote: "Chávez, Chávez, Chávez. Why are you trying to play the Chávez card?" Huh? Why is La Gringa trying to play the Chávez card? I beg to differ. Chávez played the Chávez card! I saw him myself on television − on the government propaganda station − in his own words, while he wagged his finger threateningly. The newspapers have quoted him accurately and I can say that in my personal opinion, he appeared even more threatening than his printed words.

Another reader wrote that the caricature posted in the last article was typical of the big business attempts to discredit Mel Zelaya. The truth is, as noted in the original article, that caricature came from Revistazo.com, the most anti-big business media outlet in Honduras. Revistazo writes stories about business abuses that are not carried in any of the other Honduran newspapers. The editor of Revistazo won an award from Amnesty International. I highly recommend that Hondurans read the recent articles about the diputados (congressmen) running for reelection in November and the amounts of cash they have received.

Rumors

Rumors have been flying that Venezuela has already sent troops to Nicaragua where they are standing by to assist Mel Zelaya. A different rumor is that both Venezuelan and Nicaraguan troops are already in Honduras. Yesterday, a Honduran ex-general made a strong statement to reporters directed at Hugo Chávez basically stating that Chávez needs to keep his troops out of Honduras, that we are a sovereign nation and we don't want him meddling in our affairs.

Rumors also state that the election has already been decided as supporters have been collecting "votes" for days or weeks. One report is that they already have more signatures than the entire number of votes − for both parties − in the primary elections which were held earlier this year. Also rumored is that the Honduran constitution has already been rewritten in Venezuela and that the election materials were printed in Venezuela.

Sound bites

If only 'sound bites' were a known concept in Central America! My head is exploding from listening to long winded speeches and reading rambling news articles. It is difficult to digest everything and spit out nice, neat, meaty tidbits for readers. Additionally, what is reported as fact one day then sometimes is reported the next day as a rumor only.

Hugo Chávez threatens to intervene in Honduras

Hugo Chávez, 10-year president of Venezuela
Photo: La Prensa, Honduras

The brewing crisis in Honduras is receiving some attention from the English-language international media:

Wall Street Journal: Honduras Lurches Toward Crisis Over Election

CNN International: Honduras president challenges government over referendum

BBC online: Honduran leader defies top court

Newsday: Honduras lurches toward constitutional crisis pitting president against military, courts

Revista Envio has an indepth article: What's behind the fourth ballot box?

Miami Herald: Congress asks Organization of American States to withdraw from election observation. Why you might ask? Because it only serves to legitimatize an illegitimate election. These international election observers do a lot of harm to countries like Honduras by falsely reporting "democratic" elections that are not by any stretch of the imagination democratic.

Honduran online newspapers are doing an excellent job of updating virtually minute by minute as new events occur.

The national congress met until late into the night with the building surrounded by police and military guards. The congress named a special commission to investigate the acts of the president. They will be deciding whether the president should be removed from his position. Zelaya responded by saying that the congressmen, particularly president of the congress, Roberto Micheletti, should be investigated.

Banks, many businesses, and some schools closed early on Thursday for fear of violence in the capital city of Tegucigalpa.

Grocery stores, at least in Tegucigalpa, were full as people prepare for the worst. Similarly, long lines were formed at ATMs and gas stations and fuel shortages are feared.

A gigantic protest march is planned for tomorrow.

TACA airlines is reported to have canceled flights to Honduras, at least until June 29. It is unclear whether this is related to TACA's L.38 million unpaid debt to the government or the potential for civil unrest or some other reason. The government has been threatening to suspend TACA's permission to operate since March.

Authorities of the National University (UNAH) declared that there will be no classes tomorrow until the political turmoil is resolved, but later in the night, the Minister of Education announced that all schools would be in session normally.

Citizens interviewed on the news expressed worry and fear about what is going to happen. Disappointingly, in interviews by a La Ceiba television station, several citizens, particularly women, reported not understanding anything about the situation.

It was unclear whether election materials were confiscated by the Attorney General's agents, whether they were turned away by the military or whether more election materials were delivered today by the Venezuelan plane mentioned in the last article. President Zelaya and his followers whooped and hollered as they passed the boxes across the top of the crowd. Zelaya promised that the military or police would be delivering the materials to the election sites tomorrow.

Most disturbing of all

Most disturbing are these quotes from Hugo Chávez who advised with finger pointing that "The revolutionary governments of the region are not going to stay with their arms crossed during an intent to overthrow Zelaya". "We are disposed to do what we have to do to respect the sovereignty of Honduras and the wishes of the Honduran people", affirmed Chávez, after revealing that in the last hours he has talked about the situation in Honduras with his colleagues from Bolivia, Evo Morales, and Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega. Morales, Ortega, and Fidel Castro, ex-president of Cuba, all announced their support for Zelaya.

"In service", an irreverent cartoon from Revistazo.com expresses the sentiments of many Honduran citizens:

La Cuarta Urna (The fourth ballot box)

No! to 'Sí a la cuarta urna'
Citizens make their wishes known

by tearing down an election billboard
Photo: El Heraldo, Honduras

By popular request, I'm going to try to hit the highlights of an extremely crucial issue affecting the future of democracy in Honduras. It's very difficult to condense hundreds, maybe thousands, of newspaper articles, media reports, and the constitution of Honduras in a blog article, so please understand that this article is only offered as a brief overview of what has been happening and is going on at this very moment. For more details, see La Prensa, El Heraldo, and La Tribuna, which are being updated minute by minute.

Ostensibly, Honduran President Mel Zelaya's proposal to have a fourth ballot box in the November elections for the purpose of allowing the citizens of Honduras to have a say regarding whether or not the constitution should be revised sounds like a democratic measure. At first glance, an uninformed reader might think that those opposed to allowing citizens to vote on the issue are the anti-democratic ones.

The reality is just the opposite.

Continuism

The real motive behind this issue is widely believed to be to change the constitution to allow Mel Zelaya to continue in power as president, a la his amigo Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. The constitution expressly prohibits this and declares any efforts to change those parts of the constitution as illegal and punishable by criminal action.

Most worrying has been the several secret meetings reported over the past months between President Zelaya and the military commanders. Fear that Zelaya would use the military to enforce his will has been widespread. The national congress and media have repeatedly called upon the military to do the 'right thing,' i.e., uphold the current democratic constitution and not perform illegal and unconstitutional acts for anyone, including the president.

Vagueness

No specifics whatsoever are being given as to what exactly should be changed in the constitution. Vague promises of making the constitution "more democratic" are being given. Because of the high level of propaganda (hundreds of millions of lempiras have been spent while the pobladores go hungry and homeless), people have the idea that somehow they will be sharing the wealth (via socialism?) or that the changes will somehow affect corruption − ironic since Mel Zelaya is widely proclaimed one of the most corrupt presidents in the history of Honduras.

On the state-run propaganda television station, Zelaya makes disparaging comments about how the constitution is "27 years old!", thus implying that it is horribly outdated. Concerted efforts have been made to make this an issue of the poor (about 70% of the population) against the rich business owners (of which he is one). The primarily uneducated poor are being easily manipulated with empty promises. There has been no indication that the people will be allowed to approve or disapprove of any recommended constitutional changes. They are merely being offered the opportunity to give a blank check to those in power.

The actual plan put forth by Zelaya is that a constitutional committee (hand-selected by him no doubt) will review and decide the changes in the constitution. I've read the constitution and in my opinion, the problem is not the constitution, but the lack of transparency and the corruption in the way the laws are enforced, or more accurately, in the way that laws are not enforced in Honduras against the rich and corrupt.

Every step of the way, Zelaya's plan has been declared illegal − by popular opinion, by legal professionals, by the attorney general's office, by the national congress, by the lower court and the supreme court. In an effort to legitimatize the fourth ballot box, Zelaya's latest plan is to hold an official public poll this Sunday, June 28, to allow the people to vote yes or no on whether to have the fourth ballot box. This effort also has been declared illegal, but seemed to be going forward with the support of the Honduran military.

Newspaper reports

The 2009 budget has not been approved by the President, resulting in government organizations who are strongly against the 4th ballot box, such as the National Congress and the Ministerio Publico (Attorney General) not being paid in an effort to force submission to the President's will.

Citizens are being denied government-provided medical care unless they promise to vote for the 4th ballot box.

Government employees against the 4th ballot box are being fired.

For the past months, high government officials have been taken away from their duties to campaign in outlying parts of the country. At least one threat of cutting electricity was made to a municipio whose mayor, with the support of citizens, has protested strongly against the issue.

Rumors

Rich and "important" people, including Mel Zelaya's entire family, have left the country.

Though popular opinion seems to be strongly against the referendum, fear is that the outcome of the election, in the way of Central American elections, has already been decided. Mel Zelaya admitted to the media that he won his presidency because of corruption and frankly stated that that is the way it is in Honduras.

Votes are for sale

L. 500 (about US $26) is the going rate for peon votes. The price, of course, is much higher for those with influence − government contracts, important positions in the government, and outright cash payments are common methods of gathering support. An example is cash payments of L.1,000,000 (US $53,000) to congressman greased the way to approval of the ALBA treaty with Venezuela.

El Jefe and I personally have talked to many people who admit they know nothing of the issue but say they will gladly vote either yes or no for L.500. He has also talked to many who do understand the issue but will still sell their patrimony for the right price. The saddest part of all is that these opinions are offered as completely normal and rather than being something shameful, it is considered good business. "If you can't fight the corruption, you might as well make something for yourself."

Current events in the past 24 hours

Late last night, Mel Zelaya fired Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, Chairman of the joint military forces. The civilian Secretary of Defense and generals in charge of the Army, Navy, and Air Force resigned in support of the chairman.

In a special emergency session today, the National Congress declared the firing illegal and ordered the general back to work. The supreme court immediately ratified this measure. The immediate decommission of all election materials for Sunday's election was ordered.

Just minutes ago President Zelaya held a press conference stating that the congress and supreme court are performing illegal acts against democracy and the people of Honduras. He strongly proclaimed that NO ONE was going to stop the election on Sunday. He seemed to be whipping up people into a frenzy and invited all who had vehicles to follow him to a private place for further discussion....and that was the end of the public press conference.

The emergency session of the congress was then suspended for reasons of security. Meanwhile, agents of the Attorney General entered a military-guarded area to take control of the election materials.

Simultaneously, the President and a caravan of supporters were also on their way to the military base where the election materials are held.

A Venezuelan airplane just landed in Tegucigalpa. Whether this is to provide support for Zelaya or to whisk him and his family away to Venezuela is not known.

When I see the protests going on in Iran right now, I can't help but think that we may be seeing something like this in Honduras. The difference is that it would not get the same international media attention because Honduras is just not that newsworthy to the rest of the world.

Recommendations from many are that people should stock up on food and gas and stay close to home as much as possible. Visitors ask if they should come or they should leave − the answer is that no one knows what is going to happen.

I received the photo below from someone who questioned whether this "revolution" may have been a long standing dream of Manuel Zelaya.

Young Mel Zelaya?