The United States has given the lawfully deposed President of Honduras full support, after giving meager support to the Iranian protesters.
Over the weekend, Honduras was about to hold a referendum on whether its Constitutional prohibition against a sitting president running for a second term should be modified. The referendum was proposed by President Zelaya, whose term in office expires next year; an election is to be held in November. …
Article comments
276 - handyguy
The fact that Sec. Clinton seems to have helped broker a mediation by Costa Rica's Arias seems somewhat promising. And it certainly doesn't seem to promote Chavez's influence much.
The Op-Ed in the Times, which has been unreasonably attacked and misrepresented here [possibly by people who didn't bother to read it] is actually fairly close to Dan's point of view, minus the ideological distaste for Chavez and the gratuitous slams at Obama.
The 'middle-class' interpretation was my own; I meant politically active, literate people like the journalist who wrote it.
277 - Dan(Miller)
I spoke an hour or so ago with a "middle class" Panamanian. He has a gut feeling -- and seems to hope -- that the United States Government, well behind the scenes, is doing what it can to resist Zelaya and Chavez, without appearing to do so. I hope that he is right.
Dan(Miller)
278 - Clavos
I meant politically active, literate people like the journalist who wrote it.
Still only a minuscule group in the overall population.
The majority of Hondurans lead far too hardscrabble an existence to concern themselves with much beyond acquiring the basics necessary to sustain life.
279 - Dan(Miller)
That's why I put "middle class" in quotation marks, and that's how I used it. I sense that there is a larger "middle class" here in Panama than in Honduras, but have nothing to support that feeling.
Dan(Miller)
280 - Bliffle
Michael Krasny (as usual) had an interesting discussion on KQED the other morning about the Honduras situation. Here's a link to the audio for those who didn't hear it:
FORUM
Interesting, as always.
281 - Héctor
I am a Honduran and my opinion is that Mr. Dan´s article is strong and well founded, in Honduras there was no coup, only the removal of a want to be dictator, who thought he was above the Law.
What is highly concerning is Mr. Obama support of Zelaya, a pseudo neo-communist and Chavez´s puppet (a highly well paid puppet). That is meddling into Honduras’ internal affairs.
And the point is correct, why Honduras is being sanctioned by the US? And why the restitution of a loony is strongly pushed by Mr. Obama and Mrs. Hillary Clinton?
I have not heard or read about the US calling for sanctions against Chavez or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. No doubt about it, there is a clear double standard.
Worst yet, Honduras has been an allied of the US in Central America, but clearly Chavez an enemy of the US daily is calling Americans: “Yankees de mierda, vayanse a la mierda”.
Even worst, Chavez has not hiden his intentions about establishing strong relations with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a very dangerous combination for the US security.
282 - Cynthia in San Pedro Sula
I live in San Pedro Sula, Cortes, Honduras. I am an American ex pat. So I would like to weigh in here. It is correct that Zelaya ignored a Supreme Court ruling and was removed as a consequence of this. Can you imagine the dangerous precidence of a US president ignoring Supreme Court rulings he doesn´t like? Bush with Roe v Wade, Obama with the Second ammendment, ect..what if horrors, Buchanan ever did win the presidency and decided to disregard presendence of the 14th ammendment and Brown v Board of Education...and reinstitute the pattern of discrimination that occurred in the 50´s with segregation..
There are very good reasons for the seperation of powers...especially in countries like Honduras. Allowing a president to ignore his Supreme Courts ruling because he doesn´t thing them correct is laughable and scary at the same time.
Who is the Supreme law the president or the Supreme Court? In both the US and Honduras the Supreme court has the final say on all constitutional issues.
If he wanted to get around constitutionality he could have hired Gallup to do a poll...it wasn´t a poll though it was a referendum which he didn´t have the power to do and changing the constitution was even further out of his power. These powers rested in the hands of Congress. The Supreme Court ruled him constitutionally out of order and he said clearly he didn´t care...he suffered the consequences.
Sure one could argue about the scary big guns, but they are a fact of life here. The military and the police and security detail for private businesses all carry assault weapons on a regular basis...we are used to them and they don´t frighten us or signal a repression of any sort...they are equalizers to criminals who have Uzis and Ak-47´s. This is commonplace to say the least..you could argue taking him out of the country is wrong opposed to arresting him and trying him but there are many factors you must concider...
1. Given the situation now do you really think it would have been prudent to keep him in the country? Further with the stance of Alba members it is likely they would have sent guerilla fighters in to release him.
2. Article 42 of the constitution says that the acts he committed including the violation of 239 would remove his citizenship.
3. The possibility of had they waited that he had press releases already in possession that would have disolved congress and the supreme court immediately taking us into a Constitutional assembly that would have also extended his rule for two years. His press release also announcing the cancelation of elections until after the two year period of the constitutional assembly...can you imagine the blood letting over that one?
283 - Rubicon
Zeyala was arrested & exiled. Exile was NOT what the military was told to do. They were to detain him. Those officers now face Honduran courts for allowing Zeyala to go into exile. The military guys were afraid Chavez planned to send in troops to free Zeyala so they sent him to Costa Rico. Not a good idea, but not a bad one either. It was understandable if they feared Venezuelan troops coming in. After all, those nightly plane landings from Venezuela transporting illegal drugs to America left the military w/ the feeling that Chavez may try almost anything. The military figured, no Zeyala, no reason to send in troops.
Zeyala openly & notoriously violated the Honduran Constitution, which also calls for the ouster of the President if he attempts to change the constitutionally mandated term limit of the presidency.
Are we against constitutions, or are we against ouster of elected officials who represent policy ideals we support or like, such as socialism? An election does not a democracy make. Hamas proved that. Honduras has a functioning constitutional republic. Why would we tell them to violate their own constitution? And why would we stipulate now that we will not recognize a future election? What's w/ Zeyala saying he wants his days out of office to be credited to his current term?
A thug got pushed out by a people who believe in freedom & the law of their land. Let em alone & stop punishing them by pushing them around by refusing aid we already promised to that nation... NOT that specific president that apparently Obama likes.
284 - Dan(Miller)
Here is an article I wrote a few days ago and which, I hope, puts the recent United States Government action against Honduras in perspective.
Here is another which adds additional perspective.
Dan(Miler)
285 - Mark
Hi ya, Parenthetical Dan. How goes your struggle over your land?
Hope you're enjoying life over at PM. A bit 'child-mild' and one sided for my tastes, but 'to each his own' as They say.
ps - as has been pointed out in the comments section to your article over there - Obama is Lenin.
286 - Dan(Miller)
Mark,
Our land struggle continues. The gate was locked by Citricos on 16 July. The mayor authorized us to remove it and we did. The next day, Citricos came with some earth moving equipment and dug a ditch about 6 feet deep, 7 feet wide and the width of the road. Then, the community got together and filled in the ditch. That evening, Citricos came with its equipment and dug three ditches of the same dimension.
Now, President Martinelli has taken an interest and the new Governor is on the case. We hope for a favorable resolution soon, or at least by ???.
We've pretty much worked out the logistics, and with help from a bunch of friends, local and Gringo, it isn't too bad. During a brief period just after the first ditch had been filled in, Jeanie managed to get out to do a major grocery shopping. By the time she got back, the three new ditches were in place making the road impassable again. So, we got the car unloaded, took the provisions to our house by wheelbarrow, and our car is now at the home of some friends only about 1 KM away. It's a bit of a bother, but that's life.
And, it gives me a bit more time to write.
Dan(Miller)
287 - Mark
I don't understand what Citricos hopes to gain from this confrontation. Is there much of a chance that the government will deny the traditional right of way setting some kind of precedent for the Co?
288 - Dan(Miller)
Mark,
We've been trying to figure out Citricos' motivations for a long time and haven't been successful. Personally, I think that the Colombian owner of the company has long had his way and personally resents any challenge. We are challenging his power.
No, I don't think the current Panamanian Government will "deny the traditional right of way." The former government might have tried to do so, but it's gone and President Martinelli (who won the election 61:36 and now has a popularity rating in the 70s) is going after corruption big time. Things tend to move slowly here, but resolution of our problem is on the fast track due, to some extent, to the interest he has taken in the matter.
SO, we are keeping our fingers, legs, eyes and toes crossed and hoping for the best.
Dan(Miller)
289 - Mark
Sounds like you're paying the price for the election results and the change in the 'weather' down there.
290 - Cindy
Dan(Miller),
Best wishes for your defeat of the the corporate usurper, comrade. Did you get a tape player yet?
(just wondering how your sense of humor compares)
:-)
291 - Mark
guffaw out loud
292 - Dan(Miller)
Cindy,
Thanks. The tape player is on our list, but getting the essentials (food for us, food for our dogs, food for our horses and that sort of thing) takes priority right now. Soon, I hope.
Dan(Miller)
293 - Cindy
Citricos SA Panama is holding people hostage in rural Panama
Citricos SA a Panama corporation is holding two retired americans, Dan a Jeanie Miller and at least three Panamanian citizens hostage on their farm. Citricos in violation of both a judicial and political order has cut three large trenches across the right of way used by these people to access the rest of the world.
A picture of the trench is featured.
294 - roger nowosielski
That's news, the Paranthetical Dan against the corporate usurper. What is this world coming to? Can we dare hope?