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Zelaya Makes Brief Honduras Return
Honduras' deposed president has made a brief return to his country from Nicaragua, nearly four weeks after he was forced from power in a military-backed coup.
Mr Zelaya says he remains the elected leader of Honduras. (AFP Photo) Manuel Zelaya walked from the Nicaraguan town of Los Manos to the
frontier on Friday, and walked a few metres beyond a chain marking the
border, before being blocked by Honduran army troops.
Honduras' security forces had been instructed by the country's military-backed interim government to arrest Zelaya if he entered the country, but they did not move against him.
After speaking to journalists, Zelaya then stepped back onto Nicaraguan soil, to await members of his family who are on the Honduran side of the border.
Political crisis
Mariana Sanchez, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Honduras, said: "He stepped into Honduran territoty, but is this just a metaphor? The significant thing would be if he went all the way to Tegucigalpa, the capital.
"Zelaya is showing his supporters that he is here, and that he is close to them. I think he will stay at the border for some time; his wife is coming to meet him and it is very difficult to get through the checkpoints to the border."
The deposed president's brief return to Honduras comes after mediated crisis talks aimed at reaching a negotiated settlement between Zelaya and the interim government failed.
He was removed from power as he was about to press ahead with a non-binding referendum that critics said was aimed at changing the constitution to enable him to run again for office.
Zelaya said the charter changes were necessary to improve the lives of the poor.
29 Comments so far
Show AllHe and a few commandos need to get back into Teguichugalpa, on foot via roadless areas, back roads and trails. The rural poor support him and will provide lodging food, and clandestine transportation along the way. He can then secretly orgainze a massive popular action and military mutiny, sweeping him into the presidential palace, where peoples councils will convene declaring the current repressive Capitalist constitution null and void!
Viva Zelaya! Viva Bolivarismo! Viva Socialismo para El Siglo XXI!
Unfortunately...Zelaya has done it all the wrong way with his brief personal "entrada" across the Honduran border earlier today. Perhaps the best way would have been to have "los presidentes" Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega, Rafael Correa, Evo Morales and the honorable Raul Castro by his side...providing clear transparency to the entire world as to "who" and "what" is fueling the impending flames of violence ready to destroy this poor Latin American country. It has been documented that Hugo Chavez is continually funding the ongoing protests by Zelaya supporters...with monies that belong to and are needed by the Venezuelan people. Is this "pit-bull" intervention by Chavez an example of what many of you believe is social democracy? Astonishingly, I have seen no posted comments regarding the multi-million dollar private luxury jet that Chavez has provided for Zelaya's flights to Washington, D.C., Costa Rica, Nicaragua etc. Why not? Whether you like it or not --- Zelaya is a total "Chavista!" Another one of Hugo's little puppets in his agenda to become the "DICTATOR of all LATIN AMERICA" --- not only Venezuela.
I applaud the unanimous decision made by the Honduran Supreme Court, the majority support of the Honduran Congress, and even Zelaya's own party members, to remove this lawless zealot from power for violating the Honduran Constitution and attempting to politically control the Honduran military by imposing "Chavez's" personal aspirations over the best interests of the Honduran people.
Day by day, Venezuelans are being stripped of their human rights such as forced constitutional amendments allowing Chavez to "run...run...run", new mandated passports offering stricter government control, the illegal and immoral arrests of serious political threats to his re-election, the recent forced "take-over" of 240 radio stations to now be controlled by those only supportive of his dictatorship, the unnecessary spending of billions of Venezuelans' dollars on Russian jets, submarines, navy ships, and an arsenal of military weapons --- the likes no other Latin American country has or needs, and the tremendous waste of his throwing Venezuelans' deserately needed funds all over the world to promote his "communist" agenda. Yes...now I clearly understand what many of you describe as "social democracy" --- perhaps we should have Fidel take over for Micheletti and everything will be fine!
Who has given me the right to share my opinions with others? It's called DEMOCRACY --- not "social democracy", that you now have in your native Venezuela. First of all, I live in Latin America and have enjoyed many years in Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia...and I don't want to see it destroyed by some DICTATOR. My only qustion for you is, "if Venezuela's social democracy is so great...then why are you living in Miami?" Perhaps if you went back to your "lengua nativa" Venezuela, you would have difficulty finding milk for your children....I'm sorry and sad to say.
The removal of term limits in Venezuela was done through an entirely democratic process. So why are you so indignant about it? Uribe in Colombia also had his term limits extended by referendum. He has also closed media outlets. Additionally, hundreds of union organizers are dragged out out of their homes and shot by Uribe-supporting death squads every year. But we hear not a peep about that. This idea that the is something wonderfully democratic about term limit is complete bullshit. Term limits serve to assure a government is rendered ineffective in providing a counter force against capitalist subjugation.
Obviously, you are a complete radical "Chavista" if you think that term limits were removed in Venezuela through an "ENTIRELY" democratic process. It's impossible to have objective, healthy discussions with individuals who believe this to be the truth. As far as the removal of term limits in Colombia...there will never be a comparison. Alvaro Uribe was swept back for his second term presidency in Colombia, even in the "primera vuelta", by the overwhelming will of the Colombian people in an unprecedented landslide victory. If I remember correctly, it was the powerful uprising of the university students that defeated Chavez's first attempt to remove term limits in Venezuela. However, it was only when oil peaked at $150 a barrel and Chavez had plenty of "plata" to throw all around to the poor people, that his second try was marginally successful. I guess it's true..."if at first you don't succeed, try, try again!" But don't identify this as "opportunistic capitalism."
If Chavez would stop acting like the "Banco del Mundo" and rightfully reinvest Venezuela's vast resources back to the Venezuelan people, he would have a much better chance at a successful "social democracy" ---- but he has elected to stupidly become the Napoleon of Latin America.
Bunk, bullshitter.
Uribe bribed congresspeople to approve his try for re-election.
And, in a flaming example of Colombian "justice", the folks who accepted the bribes went to jail, and Uribe back to the presidency.
There was never any uprising of university students in Venezuela. I was there, and the students who marched were given time out of class and higher grades for doing so--while Chavista students were threatened with failing, beaten and their building was set fire to to burn them alive.
Nice group of fascist murderers you are jacking yourself off to here.
Term limits are a good idea. They limit an individual's ability to entrench him or herself into a powerful position. Neither Uribe nor Chavez should be re-elected. If their parties have such wonderful ideas and the people like them, then other individuals within the party should be the candidates, and they'll get elected.
Excellent thought process!!!
With each passing day, as more information comes to light, the lameness of the coup and its supporters becomes more and more apparent. Yesterday CounterPunch published an article entitled 'Hypocrisy and the Honduran Coup". One salient piece of information included is the fact that the 2008 US State Department Human Rights report criticizes the Honduran Supreme Court - the very body whose rulings the coup supporters defend so vociferously - for " issuing 'politicized rulings' and contributing 'to corruption in public and private institutions'." The report can be found here
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/wha/119164.htm
The article itself is filled with lots more pertinent information -
http://www.counterpunch.org/landau07232009.html
Actually, I am a native US citizen living at the moment in Mexico. I do, however, spend a few months each year in Venezuela.
Things are not always what they are said to be by Fox News and the Miami Herald--a word to the ignorant pendejos to pull up your socks and stop smearing excrement on this site.
Native Tongue is the title of a Carl Hiaasen novel--for example.
Zelaya is fine so far, it ain't easy defeating a coup backed by a superpower.
And your absolutely right those banana pickers are lucky they get paid at all how dare Zelaya give them 10 cents more, poor Chicquita.
I guess Chicquita's looking to hire a few death squads to squash this popularism, as they did in Columbia( where Holder defended Chicquita) and Guatemala.
And damn that elitist why doesn't he make international flights in a Piper Cub like the rest of us.
galleriaking,
What threat to Democracy?
Chavez has nothing to do with the reason for the coup.
This was about the right of a non-binding referendum.
So I looked it up so that we could judge from facts instead of old Cold War propaganda:
"By nature of their effects, referendums may be either binding or non-binding. A non-binding referendum is merely consultative or advisory. It is left to the government or legislature to interpret the results of a non-binding referendum and it may even choose to ignore them."
It is the closest form of democracy for the people to vote on an issue and see how the majority feels. Honduras came out of domination of the US interests and Imperialism and every country should have the right to amend their constitution anyway.
The refusal/failure of the soldiers to arrest or otherwise detain Zelaya is a good sign.
This whole thing will break open if pro-democracy officers in the military take an open stand against the coup regime.
This is theatre in the classical sense of the term.
The ancient oriental game of GO - is perhaps a metaphor. The game is strategic engagement of how territory is defined and engaged.
The ceremony of play includes a particular grasping of the stone between the 3rd and 2nd digit tips and when, after discernment of the intersection of play, the stone (a small disk) is set on the board, it is done with a decisive and clear sound of stone on wood. It is a good and satisfying sound.
The territory here is no longer simply terra firma, but in relation to the hearts and minds of the entire world community. Zelayla is exercising discernment through a KO situation and enlivening the hearts of his countrymen and uncountable others. No coup can survive the symbol of what just occurred. He has shown them to be outlived - whether or not he ever returns to office.
It is also like a check mate. Whoever the 'handlers' are who slaveminded the coup, they still do not grasp the fundamental way that the world is changing. All the guns and power in the world are coming face to face with the inversion of the western model of dominance in the face of mother nature. Their will to control is fast becoming a matter of how to save face.
"TAP" "TAP" "TAP"
water slowly dripping on a stone eventually wears a hole.
Well put.
"Tap", "Tap", "Tap",
It's your "Tap", my "Tap", his "Tap", her "Tap", their "Taps".
Eventually it becomes a pretty unbeatable din, and the territory secured is, after all, only the survival of humans who are being crushingly exploited and opressed. The equilibrium must be restored to humans instead of corporations and their well heeled pundits.
Thanks your comment "old goat".
"Tap", "Tap", "Tap",
ZELAYA'S STRATEGY IS BRILLIANT.
He is mobilizing his supporters, and isolating and demoralizing the coup masters. He says he wants to take back power non-violently. Maybe he can. If his courage and patience, and the mobilization of the people, can win over large portions of the army, then the US trained officer corps will have been defeated without an armed conflict. Bravo!
In the meantime, let us hope that the OAS declares a moratorium on trade and aid to Honduras that even Hillary Clinton will be compelled to recognize.
The position of the US State Department can best be understood by this quote from Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley.
"We certainly think that if we were choosing a model government and a model leader for countries of the region to follow, that the current leadership in Venezuela would not be a particular model. If that is the lesson that President Zelaya has learned from this episode, that would be a good lesson."
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4652
Proof enough that the US government, or at least large parts of it, are complicit in the coup. US authority to "teach lessons" has never, in their minds, been limited by borders or boundaries.
But if President Zelaya can overcome the military, Latin America will have learned a lesson that is altogether different from what the State Department had in mind.
And since our friend Old Goat seems to be a Taoist, we can recall that, according to Sun Tsu, the greatest battle plan is one that never has to be fought. If Zelaya can bring it off, what a turning point it will be for the history of Latin America and for the world.
I agree. Every day that goes by weakens the legitimacy of Michelleti. I also see this border ploy as a way to draw the worst coup defenders away from the capital so the loyalists for Zelaya can deal with the bums in the supreme court and government. Zelaya is acting like a magnet to draw the coup bums away from his forces in the country. I'm also sure Zelaya is bargaining with Hillary to retain some or all of his social reforms in return for some corporate concessions. Zelaya is smart and the U.S. knows it.
A Latin American Socialist Ghandi would brighten everyones life.
Isn't Bishop Romero's and the four nun's martyrdom an indication of how far a Latin American Gandhi would get?
Isn't the martyrdom of Bishop Romero, Sister Maura Clarke, M.M, Sister Dorothy Kazel, O.S.U., Sister Ita Ford, M.M., and Jean Donovan an indication of how far a Latin American Gandhi would get?
Get Clinton,Obama and the rest of the so-called democrats to walk into Honduras with him.
I would rather it be Bachelet of Chile and Lula of Brazil.
Clinton, Obama and the rest of the so-called democrats are behind this coup.
It is inspiring to witness this democratically-elected and courageous Honduran leader, President Manuel Zelaya, return to Honduran soil to confront the disgraced rightwing oligarchy who've tried to depose him.
Thanks to CD for this coverage and forum.
FDR was almost overthrown by similar (rightwing) forces in our USA 75 years ago, according to Major General Smedley Butler, author of War Is a Racket.
circus
edweg
circus
edweg
During the coup in Haiti, the US said Aristede had to leave to country to avoid a bloodbath even before the coup action was completed. In this case, the US flips its argument and the says the (illegal) government in power is not responsible for potential violence, rather says the Zelaya is reckless, presumably for potential violence" if he tries to return to his legitimate presidency. In both cases, the US supported the coup.