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TechnoratiPresident Zelaya and the Audacity of Action
Manuel Zelaya, the democratically elected president of Honduras, is back in his country after being deposed in a military coup June 28. Zelaya appeared there unexpectedly Monday morning, announcing his presence in Tegucigalpa, the capital, from within the Brazilian Embassy, where he has taken refuge. Hondurans immediately began flocking to the embassy to show their support. Zelaya's bold move occurs during a critical week, with world leaders gathering for the annual United Nations General Assembly, followed by the G-20 meeting of leaders and finance ministers in Pittsburgh. The Obama administration may be forced, finally, to join world opinion in decisively opposing the coup.
How Zelaya got into Honduras is still unclear. He told the press Monday, "I had to travel for 15 hours, sometimes walking, other times marching in different areas in the middle of the night." One source inside the Brazilian Embassy said he may have hidden in the trunk of a car, successfully bypassing up to 20 police checkpoints.
Around dawn Tuesday, supporters who defied the government-imposed curfew outside the Brazilian Embassy were violently dispersed with tear gas and water cannons. Electricity, phone and water service to the embassy have been shut down, and the Honduran military has reportedly set up a truck with loudspeakers there, blasting the Honduran national anthem. On Monday, the Organization of American States (OAS) reiterated its call "for the immediate signing of the San Jose Agreement," the accord negotiated by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias calling for Zelaya's return as president, with members of the coup regime included in the government, and amnesty for anyone involved in the coup. Zelaya has agreed to the terms, but installed coup President Roberto Micheletti has rejected them.
After the June 28 coup, the OAS immediately suspended Honduras from OAS proceedings and called for Zelaya's immediate reinstatement. On June 30, the U.N. General Assembly issued a unanimous demand for "the immediate and unconditional restoration of power" for Zelaya.
Likewise, UNASUR, the Union of South American Nations, at its summit in Quito, Ecuador, formally denounced the coup. The OAS Inter-American Commission on Human Rights traveled to Honduras in late August and reported that demonstrations in support of Zelaya "were broken up by public security forces, both police and military, resulting in deaths, cases of torture and mistreatment, hundreds of injured, and thousands of arbitrary detentions."
President Barack Obama, on June 29, said clearly, "We believe that the coup was not legal and that President Zelaya remains the president of Honduras, the democratically elected president there." But subsequent action, or inaction, by Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has sent mixed signals. While Obama originally used the word coup, official policy pronouncements have avoided the term, which, if used, would trigger mandatory suspension of foreign aid. Instead, the Obama administration has deployed selective punishment of the coup regime, rescinding visas for Micheletti and other key coup figures, and halting a relatively token $30 million in aid.
Clinton said Monday, at a meeting with Costa Rica's Arias: "We just want to see this matter resolved peacefully, with an understanding that there will be the remainder of President Zelaya's term to be respected." The United Nations will most likely take action this week in support of Zelaya. Zelaya said Tuesday from the Brazilian Embassy: "The U.S. should respond and respect the OAS charter. The United States should call for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The United States should take every type of trade sanction measure in order to pressure this regime now in power in Honduras." Obama is expected to chair a session of the U.N. Security Council, marking the first time a U.S. president has done so. Costa Rica currently has a seat on the Security Council, and could in theory bring up the issue of Honduras. Then in Pittsburgh, where the G-20 is meeting to assess and act on the global financial crisis, Brazil's support for Zelaya may be a factor. Brazil, a G-20 member, is by far the largest economy in South America, and is a key ally and trading partner of the U.S. With tear gas wafting through the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, and a potential armed assault on it by the coup regime to arrest Zelaya, this week may force Obama and Clinton to finally help the people of Honduras undo the coup.
Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column.
18 Comments so far
Show AllHats off to Presidente Zelaya and Lula da Silva of Brazil! President Lula has stated that an attack on the Brazilian embassy by the de-facto govt. would be an act of war. Trying to arrest Zelaya in the embassy would be suicidal for the coup leaders.
South/Central American solidarity is acting without the blessing or cooperation of the Empire. This is a small but very significant event. La lucha contra el golpe continua hasta victoria y justicia
Well what do you expect? If you all had paid any attention during your history lessons, you would know that our perfect capitalist system requires new nations, new peoples, to exploit and murder. If we didn't already own Central America, it's amazing how few know we do own it all, including Mexico, if we didn't already own it all, you might have a point. But these are our people for exploiting, think pets here, and we have to rid these tropical backyards for sugar cane and soy and these people are in the way of our destiny. Our version of the Bible explains it. You know the parts about the savages and how we must tame these beasts. So quit your bellyaching and turn on HBO. I hear the new Entourage episodes are terrific.
US elites are not as hip to democracy on the American continent as they are democracy on the Asian continent. But USans are sure that bestowing another 130 million votes on US elites next election cycle will help them to act a little more sensibly, and please keep those 3.5 ton pickups and SUVs in a price range we can afford. And when are the 4 ton models coming out?
Of course, the US Government shouldn't chair anything regarding this matter in the UN, as the US Government was almost surely in on the coup to keep the evil US empire's military installations and personnel in Honduras as that empire keeps its military in over 130 countries. The USA should support whatever action is necessary to put the democratic government back in and to hold war crimes trials for these thugs.
AD
Of course, the US Government shouldn't chair anything regarding this matter in the UN, as the US Government was almost surely in on the coup to keep the evil US empire's military installations and personnel in Honduras as that empire keeps its military in over 130 countries. The USA should support whatever action is necessary to put the democratic government back in and to hold war crimes trials for these thugs.
AD
Of course, the US Government shouldn't chair anything regarding this matter in the UN, as the US Government was almost surely in on the coup to keep the evil US empire's military installations and personnel in Honduras as that empire keeps its military in over 130 countries. The USA should support whatever action is necessary to put the democratic government back in and to hold war crimes trials for these thugs.
AD
President Zelaya raised the minimum wage from $6 a day to $9 a day and did lots of things for the poor which did not upset those rich and powerful to any degree.
But when he pushed for the U.S. base to be turned into an international airport, and started a national assembly to rewrite the Constitution, then quick came the military coup.
No matter where Manuel Zelaya goes from here, the root causes of the coup will remain in place– unless a mobilized populace sees fit to eradicate the entrenched social and institutional position of fascism in Honduras. Clearly 'democratic' elections– closely monitored if not managed by the United States –will work by their very nature, to ensure the dominant structural continuity of the institutionalized fascist presence; 'voting' changes nothing. Ending the imperialist reality of an American Air Force base in Honduras is a symbolic and material imperative that cannot take place merely through Democratic elections.
Elections, no matter how 'democratic,' are never the answer in Latin America, as they serve only to mitigate or attempt to contain and neuter the force of a mass, spontaneous uprising demanding Socialism. Democracy serves to rationalize and legitimize fascism, not end it. In reality, only the Cuban model makes much sense, where fascist elements are either imprisoned, expropriated purged, destroyed or forced into exile.
Zero tolerance for fascism, means that fascist institutions or its local agents and collaborators have been neutralized and death squad culture eliminated. Other than best case scenarios, perhaps some kind of Neo-left 'Chavez' style system would be considered a real gain.
In no uncertain terms the American military presence must be ended, as it was in Ecuador. As long as that reality remains intact, Honduras will be considered 'occupied' under imperial hegemony. In trut, little more than a "Banana Republic" with all the attendant stigmata of Yanqui ownership by proxy.
Manuel Zelaya's "return" in itself means nothing without a concomitant upsurge from below. As it stands its value remains merely symbolic in defense only of electoral democracy. Amy Goodman puts her 'hopes' in how and what the United States does or decides; nothing could be worse. That scenario is just a sign that the coup will continue by other means. Commentators like Amy Goodman in celebrating "the return," are little more than 'lollipop' liberals, indulging in some premature triumphalism.–(Jill Bains)
*Note: This piece has been "cross-posted," with slight modifications, from a previous Common Dreams thread.
Agreed, capitalism is fascism and good for nothing but generating excessive wealth for those rich and powerful.
But 60% of those in Honduras have excessive wealth in relation to the 40% impoverished, they love the prestige and god-ego glory of it and want no change.
And trying to get the 40% least wealthy organized, faced with fellow protesters scattered dead and dying at their feed, is that not the bottleneck?
Our government, whether under Bush or Obama, fails to uphold the basic principles of democracy and liberty for all, especially when it conflicts with the will of the corporate elite.
We have had the two Bush selections (there is good evidence that he actually didn't win either election), and abuse of democratic principles whenever threatened by people outside of the two party corporate system (like the 'freedom zones and police obstructing by force the people's right to freedom of political expression; and denying Ralph Nader & Ron Paul participation in the debates etc).
Lets continue bailing out, with millions of our tax dollars, the very people who are responsible for the destruction of our social, economic, and environmental fabric necessary for viable living.
And as far as Mr. Zelaya is concerned, I don't know the complete details, but anytime there is a military coup and force to subvert the will of the people, it is a problem. Of course, nobody really cared when democratically elected president of Haiti was hauled off by our military.
What's up with that?
We in the US call ourselves a "Democracy", yet actions speak MUCH louder than words. Our reputation around the world (or our government's reputation!) as upholding authentic democratic values has eroded to the point that we--most deservedly-- are viewed more as a rogue state than as defenders of 'freedom' or 'the people'. Especially in Latin America, with the military/industrial complex's reign of terror in country after country and right now ESPECIALLY in Honduras, where thug-rule has gained traction for nearly TWO MONTHS now with nary a peep from our 'leaders' or our media which has been allowed to concentrate into the hands of the unhinged. While we still have gems like Amy and those dedicated to NON-faux news, we need to wake up and act... Come on, everybody, get out there and contact your members of Congress and urge them to stop sitting on their hands... tell Obama and Clinton it's time they did their JOB as mouthpieces for "Democracy" and actually defend it with actionable demands, both here at home and abroad! (program the White House # into your cellphone at 202-465-1111....This president SAID we have to "make him do it" didn't he?). Micheletti's de facto govt is turning his curfew into a state of siege with no regard for international law or human rights. Do we want this right-wing lunacy to spread throughout this hemisphere? DO we??? To urge the State Dept. to denounce the coup and work to restore Zelaya to his presidency, call 202-647-4000. This is not infotainment.... it could well be coming soon to a 'theater' near YOU.
Our capitalist government, with capitalist politicians giving unregulated freedom to rich and powerful capitalists to compete for excessive wealth, can it be transformed from the top down?
Capitalist Honduras, with reformist President Zelaya today being hit with teargas inside the Brazilian embassy in Honduras, by a brutal coup dictatorship that yesterday killed three peaceful protesters in Honduras, can he transform his government from the top down?
And so, if the tens of thousands of protestors now taking to the streets of Honduras, are able to transform their government from the bottom up in Honduras, can we not do the same here in Empire USA?
Bravo, Bravo , Viva Zelaya !
Yes Bravo and Viva.
If only any of our leaders had 10% of his initiative and physical and mental courage. And thank you Brazil.
Joe
Do we have ANY elected official in the US that could summon up the courage to do what Zelaya just did? South America is coming to life as the American Empire dies.
I've always had an intuitive feeling that Spanish would one day replace English as the language of international communication.
Are you saying that he has been inside the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa ever since the military took over Honduras? The man had to get back to Honduras somehow, don't you think? By a very long tunnel, perhaps?
Their national hero Zelaya standing on a grand balcony of the Brazilian embassy, and he speaking to tens of thousands of his followers packed for blocks around. And today Zelaya coordinates his revolutionary movement of several million, and prepares them all for mass protests and rebellion.
Surely not hiding is he, and not even paid actor Obama could muster such support on any day.