UPDATE ON THE CRISIS IN HONDURAS – 1 JULY 2009

INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS

The day was relatively calm in Tegucigalpa and the rest of the country. Demonstrations continue to be held in many parts of the country, both in favor and against the ousting of President Zelaya. The most significant gatherings occurred today in the northern town of Ceiba and in the southern town of Choluteca, both in support of Micheletti´s government. No significant incidents were reported.

A pacific demonstration of about 250 people was held this evening in front of the UN House to protest against the position taken by the Organization on the recent events, demanding that the organization hear their voices and support democracy in Honduras.

Mr. Micheletti appointed today new Ministers, bringing his cabinet to 90% completion. Some of them members of President Zelaya´s government.

The Supreme Court of Justice issued a special communiqué (annexed) for the national and international community, signed by all the judges, in which it explains the legal basis for the actions taken by the judicial institutions in the recent days, including the arrest and expulsion of President Zelaya. Paragraph 8 of the communiqué, in particular, states that the warrant of arrest issued by the Court against President Zelaya had remained secret until now.

The Armed Forces also issued a press note (annexed) in which they justified their actions as constitutional.

The National Commissioner for Human Rights, who supports the new government, has proposed to hold a referendum to ask the Honduran people whether they agree or not with the reinstatement of President Zelaya. Such solution seems, however, unfeasible both in legal and practical terms.

Public declarations by certain public officials, especially the appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, are escalating in tone against the OAS, the UN and foreign interference in general, and with much stronger emphasis against President Chavez of Venezuela.

Public media (radio, tv, newspapers) generally support the new government and the organization of entrepreneurs (COHEP) has also issued a statement of support to this. Certain media (TV channels and radio stations) that were pro-Zelaya, however, (a few local radios and one national tv channel in particular) remain closed or with limited transmissions.

Explosives devices were thrown yesterday night from a private vehicle against the buildings of the Supreme Court and the General Attorney, causing no victims.

INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS

The OAS General Assembly approved a resolution this morning condemning the coup d’état, reaffirming that that Manuel Zelaya is the constitutional President of Honduras and instructing the Secretary General to undertake diplomatic initiatives aimed at restoring democracy and the rule of law and the reinstatement of President Zelaya, threatening to suspend Honduras´ membership should these initiatives prove unsuccessful. The OAS Representative informed us that the SG will soon visit Honduras, accompanied by representatives of other countries (not Presidents).

Based on the above, President Zelaya (now in Panama) has announced his decision to postpone his return to Honduras until next Saturday.

The donors´ coordination group in Honduras (G-16) met today at the United Nations to review the situation. Spain, Italy and France informed that their Ambassadors have been recalled for consultations. Germany informed that the departure of its Ambassador was solely due to end of mission. IDB and BCIE have suspended disbursements; the WB is in a similar situation although for legal reasons it cannot use the word “suspension”. Other cooperation programs have not been formally halted but everyone has received instructions to avoid contacts with the new government.

The Honduran Ambassadors to the US and the EU appeared to have “switched sides” as they denied today that a coup had occurred in Honduras. President Zelaya has announced their destitution. Meanwhile, Mr. Micheletti´s Minister of Foreign Affairs has recalled the Ambassadors to the UN and OAS. Both Organizations however have clearly stated that they would not recognize other representatives.

HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES

The Congress has approved a Decree signed yesterday by Mr. Micheletti by which, pursuant to art. 187 of the Constitution, the curfew (now 10pm to 5am) is extended for 3 more days. Several rights are restricted during curfew hours, including the rights to personal freedom, free movement, free association and reunion, prohibition of arbitrary arrest. This has raised grave concerns among social and human rights organizations as they fear that this will facilitate repression by the army and the police against Mr. Zelaya´s supporters.

Unconfirmed reports continue to circulate regarding alleged abuses by the police and the armed forces, especially in rural areas, including arbitrary arrests, forced recruitment of youngsters, closing of local radio channels. The UN Resident Coordinator is in constant contact with the regional office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to inform on the situation.

UN SECURITY MEASURES

The UN offices were vacated this afternoon as a precautionary measure, due to the above-mentioned demonstration.

Phase II continue to be in effect countrywide. The UN continues to work with essential staff only.

Published: June 30, 2009

IN the weeks leading up to Honduras’s coup, President Manuel Zelaya,
an ally of Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, knew what he was doing. In
pushing the limits of democracy by trying to force a constitutional
change that would permit his re-election, he set a trap for the
military. The military fell for it, turning an unpopular president who
was nearing the end of his term into an international cause célèbre.

Although the coup has popular support in Honduras, it has also allowed
Mr. Chávez, who is leading the international response, to claim the
moral high ground. The coup leaders, who were trying to prevent Mr.
Chávez from bringing Honduras into his fold, may end up giving him
more strength in the region.

Mr. Chávez quickly came out in support of Mr. Zelaya. He threatened
Honduras with military action and went to Nicaragua, where a meeting
of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, the Caracas-led
alliance born as an alternative to the American-led Free Trade Area of
the Americas, was the perfect opportunity to take charge of the Latin
American pro-Zelaya effort.

The Organization of American States later condemned the coup (other
Latin American governments followed suit) and its secretary general
flew to Nicaragua, where a wider regional meeting was arranged. Mr.
Chávez sent an airplane to fly Mr. Zelaya to that gathering, even
welcoming him at the airport in Nicaragua’s capital, Managua.

Across the Spanish-language news media, the recurring image of the
last two days has been that of Mr. Chávez and his allies working
furiously for Honduran democracy. The United States’ more measured
response, and the low-profile stance taken by some South American
governments, have been lost amid the high-stakes campaign launched by
Venezuela’s caudillo.
This is not what Honduras’s establishment, horrified by Mr. Chávez’s
increasing influence, intended when it got rid of Mr. Zelaya. It is
also a pretty surreal turn of events for those who followed the career
of the deposed president. A member of Honduras’s landed oligarchy, Mr.
Zelaya came to power in 2006 as the leader of the Liberal Party, a
center-right organization. He was a product of the establishment: an
heir to the family fortune, he had devoted decades to his agriculture
and forestry enterprises, supported the Central America Free Trade
Agreement with the United States, and ran for president on a
conservative platform, promising to be tough on crime and to cut the
budget.

Around halfway into his term, however, Mr. Zelaya had an apparent
ideological epiphany and became an admirer of Mr. Chávez. He signed a
deal for a generous oil subsidy from Venezuela; last year he
incorporated Honduras into the Bolivarian Alternative for the
Americas. Soon enough, power went to his head.

As the general elections scheduled for November began to creep up, Mr.
Zelaya decided to hold a referendum with the ultimate aim of allowing
him to seek re-election. The move violated articles of the
Constitution that forbid changes to the presidential limit of one
four-year term and establish the legal procedure for constitutional
amendments. The electoral court, the Supreme Court, the attorney
general, Congress and members of his own party declared Mr. Zelaya’s
intention unlawful. Then, on Sunday, the military stepped in.

The ideal solution would be for Mr. Zelaya to return to power and
leave office next year, when his successor takes over. However, it is
doubtful that the coup leaders will back down. It is also unlikely
that, if he were triumphantly reinstated, Mr. Zelaya would give up his
re-election scheme. All of this almost guarantees a period of
illegitimate rule in Honduras — and of incessant exploitation of the
situation by Mr. Chávez, the unlikely champion of Jeffersonian
democracy in Latin America.Álvaro Vargas Llosa is a senior fellow of
the Independent Institute and the editor of “Lessons from the Poor.”

Llegue a tu blog buscando información sobre el BitCad (no encuentro la función “FIND” que si tenía en Autocad) hasta que revisé tus últimos post me enteré de varias cosas:
1.- Estás en Honduras.
2.- Eres experto en CAD (o por lo menos asi me lo pareces a mi)
3.- Odias a los políticos.
4.- Tu país esta pasando las de Caín.
5.- Te dedicas a trabajar, no hacer política o “grilla” (como le decimos en México)

Y otras cosas mas, pero como ya tengo que ponerme a trabajar… te comento:

Gracias por compartir tus conociminetos, nos ayudas a muchos… No entiendo bien a bien lo que pasa en Honduras, es mas, poco se de Honduras (creo que nada…disculpen…). Pero se que si los Hondureños quieren tal o cual gobernante o forma de gobierno ni la ONU ni USA ni nadie debe obligarlos. En fin. Eso suena a demagogia pura. Pura retorica izquierdista. Todos sabemos que si un presidente (especialmente latinoamericano) no le combiene a USA será invadido por “cascos azules”, “marines” o algo asi.

Mucha suerte y no se en que forma podamos apoyarte/los pero tu diras.

Saludos y muchas gracias.

Más mi queja es que todo este desmadre es por culpa de los políticos, unos por hacer, la mayoría por no hacer. Ahora todos estamos condenados por el mundo entero por intereses que están más allá de la palabra democracia.

Me pregunto, qué hará la ONU ante una situación así de polarizada y ser consciente que las posturas desde los dos extremos “mienten un poco” y tienen razón en mucho, por honor a la tolerancia. En el fondo, todos estamos de acuerdo con los fines, pero los procedimientos de ambos tienen muchas preguntas sin responder.

Quería agregar a mis comentarios anteriores sobre la actualidad de Honduras que cada pueblo tiene el derecho de elegir y forjar el destino que quiera. Tan convencido estoy de esto que, por ejemplo, me molestan las excusas norteamericanas utilizadas para justificar la invasión de países como Irak, con el fin en realidad, de hacer negocio.
El caso es que lo que ha pasado en Honduras merece un análisis más profundo y abarcador. Tú te estarás preguntando que qué me importa a mí lo que pasa en tu país. Pero el tema no pasa por ahí. Durante la última dictadura de Argentina me preguntaba desesperado e indignado, porqué ningún país desconocía al gobierno de facto y lo aislaba para quitarle poder. Y pienso entonces en la mayoría de tus compatriotas que evidentemente votaron a Zelaya. Qué estarán pensando. Y pienso en la cabeza retrógada de muchas minorías poderosas económicamente de Latinoamérica y cómo se deben estar babeando soñando en poder hacer algo parecido en sus países. Te quejas de los Organismos. Te pregunto: Si tú fuerzas Juez de la Nación y te enteras de un delito. Aunque nadie lo haya denunciado. Tú te enteras de él. ¿Qué haces? Pues tienes que actuar “de Oficio”. Porque eres Juez. Tienes la obligación de tomar partido. No puedes mirar para otro lado. Lo que ha pasado en Honduras, obliga a los organismos a expedirse. No les queda alternativa. Y adivina qué postura DEBEN tomar?.
Cada uno cree lo que quiere creer, no es cierto?. Yo te invito a que tomes tu camioneta y vayas a ver el puente al norte de la ciudad. Toma fotos de su rotura. Estoy seguro que con tu ojo de profesional del catastro podrás ver si lo rompió la crecida (de la que debe haber muchas marcas) o fué volado con explosivos por los militares. No creas que “de afuera” no tenemos ni idea de lo que pasa. Quizás un lector español joven pueda no “tener idea” de lo que pasa en tu país. Pero la gente de Latinoamérica que conocemos los mecanismos de ciertas minorías para conservar el poder, sí sabemos qué pasa. Es una cuestión de consciencia Alvarez. Tú mismo lo reconociste en el primer post. No se puede seguir viviendo con deuda social. El que oculta la verdad sabe que está equivocado.
Gracias por publicar todos mis comentarios. Después de todo, es tu blog…