Honduras: Political Crisis Over Controversial Referendum
Honduras is going through one of its most difficult moments of its political history. Honduran President Manuel Zelaya removed General Romeo Vásquez Velásquez as Chief of the Armed Forces [es] and accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Edmundo Orellana Mercado. The announcement was made after meeting with military leaders of the armed forces to seek protection of the polls for the referendum that has been promoted by the executive branch to be held on Sunday, June 28, 2009. This referendum will decide whether or not a Constituent Assembly is convened in order to write a new Constitution.
General Vázquez Velazquez found himself in a difficult situation, because the request or order of the President as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, contrasted with the conclusion reached by both the National Congress and the Supreme Court, that the referendum is illegal. Soon after the removal of General Vázquez Velazquez, Army Commander General Miguel Garcia Padgett, commander of the Naval Force, Rear Admiral John Paul Rodriguez, and Air Force commander, General Luis Javier Prince Suazo resigned from their posts.
In the streets of cities such as Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, there is prevailing tension and anxiety of not knowing what will happen next, with charges of a coup d'etat and lack of support of democracy in the country, from both supporters and opponents. This is seen most in the capital of Tegucigalpa, where businesses and schools were closed, gas stations and supermarkets full of people looking for supplies, and a military presence on the streets to prevent disturbances.
Hondurans have been using their blogs and social networking sites like Facebook, Blipea and Twitter to give their thoughts on the situation and to inform the country and world about the course of events.
Irina Vanessa Orellana of La Vida es Bella Aunque No Me Creas [es] writes this post to document what is happening:
Escribo este post, principalmente para dejar una huella en la historia que estamos viviendo, esperando dentro de poco tiempo poder leer el mismo, con la satisfacción de que sólo estamos pasando por un mal momento, esperando que lo que se viene, no sea nada parecido a lo que otros latinoamericanos ya tienen en Venezuela o Nicaragua….escribo con el miedo que muchos y muchas hondureñas estamos sintiendo, al ver que este frágil sistema democrático se nos está yendo de las manos. Ojalá que no pase nada peor!
However, there is a great deal of criticism for Zelaya. David Morán of El Catracho [es] writes that the president's actions are not helping the current Constitution:
El irreversible presidente que tenemos arguye que nuestra Constitución ha sido pisoteada por los grupos facticos del país; pero él, en vez de hacer que se respete, pretende, luego del ultraje a que ha sido sometida, darle el tiro de gracia y asesinarla, esto con el fin de instaurar una asamblea constituyente que redacte otra, una que emule el sistema de represión socialista y paternal que existe en Cuba, sumiéndonos en una situación peor a la actual donde todos corremos el riesgo de perder nuestras libertades individuales.
However, there are some supporters of the referendum, like the blogger at Honduras en el Mundo [es] who writes that voting is a way to find out about how much support there is and that people should just vote “No” if they do not agree. He also criticizes the opposition for “campaigns of terror” and the hints of a coup for opposing the change that many people want. In addition, Juan Carlos Rivera of Mirada de Halcon [es] criticizes the media and the press for their role:
En Honduras, como siempre ha ocurrido, la prensa, controlada por grupos conservadores, recurre a las herramientas más burdas para frenar cualquier movimiento que implique un cambio de la estructura política puesto que supone, para ellos, la pérdida de privilegios, comodidades y recursos materiales, obtenidos, en la mayoría de los casos, de manera irregular.
This developing crisis in Honduras is not getting the media exposure that other countries receive like Iran, writes La Gringa's Blogicito.
Olga Iris Mencia B. of Hibueras [es] provides the opinion that the events in Honduras are necessary to wake the country up and wonders about its future:
Lo que está pasando ahora en el país es lo que debe ser. Sin cambiar un ápice, con las renuncias debidas, con las destituciones dadas, con el apoyo de la gente, con las burlas de las oligarquías, con la indiferencia de la inconsciencia, con la movilización armada oficial, con los enojos del legislativo, con la corruptela tradicional del poder judicial, con el presidente y su personalidad. Cada hecho es un paso hacia el fortalecimiento de la soberanía. Cada hecho es un paso más hacía la agudización de la crisis, a ver más claro que la ciencia es ciencia y que la historia es irreversible aunque se juzgue cíclica, Que pasará en Honduras?
La historia se escribe cada día.
What is happening now in the country is what should be happening. Without changing one detail, with the due resignations, with the removals, with the support of the people, with the mockery from the oligarchies, the indifference of unconsciousness, with the mobilization of the armed officials, with the anger of the legislature, with the traditional corruption of the judiciary, the president and his personality. Each event is a step towards the strengthening of sovereignty. Each event is a step towards the exacerbation of the crisis, to see more clearly that science is science, and that history is irreversible event though it is judged to be cyclical. What will happen in Honduras?
History writes itself each day.
15 comments
Estados Unidos esta lleno de Hondurenos, Salvadorenos, Nicaraguences, Guatemaltecos que ha venido arriesgando la propia vida en busca de mejores salarios. Nadie quiere eso, pero cada vez que un pais latinoamericano trata de alguna manera de mejorar las condiciones de las mayorias…es:comunista, terrorista, contra la libertad, ect, ect,ect. La historida esta llena de intentos fallidos desde inicios del siglo XlX, no solo en Centroamerica pero en toda latinoamerica. Merecemos un cambio de estructuras para mejorar el bienestar de las mayorias…empecemos por la constituciones…buena suerte Honduras.
Es cierto que se necesitan cambios, pero bajo el imperio de la las leyes no a la fuerza, como quiere imponer el presidente Zelaya una nueva constitucion,siguiendo el ejemplo de Venezuela,Bolivia,Ecuador (lo quieren hacer en Nicaragua)a simple vista se miraba bello el panorama, ahora en esos paises estan arrepentidos por que se van ha instaurar dictaduras. Los hondureños somos democratas por naturaleza, hemos rechazado doctrinas extrañas por mucho tiempo, y no vamos a permitir que esto ocurra en nuestro pais, a costa de nuestra sangre, Venezolanos,Cubanos,Bolivianos,Nicaraguenses tomen el ejemplo de valentia que esta dando Honduras, cuando todo un pueblo se esta oponiendo a un grupusculo ávido del poder ,rebelense ante sus dictadores,y la patria y la historia les agradecerá.
It is really sad a militar coup d’état in Honduras. It is totally against the Constitution, against the OAS system and against international law. I really hope the new President will not be recognized as such by other governments.
Please read article #239 of the HONDURAN constitution. Also look up the meaning of “militar coup d’etat in and good dictionary…
Puzzled By Honduras…
Puzzled By Honduras From the New York Times: “The Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya, was ousted by the army on Sunday after pressing ahead with plans for a referendum that opponents said could lay the groundwork for his eventual re-election, in……
Try living in Honduras!!! Then I can hear any opinion!
Im sorry but my country is going through a lot of things. Me siento bien alegre de los actos tomados por mi gobierno.
Honduras nunca habia estado tan mal hasta que Mel Zelaya tomo posicion como presidente.
Los ultimos 3 anos han sido caos y mas caos para Honduras.
Miren eso y sabran de lo que hablo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Saj_fyfzw34
I agrre with you. I live in Honduras too, and Mel has only caused crisis. I live really close to the presidential house. I can see the people protesting and hear the gun shots.
Mel Zelaya is trying to make another Cuba from Honduras. Cuba lives in disaster, and all other countries are helping Mel Zelaya and agreeing with him. If those pesidents could just leave her in honduras one week, they could see what Mel has caused. All other countries want war with Honduras, if you live in Honduras and have read the newspapers. What the military did was good, and Mel should back off and leave us alone!