Honduras: Was it a Coup?
The political crisis in Honduras reached its highest levels last Sunday with the arrest and subsequent expulsion of the now ex-president Manuel Zelaya, which was carried out by the Honduran Armed Forces under orders of the National Congress and the Supreme Court. These actions have accentuated the divisions within the country and has plunged the country into a historical political and social chaos.
Photo of Anti-Zelaya march taken by Roberto Brevé and used under a Creative Commons license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/breve/3684627699/
The origin of the crisis was the popular consultation promoted by the Executive Branch in order to ask the country whether or not they agree that a new Constitution should be written. For some, the proposal is part of the participative democracy that the country needs, but for others, it was a smokescreen that hides the reelection aspirations of Zelaya, meaning, a clear violation of the country's Constitution.
A delegation from the Organization of American States, led by its Secretary-General, Jose Miguel Insulza has been in the capital city of Tegucigalpa to ask for the reinstatement of Zelaya. However, it appears that Congressional leaders are saying that the removal is “irreversible.” As a result, the country may be expelled from the OAS, and may face sanctions.
In Mirada de Halcón [es], Carlos Rivera writes:
La encuesta, que no tiene ningún peso legal, porque no es un plebiscito, tampoco es un referéndum, simplemente es una consulta popular”. Si gana el “no”, pues, lógicamente, los ciudadanos habrán expresado que no desean una nueva Constitución. Si gana el “sí”, entonces, la historia será diferente a partir de ahora.
David Moran of El Catracho [es] writes that there was a coup:
La encuesta que no es otra cosa que un referéndum, el cual pide el SI para una Constituyente. Algo ilegítimo según la actual Constitución hondureña; y por si fuera poco, un SI promocionado nada menos que por el propio Presidente de la República y su gabinete de gobierno ¿Qué significa esto? ¿Quién violó el orden Constitucional? O mejor dicho ¿Quién dio el Golpe?
The transitional government led by Roberto Micheletti, named president by the National Congress states that the procedure was carried out entirely legally under Honduran law . However, for part of the Honduran population and almost the entire international community, they are clearly calling this a coup that has destroyed the young democracy of the country.
In La Honduras Posible [es], Margarita Montes writes:
Este caso no se puede catalogar como un “golpe de Estado”, ya que no cumple con dos rasgos fundamentales de dicho fenómeno político: toma del poder por parte del estamento militar y quebrantamiento del Estado de Derecho.
Rubén Escobar of La Búsqueda [es] asks the following questions:
Si no fue un golpe de estado ¿Por qué Manuel Zelaya Rosales no está en el país siendo juzgado?¿por qué detuvieron a los ministros y enviaron a la canciller Patricia Rodas a México? ¿Por qué cerraron canal 8 y no permitieron ver CNN, mientras encadenaban las radios para que no informaran? ¿Por qué se inventaron una carta que fue firmada el jueves 25 de junio?
The blog Periodico el Inventario [es] writes:
Nosotros no nos sentíamos ni representados, ni identificados con El Presidente Zelaya, pero menos aún con los militares, con Micheletti o cualquiera de ese grupo ultraconservador que hoy asaltó el poder.
Finally, the coverage of the international media during the conflict has generated discussion, especially from CNN, which according to many had not been impartial. In Desde Tegus [es], we can see some comments about this topic in this open letter to a CNN reporter, which asserts that they “misinformed the entire world.”
Carlos Viaux adds a comment:
La actitud de CNN en Español el domingo 28 cubriendo el golpe de Estado en Honduras es una clase magistral para estudiantes acerca del periodismo que desprestigia la profesión. Pero, ni su corresponsal en esa capital ni sus editores o conductores exigieron a ninguno de sus entrevistados actores de la asonada cívico-militar copia o tener a la vista la carta que se leyó en el Parlamento hondureño atribuida al Presidente Zelaya, en la que éste supuestamente renunciaba.
17 comments
Hey, here are some links from people who think it was a military coup and are against the intervention of the army to remove a civilian from power:
http://unacapitalinaensanpedrosula.blogspot.com/
http://contraelgolpedeestadohn.blogspot.com/
http://elpuentesur.blogspot.com/
Also, it is important to notice that not all the people against the coup is pro Zelaya or pro Cuarta Urna, many of them just reject the use of force by the Army.
Thank you for bringing the crisis in Honduras into the light.
I am the owner of the Utila East Wind Newspaper in Honduras.
For a chronicle of the events that lead to the removal of former president Zelaya please review http://www.utilaeastwind.com.
I have great sympathy for how difficult a decision this was, but when a Central American military willfully acts unconstitutionally (and against international law) by dumping a problem on their neighbor to punish unconstitutional acts it is a sure fire way to bring international criticism.
I completely support the constitutional removal of Zelaya from office. However, It appears the Supreme Court expected him to be arrested and the military made the call on their own to exile him. It was the military acting on it’s own to dump Zelaya in his pajamas in neutral Costa Rica that necessitated international action. If they had simply kept this within their own borders all this drama could have been avoided.
The AG is now investigating why the military acted on it’s own because forced exile is against Honduran and international law.
That is discussion is even being debated indicates that people have lost the capacity as intelligent human beings to think in anything akin to a criticAl manner.
If Zaleya was so unpopular then why the repression?
Classic case of an oppressive oligarchy fearing the participation of the majority that they have immiserated. The same slaves of empire and elite rule calling this coup ‘democratic’.
You people fear and hate popular democracy and informed citizen advances that put your little consumer perks under scrutiny.
And, as usual, you anti-human adgenda is being exposed. LOL
How is it even a question whether it was a coup or not?
A democratically elected president was kidnapped by hooded soldiers, put in a plane, taken to another country and substituted for a man no one voted for and who has sent out the military into the streets to harass journalists, install curfews, shoot into crowds, disappear, torture, injure and/or kill people, cut off signals to any press outlet reporting on what’s happening, etc, etc, etc.
How can it be that while dozens of world leaders call this a coup and refuse to recognize Micheletti as a legitimate President, Global Voices is giving him the benefit of the doubt???? I’m all for freedom of opinion, but this scares me.
Perhaps if Hondurans were less brown, had more internet, more Twitter accounts, facebook profiles and youtube videos, someone would pay them attention. As it stands, it seems like we’ll just have to sit around and watch them be trampled.