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Honduras judge drops 2 charges against ex-leader (AP)

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:35:58 +0000

Wed Jun 30, 2010 04:49 pm PDT
There is a lot of great analysis circulating on the military coup against Manuel Zelaya in Honduras. I do not see a need to re-invent the wheel. (See here here here and here). However, a few key things jump out at me. First, we know that the coup was led by Gen. Romeo Vasquez, a graduate of the US Army School of the Americas. As we know very well from history, these “graduates” maintain ties to the US military as they climb the military career ladders in their respective countries. That is a major reason why the US trains these individuals.
Secondly, the US has a fairly significant military presence in Honduras. Joint Task Force-Bravo is located at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras. The base is home to some 550 US military personnel and more than 650 US and Honduran civilians:
They work in six different areas including the Joint Staff, Air Force Forces (612th Air Base Squadron), Army Forces, Joint Security Forces and the Medical Element. 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, a US Army South asset, is a tenant unit also based at Soto Cano. The J-Staff provides command and control for JTF-B.
The New York Times reports that “The unit focuses on training Honduran military forces, counternarcotics operations, search and rescue, and disaster relief missions throughout Central America.”
Significantly, according to GlobalSecurity, “Soto Cano is a Honduran military installation and home of the Honduran Air Force.”
The head of the Air Force, Gen. Luis Javier Prince Suazo, studied in the School of the Americas in 1996. The Air Force has been a central protagonist in the Honduran crisis. When the military refused to distribute the ballot boxes for the opinion poll, the ballot boxes were stored on an Air Force base until citizens accompanied by Zelaya rescued them. Zelaya reports that after soldiers kidnapped him, they took him to an Air Force base, where he was put on a plane and sent to Costa Rica.
It is impossible to imagine that the US was not aware that the coup was in the works. In fact, this was basically confirmed by The New York Times in Monday’s paper:
As the crisis escalated, American officials began in the last few days to talk with Honduran government and military officials in an effort to head off a possible coup. A senior administration official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, said the military broke off those discussions on Sunday.
While the US has issued heavily-qualified statements critical of the coup—in the aftermath of the events in Honduras—the US could have flexed its tremendous economic muscle before the coup and told the military coup plotters to stand down. The US ties to the Honduran military and political establishment run far too deep for all of this to have gone down without at least tacit support or the turning of a blind eye by some US political or military official(s).
Here are some facts to consider: the US is the top trading partner for Honduras. The coup plotters/supporters in the Honduran Congress are supporters of the “free trade agreements” Washington has imposed on the region. The coup leaders view their actions, in part, as a rejection of Hugo Chavez’s influence in Honduras and with Zelaya and an embrace of the United States and Washington’s “vision” for the region. Obama and the US military could likely have halted this coup with a simple series of phone calls. For an interesting take on all of this, make sure to check out Nikolas Kozloff’s piece on Counterpunch, where he writes:
In November, Zelaya hailed Obama’s election in the U.S. as “a hope for the world,” but just two months later tensions began to emerge. In an audacious letter sent personally to Obama, Zelaya accused the U.S. of “interventionism” and called on the new administration in Washington to respect the principle of non-interference in the political a

US slams accusations it was behind Honduras coup (AP)

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:35:25 +0000

I think it's high time our U.S. Gov. just concentrated on the U.S. Screw these little Banana Republics and what not. They provide no strategic value (we have aircraft carriers) and no matter what puppet gov. these people are under, their people get screwed. Call me cynical, but i'm tired of our gov. sticking it's nose in every other countries business under the guise of democracy and then suffering the backlash of world opinion when it all goes south.
I'm not too worried about communism or terrorism raising it's ugly head. It wil, and we'll deal with it. In the interim let's focus on our internals. Creating jobs, putting our people to work, generating wealth for anyone with the tenacity to attain it (legally), protecting our borders, creating self sufficiency in energy. I dont have to draw you a picture, you get the idea. We (U.S.) keep steping in s–t and wind up paying more to get our boot's cleaned than the boot's are worth.

Can Soccer’s World Cup Save Honduras? (Time.com)

admin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:45:32 +0000

Before the final match of the 1938 soccer World Cup, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini offered his nation’s team a few words of encouragement: “Win, or die.” Italy won.
While Honduran President Porfirio Lobo took a softer approach when sending off his team last month, he didn’t have to remind players of the stakes in their country’s
since its debut in 1982. The Honduran players are acutely aware of the weight of national expectations on their shoulders when they take the field in
later this month: The wounds of last year’s military coup in Honduras have yet to heal, and the
may be the best hope currently on offer of pulling together this radically polarized nation.
(See a brief history of the World Cup.)
insists that his underdog team feels no pressure, but he may simply be trying to lower expectations in a country where traditional
passions are rendered even more volatile by recent political events. “We go to extremes in this country. That’s the danger here; there’s no middle ground,” says former national team coach Jos “Chelato” de la Paz Herrera, who led Honduras in 1982. While the elation of winning a match or two in South Africa could help unite Honduras, an embarrassing three-and-out performance would have the opposite effect, Chelato warns. “If things don’t go well and the results don’t turn out like people hope, it’s going to be dangerous. It would be a great blow to the spirit of Honduras.”
On the other hand, if “Los Catrachos” – as the Honduran team is fondly known – give fans reason to cheer, it could help ease tensions back home and encourage folks to start believing in their country again. “The great unifier in this country right now is the national soccer team,” says Chelato. “And if they make it to the second round, I think they are going to help fix a lot of problems here.” Though they’re considered the dark horse of Group H, Los Catrachos could advance to the second round if they sting Chile in their June 16 opener, prevent a blowout against
, and tie
, according to Chelato’s calculations.
(See pictures of World Cup posters.)
While the long-term healing powers of soccer are limited, it shouldn’t be discounted as a short-term fix. Former President Rafael Callejas, who heads the Honduran Soccer Federation, says “nothing unifies the country more than soccer.” Still, he hedges his enthusiasm by
is not a panacea for Honduras’ myriad problems, and his countrymen shouldn’t expect a Hollywood
-style ending.
Still, the country is hopeful. Tourism boosters are excited about the possibility of engaging in some positive soccer diplomacy. The team’s performance on the world’s greatest sporting stage will allow the country to project an image of teamwork and fair play, and hopefully undo some of PR damage caused by last year’s unsportsmanlike putsch, which drew a red card from the international community. “Honduras is ready to score its goals and show the world the type of country we really are,” enthuses Tourism Minister Nelly Jerez “And it will be a goal for tourism!”
Even the members of the left-wing “resistance” are getting football fever. “Yes we are going to support the team, especially the men in the resistance. It would be a lie if I said we were not,” says feminist activist and opposition organizer Gilda Velasquez. However, she warns, soccer is an “unhealthy distraction” – an “opiate used by the media to keep the country happily asleep.” Mindful of the soporific peril, she adds: “The most we’ll do is watch the game for 90 minutes, but we won’t watch the ads.”
The biggest test of loyalty, however, could come on June 28 – the first anniversary of the coup and also the date of Los Catrachos’ potential showdown with
if the two teams makes the second round of the tournament. Brazil supported the government overthrown in the coup, and refuses to recognize the Lobo government. While the resistance movement is planning a massive nationwide march for June 28, attendance could be low if the event coincides with a soccer match that will prompt many opposition supporters to don their Honduran jerseys rather than their Che T-shirts.
Opposition activists are confident, however, that the World Cup won’t spoil their plans. They say last year’s military coup, although not the first in Honduras’ troubled history, has sparked an unprecedented social awakening in this traditionally conservative country. Organizer Velasquez claims many of the players on the soccer team were against the coup, but are waiting until after the World Cup to speak out publicly in support of a constitutional convention – the battle cry of ousted former President
.
Velasquez says she’s thankful the “distraction of the World Cup” will only last one month. But, in the event Honduras does well, she says credit should be given where it’s due: to Manuel Zelaya. “Lobo has only been in office for five months,” she said; “but the national team got to where they are because President Zelaya supported them directly, like no other president before. And the government of the coup can’t take credit for what Zelaya did.”
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Can Soccer’s World Cup Save Honduras? (Time.com)

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:17:46 +0000

Hugo ChÃ¡vez boycotts Madrid summit over Honduras president (The Christian Science Monitor)

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:17:41 +0000

Mexico City –
Nearly one year on, the ouster of
continues to divide the region.
is skipping the EU-Latin America summit held today and tomorrow in Madrid to protest of the attendance of Honduran President Porfirio Lobo, who was elected following the ouster of Mr. Zelaya in June 2009.
and several other South American governments do not recognize Mr. Lobo as the new leader of Honduras because of the way Zelaya was forced out of office.
also continues to see internal division, despite the creation of a truth commission set up to help heal a divided nation.
The commission itself – which was inaugurated this month – now looks to be the latest victim of the country's polarization.
Those on the far right, who supported Zelaya's removal from office, say the commission will be manipulated by a partisan international community. Those on the far left say it's a mere epilogue to a coup and have refused to participate.
Jorge Aguilar, president of the
(PINU), says he supports the
, and that “it's going to shed some light on the facts of what happened, but I don't think the result of the commission will really bring reconciliation, as is expected.”
Comprised of five members, both from abroad and Honduras, the commission is part of a compromise backed by the US, after Zelaya was forced out of the country. His detractors say he was trying to rewrite the Constitution to end term limits for presidents.
The ideals of the commission have been praised abroad. But foreign influence may mean bias, says Martha Lorena Casco, who was deputy
(sworn in as president after Zelaya's ouster).
and the international community, because at the end of the day they want to make the case that in Honduras there was a coup d'Ã©tat,” she says.
The commission's mandate is also to examine human rights violations, including the
by both sides. Many of the claims of abuse come from Zelaya supporters, and tensions remain high in the country. Seven journalists have been reported killed in the past six weeks.
?

Honduras starts coup investigation with US support (AP)

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 19:11:36 +0000

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – A Truth Commission with strong international support starts investigating the Honduran coup Tuesday, helping the country regain the recognition it lost when soldiers ousted
last year.
Zelaya backers call the commission a farce that cements Central America’s first successful coup in nearly two decades, and vow not to provide information to its investigators. But the U.S. supports it and the chief of the
to attend the inauguration.
Soldiers ousted Zelaya on June 28 at gunpoint after he ignored court orders to stop trying to modify the constitution. The United States and most other countries suspended diplomatic ties with the impoverished Central American country.
But the universal repudiation started wavering after November’s presidential elections, which had been scheduled before the coup. Porfirio Lobo, a conservative rancher, took office in January, replacing an interim government.
Lobo has launched increasingly successful campaign to end his country’s isolation. He has won the support of his Central American neighbors, even leftist
, who had been a strong Zelaya ally. The World Bank and other multilateral organizations have resumed lending.
President Obama commended Lobo in a telephone call last week for pressing forward with the Truth Commission, and U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens said it “should be a tool for national reconciliation, not to lay blame.”
chairs the five-member commission, which also includes a former Peruvian justice minister, a Canadian diplomat and two prominent Honduran academics. One of the academics, National Autonomous University director Julieta Castellanos, was beaten by police during an anti-coup protest at the campus last year and was an outspoken critic of abuses under the interim government.
“I know that some doubt the commission will conduct a proper investigation, but we are determined to do something independently that reflects the reality of what happened,” said Stein. He said that some confidential information will be sealed for a decade until “the wounds of Hondurans are healed.”
Stein said the panel hopes to deliver a final report by January 2011.
Skeptics wondered how thorough the investigation could be without the collaboration of Zelaya or most of his supporters. Tensions have deepened in Honduras, with several journalists and activists gunned down on the streets, both supporters and opponents of Zelaya.
A conglomeration of union and peasant groups that opposed the coup, the National Front for Popular Resistance, said the commission merely “serves as an excuse for the coup leaders to avoid justice.” It said it would create its own commission “to clarify the crimes committed against the people both before and after the coup.”
, a branch of the OAS, says there have been at least 50 cases of illegal detention, eight cases of torture, two kidnappings and two rapes of Zelaya supporters since Lobo took office.
“While this initiative may be a small step toward mending the deep divisions present in Honduran society, ongoing human rights violations have proven to be a serious challenge,” Matthew Lackey, a researcher for the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs, wrote in a report. “This raises questions about the country’s dubious potential for peace and reconciliation.”
However, the presence of OAS Secretary-General
at the inauguration was a sign that Honduras could eventually be accepted back into the diplomatic bloc after a nearly yearlong suspension.
, however, said Monday that he and other leaders were still trying to persuade holdouts including
, which insists
must do more to promote national reconciliation.
A frustrated Zelaya, exiled in the
, lashed out at his own supporters last week, accusing them of abandoning the fight for his safe return to Honduras in favor of pushing for an assembly to rewrite the constitution.
“This terribly affects my possibilities of returning to my homeland and regaining my rights as a Honduran,” Zelaya said in a letter sent to the media.
The campaign to rewrite the constitution prompted Zelaya’s ouster in the first place. Soldiers threw him out of office for ignoring a
to cancel a referendum asking Honduras if they wanted a constitutional assembly.
Zelaya said he wanted to shake up a political system dominated by a few wealthy families who ignored the needs of the poor. Critics, including much of Zelaya’s own political party, called it a ploy to eliminate
and extend his time in power.

US ambassador: Honduras’ Zelaya acted erratically (AP)

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:16:13 +0000

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – U.S. officials who voiced strong opposition to Honduras’ coup last June now say the ousted president acted recklessly, and in the months leading up to his overthrow took an “erratic and imprudent course of action.”
The comments from U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens mark the first time U.S. officials have so directly criticized former President
for his pre-coup actions.
Llorens told about 300 community leaders at a Thursday meeting of the Honduran Cities Association that the November election of President Porfirio Lobo was a crucial step toward putting this poor Central American country back on track.
“We understood very well that former President Zelaya pursued an erratic and imprudent course of action in the management of the country, and the growing opposition to his polarizing style,” Llorens said.
“At the same time, my government was firm in our belief that the constitutional rupture was a setback for democracy in Honduras, and in no way justifiable,” Llorens added.
That was why Washington refused to recognize the interim government, he said. “For us, it was not about defending a person — a person with whom we even had differences — but rather about defending a principle.”
Zelaya was flown out of Honduras at gunpoint June 15 in a coup that was sparked by his effort to hold a referendum on changing the constitution. Critics said he sought changes that would allow him run for a second term, a charge Zelaya denies. The
ruled the referendum was illegal.
after his expulsion, holing up in the Brazilian Embassy while negotiators tried without success to resolve his position before Lobo’s victory in a presidential election that had been scheduled before the coup.
“Zelaya’s actions after the coup in attempting to return to the country have been described privately by many U.S. and foreign officials as erratic and unpredictable, but this is the first time I had heard openly a description by a U.S. official of his pre-coup behavior as erratic,” said Jennifer McCoy, who directs the
Atlanta, Georgia
.
“There is a fine line between describing the roles of the individuals involved in contributing to the development of a crisis, and blaming the victim of an illegal act for provoking that act. The latter is dangerous and should be avoided, no matter how much one dislikes the victim or his behavior,” McCoy said.
Llorens reiterated the U.S. government’s view that the coup was illegal and that it set back democracy in Honduras, but he stressed that Zelaya exacerbated the situation.
said Llorens’ statements were “reckless because he is a career diplomat.” But Martinez said the positions expressed by the ambassador are common in Honduras.
“The democratic system of Honduras, instead of being weakened by the overthrow of Zelaya, were indeed consolidated,” he said.
Gustavo Flores-Macias at Cornell University’s Polson Institute for Global Development said, “Ambassador Lloren’s comments, although perhaps not very diplomatic, do not represent a departure from positions the United States adopted throughout the crisis.”
During his speech, Llorens said the U.S. took a principled position in opposition to the coup, halting financial aid to Honduras, avoiding official recognition of de facto president
, and suspending U.S. visas for 1,000 of Micheletti’s staffers.
, an expert on Honduras-U.S. relations, took issue with Llorens’ assessment. She said both opposing Zelaya’s overthrow and criticizing his actions is anything but principled.
“Their gall is really quite astounding,” she said. “If Llorens is chastising Zelaya for trying to return to the post that he was violently and illegally ousted from, then Llorens is basically saying to the entire Honduran nation that it does not deserve democracy.”
About 65 countries cut off diplomatic ties with Honduras after the coup, but 55 of those countries — including the U.S. — have resumed relations with Lobo’s administration.
and Martha Mendoza from Mexico City.

‘Mara’ gangs battle in northern Honduras; 9 killed (AP)

admin — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:19:59 +0000

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – A shootout between rival street gangs battling for control of the drug trade killed nine people in northern Honduras overnight, an official said Sunday.
and began shooting, Deputy Security Minister Armando Calidonio said. People inside returned fire, and seven men and two women were killed.
and the rival Mara 18, Calidonio said.
and has been rocked by brutal drug violence for more than a decade.
An estimated 20,590 people died violently here in the last five years, according to the Madrid-based nonprofit Observers of Violence.

2 journalists killed in Honduras, 5 this month (AP)

admin — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 17:23:58 +0000

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Two journalists have been shot to death in eastern Honduras, bringing to five the number of media workers killed in the Central American country this month.
Radio journalists Jose Bayardo, 52, and Manuel de Jesus Juarez, 55, were riddled with bullets late Friday as they drove on a highway in the rural province of Olancho, prosecutor Wendy Caballero said Saturday.
Investigators have not yet identified a possible motive, Caballero said.
The two were killed after leaving the Excelsior radio station, where they had just broadcast a news show.
, which is wracked by
relating to a 2009 coup and common crime fueled by street gangs.
Nahum Palacios, director of a
, was intercepted by two other vehicles and shot to
14 as he drove home.
Three days earlier, popular radio journalist David Meza was ambushed and killed in the nearby northern city of
.
Joseph Ochoa of Canal 51 television in the capital,
, was killed March 1 in an attack on another journalist, Karol Cabrera, who was wounded. A previous attack on Cabrera in December killed her pregnant 16-year-old daughter.
None of the killings has been solved.
Alejandro Aguirre, president of the
, has said the group is “worried about the very unfortunate, radical increase in violence against journalists” in the region.

Honduras: Killing of TV journalist spawns protest (AP)

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:51:15 +0000

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Dozens of journalists took to the streets Monday in northern Honduras to protest attacks on their colleagues after gunmen killed a television journalist in a hail of bullets — the third such slaying in two weeks.
Nahum Palacios, director of a TV station in Tocoa near the
, was shot to death Sunday night as he drove home and was intercepted by two other vehicles, said Leonel Sauceda, a spokesman for the
.
It was unclear whether the killing of the 36-year-old was related to his work as a journalist.
. A woman also in the vehicle was treated at a hospital and a cameraman was unharmed.
, a northern industrial city plagued by
and youth-gang violence. Journalists demanded justice for dead colleagues and a halt to violence.
On Thursday, a 51-year-old radio journalist was ambushed and killed in the nearby northern city of
. David Meza, whose career spanned three decades, was shot as he arrived home in his car.
Joseph Ochoa, of the Canal 51
, was killed earlier this month in an attack on another journalist, Karol Cabrera, who was wounded. A previous attack on Cabrera in December killed her pregnant 16-year-old daughter.
Police investigations have not solved the three killings.