Earlier, I wrote about how the Obama Administration has imposed sanctions on the people of Honduras, such as blocking travel to the U.S. from the country, because Honduras removed its ex-president and would-be dictator, Mel Zelaya, and because its Supreme Court subsequently refused to approve Zelaya’s demand that he be returned to office to replace his successor, Micheletti, a Congressman who was named to replace him by an almost-unanimous vote of Honduras’s Congress. (Because soldiers enforced a court order for the ex-president’s arrest, after he lost his right to hold office by violating his country’s constitution, the Obama Administration and the Organization of American States (OAS) incorrectly claim that what happened was a “military coup.” Apparently, they believe that when the ex-president began to make himself a dictator, the army was supposed to say “yes, sir” to his illegal demands, rather than safeguarding the Constitution)
Ever since, I’ve received a stream of emails and comments from Americans in Honduras, chronicling the disastrous effects of the Obama Administration’s position on the people of Honduras, one of the poorest countries in Latin America, where malnutrition and poverty are rapidly increasing and unemployment is now widespread. Here’s one example (with the author's name redacted to protect him from future retaliation):
I live on the island of ____ in the country of Honduras. . .
I am an American living in Honduras, I own a small resort on the island. I along with other Americans all over the country are sickened by the stance of the US administration. The US stance has caused many hardships, business all over the country is dead. At our resort we have had to go to a 4 day work week with our employees, this causes real hardships for my employees most of which are poor. . .
We americans feel that we must do something dramatic to catch the attention of the media, public, and elected representatives in DC. We know we will not change Obamas mind. Mr Llorens our ambassador has been a close personal friend of Zelaya for years, and the OAS is well the OAS. . .
We are not rich folks, most of us run modest businesses while trying to improve economic conditions, environmental conditions, and living standards wherever we live. We are so proud of the Honduran people, they knew and know full well that standing by their constitution will very likely cause many to starve, this is after all the poorest country in latin america. Zelaya tormented this country and violated it laws as you have so documented in your so well written piece. The constitution as written in 1982 is still fresh in the minds of the many that shed blood, sweat and tears to see its final draft come into law. The rule of law is not often followed in latin america, so this time, when this poor little country stared in the face of the dictator and said NO, it has shocked the world. This is the bravest country on the planet at the moment, but the present administration just like we americans are seeing the signs that these brave people are hurting. bananas for main meals, trees stripped of fruit, i fear that the new president will cave to save his people, noble, but the people want freedom first.
So there you have it, I am a 50 something man that would lay down his life for his country in a minute, now i can think of no other group of people that i would rather help. We are getting organized and would appreciate your input and ideas.
Right now, all the left-wing groups that complained about U.S. interference in Latin America in the 1980s are hypocritically demanding that the U.S. interfere in Honduras to force it to accept the return of its would-be dictator. (Latin American dictators like Cuba’s Castro, who usually complain about any American presence in Latin America, are now demanding that America force the return of Zelaya to power).
All their past rhetoric about imperialism was disingenuous. There could be no more obvious example of imperialism than the Obama Administration trying to force Honduras’s legislature, courts, and people to accept the return of its bullying ex-president, and Obama’s claim that his removal was “illegal,” when it has been upheld his country’s highest court, and was expressly mandated by Article 239 of the Honduras Constitution (which Article 272 gave the military the authority to enforce).
I am sorry to say that I took their arguments seriously in the 1980s. (I have always been skeptical of U.S. meddling overseas, and I am not a “neoconservative.” I opposed both of the Iraq Wars — the first of them in the now defunct University Journal — and, rightly or wrongly, criticized U.S. intervention in Nicaragua in the 1980s, in the Howard County Times and Columbia Flier).
What Obama is doing in Honduras is much worse than what Bush did in Iraq. At least Bush’s intervention got rid of an evil dictator (even if it also resulted in chaos and huge costs for the taxpayers). By contrast, Obama’s intervention is aimed at putting a would-be dictator back in power.
By blocking international recognition of Honduras’s current government, imposing sanctions, and continually pressuring Honduras to let ex-president Zelaya return to power, the Obama Administration has helped destabilize the country, with terrible consequences for the country’s poor. My co-worker Julie notes, “My daughter was going to go to help set up an orphanage in Honduras next month and now can’t.”
Honduras was already a very poor country. “One out of four Honduran children under 5 years old falls to chronic malnutrition. In some rural communities to the west of the country, chronic malnutrition can reach 48.5 percent.”
Comments
Obama should be impeached. What he is doing to Honduras is reprehensible.
Since Bader and his right wing legal ilk had no problem with the U.S. Supreme Court's illegal appointment of George Bush as president, why should he have a problem with the illegal actions of the Honduran Supreme Court, which acted as a fig-leaf for the gorilla military coup?
It is very clear that ex-president Zelaya has no legitimate claim on the presidency. Like Nixon, he was a cancer on his country's presidency.
Why is Obama trying for force a foreign country to reinstall an authoritarian, erratic megalomaniac like Zelaya as its ruler?
The American people should be worried - very worried about this Administration's stance in Honduras, supporting those who insult them and proclaim themselves against the "yankee empire" (Chavez and his puppets, among them Zelaya, of course). It is sad for us Hondurans to watch as the OAS (a President's Club in DC) and the Obama administration just don't understand this and continue to defend this leftist movement, which is invading all of Latin America. Now Chavez is financing a leftist candidate in Colombia to go against Uribe. I have only one advice for Obama and Hillary: Do your homework!!! Or are you doing this on purpose?!?!?!
The military Junta coup is what is causing the pain
I suppose you blame Obama for that coup.
Luke Weyland is wrong and amazingly misinformed. Everyone knows that Honduras does not have a "military junta." It has a civilian president, the former speaker of Congress, Roberto Micheletti, who is backed by Honduras's elected Congress and the country's courts.
It should be plain to even the dimmest person that there was no "military coup" in Honduras.
"Why is Obama trying for force a foreign country to reinstall an authoritarian, erratic megalomaniac like Zelaya as its ruler? "
I will tell you why, it is not Oblama, it is the US government, Oblama is just the current front man. The US does this all over the world for a loooong time, because it is easier to deal with and control a dictator than it is to control a whole people, a congress, and democratically elected people who may not serve the interest of the US. Thats why. Its easier to deal with one person than many. We have no business doing these things in other countries, our governemnt acts like it owns everything and wants to control soveriegn nations. Problem reaction solution, they create the problems throught the CIA, they help make a showing from the people through manipulating the news, and then offer the solution. They control your perception of whats going on through the media so you will go along with it. Isnt anyone paying attention anymore?
Let's hope President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton do the right things and impose harsh sanctions on the military dictatorship fronted by the fig leaf Micheletti and paid strumpets like Lanny Davis.
Come on people. You can't blame Obama for everything that goes on. Did he install Chavez in Venezuela? No. The Venezuelans voted him in. Bad choice that they have to live with. Did Obama install Mel Zelaya in Honduras? No los catrachos voted him in. Did Obama install W in 2000? No we voted him in. Unfortunately that is the downside of democracy. You vote in the wrong guy and you have to suffer the consequences. Zelaya was incompetent but that is the chance you take. Honduras was poor before the sanctions and will be poor after they are lifted. It is like some magic curtain has been lifted and all of a sudden people discover that there are poor people in Honduras. OMG there is violence and gangs in Honduras. Wow. It has been there for years.
Most of the garbage against Obama is just pure racism.
Honduras Constitution was followed to remove Zelaya from power. His only interest was to remain in power. How can this man be reinstated after he has been asking for more economic sanctions on the country, has been calling people to shed blood and start violence, and doesn't want the elections in November? Who believes he wants anything good for his country?
If he is reinstated he will continue with his previous agenda and will persecute everybody in the country: Congressmen, Judges, Civil Groups, Bussinesmen and the Cardinal.
"Come on people. You can't blame Obama for everything that goes on."
No one is blaming the salesman, it is the government as a whole, notice we didnt get any change? We got a continuation of the past policies, Oblama cant change his underware without permission from the same people who controlled bush. The bankers, builderbergs, tri-lateral commission, PNAC, CFR (which both hitlery and Oblama get their orders..see dept of state website where clinton admits this) Israel, AIPAC, there is a whole slew of organizations that control certain aspects of their endeavors, dont think for a second the dems and the repubs arent working together, its just divide and conquer. The presidency is a sham anymore, just salesmen to sell their agendas to us, we the people in conjunction with the main stream media. Wake up!
RSBL,
Oh, right the tri-lateral commission. Now I see where you are coming from.
"Most of the garbage against Obama is just pure racism"
That is just the most ignorant statement. So if someone doesnt agree with the president, and he happens to be part african american, they are racist??? Where is the change? hmmm??? Am I racist for asking where are the changes he promised to get elected, transparency? nope, end the illegal wars? nope...expanding them, torture? still at it, extraordinary rendition...still at it, holding the bushes accountable...nope, protecting them. So, where is the racism in there? Obama is a liar just like the rest of them. Repubs and dems need to be disbanded completely and held accountable for violating oaths, treason against for the benefit of a foreign country who attacked us...Israel...USS Liberty ring a bell? How about 9/11...Israel. Fox News: "We cannot tell you about Israeli involvement, that is classified information." They are not our friends, yet our government sends them our money and helps with genocide, and Oblama is continuing.
"Oh, right the tri-lateral commission. Now I see where you are coming from."
Call it what you want, I see where you are coming from, do some research instead of mocking, it will make you look like you are actually paying attention, dont think for a minute that these think tanks and special interest groups dont take the place of we the people when it comes to policies.
CFR determines our foreign policies according to Hitlery on the dept of states own website and AIPAC determines our middle eastern policies...look it up, unless you are afraid of finding out you cant wish it away as a conspiracy theory as usual. People need to start looking around and paying attention.
And most of our presidential candidates last election were members of the CFR, look them up. Both dems and repubs. You think you are changing anything by changing between dems and repubs with your voting? No, you are not, they are together and only offer the illusion of difference to fool we the people into thinking we get something different. They both serve the same masters, and their goals are to get the power away from the people on ALL matters.
I agree with "worried Honduran": the "Honduras Constitution was followed to remove Zelaya from power. His only interest was to remain in power. How can this man be reinstated after he has been asking for more economic sanctions on the country, has been calling people to shed blood and start violence, and doesn't want the elections in November? Who believes he wants anything good for his country? If he is reinstated he will continue with his previous agenda and will persecute everybody in the country: Congressmen, Judges, Civil Groups, Bussinesmen and the Cardinal."
Also, getting the CIA out of Hondorus is a key factor in getting things back to normal.
I agree that Zelaya's removal from office was constitutional. I doubt that any democratic country would put up with abusive and bizarre behavior from its president like Zelaya's.
But the way he was subsequently kicked out of the country in his pajamas was a PR nightmare that cost Honduras a lot of credibility. It makes them look like a banana republic (which, literally, the banana-growing country is).
By the way, I have a slight quibble with this column. It's only Hondurans whose ability to travel is limited by the State Department; Americans can still freely come and go to Honduras, as Dennis Prager recently did in his travels. It's just Hondurans' whose ability to get visas to travel into the U.S. is now limited.
Yes Patricia, the way he was kicked out of the country was a mistake, and that's what fooled everyone into believeing that it was a military coup. But that is the only mistake there was, and people are focusing way too much on that issue, and not on the more important issues like WHY Hondurans had to go so far with this man. Everything he did to bring the country to DEFFEND itself from him! HE was the one ATTACKING the country, and the country reacted... I guess he didn't see that coming, nor did Chavez.
The military say that they decided to take him out of the country to protect the population, cause if they had kept him in the country the blood shed would have been massive. So there was no win win situation here, and I believe they made the most honorable decision by choosing to save the majority. It might be a lame excuse for many, but for those who would have been caught in the middle of a bloodshed, I thank the military for choosing so.
As far as Zelaya leaving in his pijamas, I think he decided to do so, cause it would cause a greater impact on TV if he appeared in his pijamas. He played the VICTIM role quite well...
He did have enough time though, to go and get his credit card out and take it along. Sorry, but no one sleeps with their credit card in their pijamas! He appeared on TV all day long dressed in his pijamas but then spent thousands of dollars on new clothes all paid with the credit card he took with him, which HONDURANS pay for!
Hipocrit!!! Abuser! Liar! Fraud! Manipulator!
And now he dedicates his time going to different international organizations and other countries trying to get the whole world to turn their back on Hondurans! What kind of a leader would do such a thing? His country is hurting and he pretends to make it hurt even more! I just don't get it...
I'm not going to even comment substantively on another ridiculous, cynical article on Honduras by Hans Bader. My comment was erased from TWICE from the last Honduras propaganda piece. I did not attack anyone, just wrote facts that the Examiner thought were too inconvenient for these pages.
Javier, the ones who do that do not like the truth, they want to control both sides of the debate because they either have an agenda, or they are supporting an agenda. Mainstream media loves to do that sort of thing, and most of the time, they dont even have comment sections, for obvious reasons. I applaud the examiners for having comment sections, this gives the people a chance to clarify or counter what is being said. However, I have had my comments erased once or twice from an examiner, not this one, but another one, I forgot his name, shows how important he is...lol. Keep using that 1st amendment!
Democracy is a joke in Honduras. Politicians are nothing but hired thugs. Half of these jokers have paid malitias and gun toting security guards that go around harrasing anyone who opposes them. Any politician who sways too much from the position of the elites is either publicly humiliated, beaten or murdered. Living in the United States it is easy to be ignorant of these things considering all that is going on in the world. Given the history of the United States involvement with Honduras we bare a lot of the responsability for what is going on. It is a shame that the media is controled by the elites in Honduras.
Ironically enough, what the Administration is doing in Honduras is imperialism. It's seeking to override a country's right to rule itself, and enforce its own laws, by forcing it to accept the illegal rule of an ex-president who wanted to be its dictator.
The Administration claims that the ex-president's removal was "illegal." How can it be illegal, when it was commanded by his country's Supreme Court? Is that not the very definition of "legal"?
Other than Mikhail Gorbachov i can think of no other duly elected Head of State who was abducted. At least Gorby got to stay in his own country. Taking Zelaya out of his own country and in his pajamas no less. What were they thinking? People are being murdered in shopping malls in San Jose. Seriously this fiasco has cost Central America a great deal.
Doesn't any one understand that things were finally looking up for foreign investment in Central America. Now any improvements gained by its citizens from foreign investment are in tatters.
Did Michelletti think this whole idea would fly with the international community much less the brave people of Honduras?
The people of Honduras are the most vulnerable. Kudos for the U.S. and the international community for truly what is right and just and what is not.
Removing Zelaya from office was quite legal, under Article 239 of the Honduran Constitution.
Exiling Zelaya may well have been illegal, under Article 81 of the Constitution.
Beto, i agree with you 100% if you vote, you mustsuffer the consequences. Obama gets the blame for alot. and it is soo unfortunate. i have family in honduras, and they are always visiting new york. i dont know what the article is talking about, with limiting hondurans not being able to visit the u.s. or vise versa. my family has no problem visiting there as well. the world is a very ugly place. thats just it.
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