Colindres: Obama A "Little Black Man"

The U.S. ambassador to Honduras has objected strongly to the foreign minister for the de facto Honduran government, Enrique Ortez Colindres, calling President Obama a "little black man who knows nothing," reports the Daily Kos.

Colindres has referred to U.S. President Obama several times in interviews as a "little black man", according to AFP.

AFP reports that U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens reacted angrily to Colindres' comments, saying it was a "disrespectful and racially insensitive" verbal assault on President Obama.

Colindres has apologized for his comments.

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Comments

[DonCosenza]

Oh, now it's on!

[Haitiana4Obama]

I am from Latin America, Haiti to be specific, and to be totally honest there is still a great deal of prejudice shown towards darker skinned Latinos and the Indigenous people as well. In my own nation of Haiti, the white/light elites are the ones actually running the country (down into the ground), I am not surprised to hear someone in high office referred to the U.S. President as a "negrito" or something close to that term which when said with love can be a term of endearment.

[LetMeUnderstandThis]

I have noticed with leaders home and abroad they use insults towards our POTUS because they are incapable (or intimidated) of having intelligent dialogue with him. Name calling is a sign of immaturity (see Palin, McCain, Guillani, etc….) which appears to be an inferiority complex with subversive bigotry.

[atlanta1962]

I agree and you see it all the time on HP calling conservatives names.
I am glad you pointed this out.

[palmseast2]

Except in your case, all the evil things that American conservatves are called are only a perfectly accurate description of what they stand for and are, being worthless individuals with abssolutely nothing of merit or value to contribute to the society ever.

[Klimb]

FoxNews, too!

[LoyalOpposition]

What's needed is for American children to be taught the real history of the Americas in total. So tired of hearing only about the Pilgrims.

[thegreatstu]

Really, like what? Should we teach them how we stole the land from the Indians, or how to the victor goes the spoils. Should we show them the parallels between what our nations founding fathers experienced to what we have been experiencing since late last year? What should we be teaching them?

[indi1216]

If we have ra.ci.sts in this country, don't expect other countries not to have them too.

[Dustee]

I remember how just about everybody thought Obama knew nothing, until he kicked all of their butts royally last year.

Let them keep thinking that way and we can sit back and watch the President stump all over them. They won't even realize it until it's too late.

[Haitiana4Obama]

I

[Haitiana4Obama]

I adore you're icon.

[KinkyGirl]

Don't just see the "little black man" thing. What about the "knows nothing" part?. It was an insulting remark. Now he'll say he was "misquoted".

[toggan]

Enrique Ortez Colindres, is he Honduran neocon or Ahmadinejad-lite?

[natchiketa]

this is a mistranslation, i promise you. i speak spanish, and i can't really explain it beyond saying that he probably said 'negrito', which indicates to me that he did not mean offense. non-story.

[Haitiana4Obama]

Excuse me, but I also speak spanish, and I know for a fact that the term negrito can be used as a discriminatory one. If a family member calls you "mi negrita" while caressing your cheek and handing you caramelitos it's one thing, but if a man in high office is calling you "nergito" while challenging you policies and criticizing you, that is not a term of endearment it is to demoralize someone based to skin tone.

[bdaved]

I don't understand your reasoning. I read the article at La Pagina, and in the context of a string of comments dismissive of Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero and the country of El Salvador, it's plain that the remarks were meant to be dismissive, demeaning and belittling. Taken by itself, the comment about President Obama still looks offensive to me.

[harriscrl3]

I find it a big joke that some are offended by this. Some had to guts to say it but thats how many in this country view him.

[Char59]

It is not a joke to be offended, President Obama should be called by NAME, not COLOR or RACE!!!! All of you narrow minded out of touch people who cannot face reality view him like that.

[Berettasskeeter]

Wow, the hatred of folks who are offended by remarks against our President. One would almost think you were serious, except for all the hateful remarks against our previous President, vociferously defended as Free Speech on the Left!? Wow, sure smacks of hypocrisy!
Semper fi

[mphalen]

And they are called racists.

[hawkweed]

Exactly !

[Pema]

so racist remarks are funny to you? making fun of how someone is percieved wrongly is funny to you.? lets see your picture, your accomplish­ments..sou­r grapes dont taste so good do they?

[PDXTransplant]

I'm offended that you're not offended. Hmmmm.

[lvdragonlady]

I am sure Obama is just devastated by this comment (not).
I am very sure that Colindres will find out that he is very very wrong.
Colindres' best friends are probably the GOP and their corporate friends.

[GravitonX]

I see a major smackdown of this little Latin man in the future. LOL!

[yankees]

Is this a story? People could throw things at Palin, no outcry from the Left. I think Obama is tough enough to handle this.

[ram1952]

These are the friends of Republicans in banana republics who know that they won't any longer be entitled to looting their countries in active collaboration with the American establishment. Chavez was critical of American leaders but he had a reason, because the U.S. was actively involved in an attempted coup that Chavez barely survived. This Colindres character has no place in international politics. Those on this thread who are defending this execrable person are themselves closet racists. If they are Hondurans, they are obviously part of a coup that needs to be crushed. If they are Americans, they are obviously Repiglicans who have no shame, no patriotism and who are born racists. I am not an American but I am shocked and ashamed. A dignified world leader who is trying to make the world a better, more peaceful and a more equitable place has been insulted and there are people here who are justifying it!

[raaf]

Well said!

[PWM]

True.

[Yvonne Weston]

That's interesting a "Brown" man putting down another "Brown" man.

[sankofaman]

There is nothing "brown" about Colindres or whatever his name is.

[mphalen]

Actually, Colindres is not al that "Brown". He is one of the elites of Honduras who look down on the darker skinned native peoples of the country.