(As author and sole owner of the words in this story, I did not write them for AOL, and do not wish to have any association with it imposed upon me. The original text may still be found at http://narconews.com/thefield - Al Giordano, February 7, 2011)
(Crossposted from The Field.)
Follow Al Giordano on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AlGiordano
But much of the propaganda for deposed President Zelaya, which you reproduce, systematically underestimates the danger he posed. President Zelaya became totally unaccountable in the last days of his rule. Latin Americans are used to Presidents who place themselves above the law; who spurn the Supreme Court, and prate about democracy while doing everything to undermine it.
When the Congress of Honduras--every single one elected--UNANIMOUSLY called for President Zelaya's ouster, he can hardly claim to be representing democracy.
No, Zelaya represents the Latin American caudillo tradition of strongmen who impose themselves on their nation. He is much more like Peron, Trujillo, or Anastasio Somoza than he is a democrat.
Giordano's post about Honduras is filled with multiple unsubstantiated opinions. I don't know where people are getting your information, but it's not from the events that transpired in Honduras. Sensationalizing things that never happened especially since you aren't here and aren't privy to the events that transpired, should be illegal. The thing that Hondurans and all of us Americans living here know is this: this little country just exercised its most democratic act that we have ever experienced. They actually removed an official who was performing illegal acts, period. We know this and you don't want to know it. I'm not sure why that is except that you thrive on negative fodder. The choices were to arrest/jail him, exile him, or remove his citizenship. Any or a combination of those things could have been implemented. The govt obviously felt he deserved a plane ride out of the country so he could live out his days elsewhere vs. arresting him, trying him, and putting him in the slammer for years. They chose the kind option in my opinion. I would have preferred him live in the substandard prisons here, similar to most in Central America. Part II coming next.
Mr. Giordano's defense of Mel Zelaya is full of factual inaccuracies and unsubstantiated conjectures.
First, the idea that Hondurans have been "stripped" of 5 basic rights is flagrantly wrong. The Congress suspended these rights in conjunction with the duration of a toque de queda.
http://www.elnuevoherald.com/ultimas-noticias/story/488296.html
Second, Giordano's term "Oligarchy Diaspora" derives from neo-marxist 80's nomenclature designed to categorize those against a leftist as a small wealthy elite. But this conclusion does not correspond to the evidence.
I've seen a plethora public of opinion polls and Mel's approval ratings consistently crash at 30% or under. Giordano would surely respond with his 'poor, farmers, and indigenous' canard. However, the calculus that poverty equates support for Zelaya is flagrantly false.
.
Given that almost 70% of Hondurans can be classified as impoverished (according to the reliable CEPAL), and knowing that only around 30% of the populace approves of Mel, remedial math indicates that the majority of the 'poor' are ostensibly against Zelaya's policies (and that's assuming that the aforementioned 30% are all poor).
Third, Giordano repeats the 'non-binding' narrative as if Zelaya's statements should intrinsically be taken at face-value. Unfortunately, there were hallmark indicators of Mel's desire to extend political power with subterfuge. One such indicator was Zelaya's last Presidential Decree, PCM-020-2009.
Published June 27 in the Gaceta, this decree ordered all institutions of the State to execute the survey in what Zelaya declared "an official activity".
The decree shows Zelaya brazenly changing his official position; altering the scope of the 'survey project' from the inclusion of an extra ballot box vis-Ã -vis a Constitutional Assembly to literally calling (convocatoria) for said Assembly.
Honduras' Proceso Digital has a good summary:
"Pero en la publicación del decreto, ahora dice otra cosa: en vez de llamarse decreto proyecto "Encuesta de Opinión Pública para instalar una Cuarta Urna", ahora se llama proyecto "Encuesta de Opinión Pública Convocatoria a Asamblea Nacional Constituyente". Dos términos distintos que en lenguaje jurÃdico no son lo mismo"
"Teóricamente, el gobierno estarÃa convocando a una consulta para instalar una Cuarta Urna, pero en la práctica, en la legalidad del decreto publicado, el gobierno estarÃa convocando para instalar una Asamblea Nacional Constituyente, la cual la puede hacer en cualquier momento, dependiendo de los resultados de la consulta. AsÃ, está rompiendo prácticamente el orden institucional y constitucional."
http://www.noticierodigital.com/?p=39520
For the record, I disapprove of the golpe; it was legally dubious and did not respect the spirit of due process. More importantly, it was horrible policy.
Honduras' political institutions have turned Zelaya (a man with an abysmal level of public support) into some kind of an innocent victim; bizarrely uniting the likes of Chavez, Obama, and Uribe in universal condemnation. Zelaya was politically weak and could have been dealt with in a more sagacious manner.
We are in agreement.
The coup, or golpe, is a clear abridgment of due process, the rule of law, and long established traditions democratic traditions within the region. It was a VERY stone head move to act in such an outrageous manner when far less controversial methods were available.
That Zelaya should face and response to charges once in Honduras, whether he was in fact attempt to assume unlawful power,... that should be for the courts to deiced.
In the mean time, he must be returned to power, allowed to finish his term, and very likely face charges, and potentially be re-deposed and jailed.... lawfully. I would be fine with this.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-taylor/following-the-rule-of-law_b_224202.html?page=2&show_comment_id=26488424#comment_26488424
Who were arguing that this coup was following the laws of Honduras and removing another wannabe dictator in the mold of all those lefty reds who hate Ameeerika???
Where are you guys?
And while I'm at it, I want to say that I will never again try to post to any article written by Taylor--NOT after seeing the widespread censorship that was used against anyone who took the view opposite his, that this was a lawful and necessary move by Honduran Military.
Now as the truth begins to come out, we hear silence from that camp, and see that, here at least, freedom of speech is still respected!
yes, I too will avoid freerepublic in future, when they manage to hack their way on.
Really now?
Get out in the street and protest every assault on our Constitution and Rule of Law
And SIGN THE PETITION
to Prosecute Bush's Torturers
http://ANGRYVOTERS.ORG
.
We are a nation of laws, not of men, and those 3 bills fly in the face of our Constitutional protections.
LTC Luis Alonso Villatoro Villeda
COL Guillermo Thuman Cordon
*COL Manuel Enrique Suarez Benavides
CABO Aquilino Sorto González *
GEN José Wilfredo Sanchez Valladares
Subtte Juan Blas Salazar Meza
COL Thomas Said Speer
*COL Leonel Riera Lunati
*LTC Alvaro Reyes Lopez
*Guadalupe Reithal Caballero
LTC Rigoberto Regalado Lara
GEN Humberto Regalado Hernández
*CPT Carlos Quezada Aguilar
COL Guillermo Pinel Calix
Juan Ramón Peña Paz
GEN Policarpo Paz GarcÃa
Top heavy with Brass, I'd say, and each one has a list of crimes long as your arm--and there are dozens more, all highly placed military.
Watch this film and learn about the School for Assassins.
http://www.derechos.org/soa/ho-grads.html