Zelaya Postpones Return, Mass Mobilization in the Country

Honduran President Manuel Zelaya suspended his return to his country scheduled for tomorrow, July 2, awaiting the termination of a 72-hour ultimatum issued by the Organization of America States yesterday.

"The OAS has called for 72 hours (to re-establish President Zelaya in power) and we agree with this decision," Zelaya stated.

Supporters of the coup, pro-Zelaya forces and the international community all worked to consolidate their ranks over the past few days, as Honduras prepared for the first direct face-off since the June 28 coup d'Etat deposed elected president of Honduras Manuel Zelaya Rosales. Zelaya had initially announced he would return to Honduras tomorrow, where coup leaders said he would be "immediately arrested" if he landed on Honduran territory.

The 72-hour postponement of his return offers yet another possible diplomatic solution to what could have been a violent confrontation tomorrow. Zelaya met with the OAS yesterday, which announced that the coup had 72 hours to reinstate the president and if it failed to do so, Honduras would be suspended from the OAS. The text condemns the coup, recognizes Zelaya as the president, and calls for the Secretary General to seek diplomatic solutions.

It adds, "Should these prove unsuccessful within 72 hours, the Special General Assembly shall forthwith invoke Article 21 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter to suspend Honduras' membership."

The three major actors in the drama that has captivated the world from this small, impoverished nation have tightened their positions in the lead-up to the president's return.

The coup dug in at a rally held yesterday. It issued an arrest order for Zelaya on 18 charges including "abuse of authority" and "betrayal of the country." Attorney General Luis Alberto Rubi said the president would be "immediately arrested" on landing in Honduran territory.

In an interview with AP, the leader of the coup government, Roberto Micheletti, stated, "No one can make me resign if I do not violate the laws of the country."

"If there is any invasion against our country, 7.5 million Hondurans will be ready to defend our territory and our laws and our homeland and our government." AP reports that Micheletti said it was too late for Zelaya to avoid arrest.

Meanwhile, the international community continued to close ranks against the coup and has begun to issue sanctions and ultimatums to the Honduran coup leaders. The General Assembly of the United Nations issued a resolution deploring the "interrupted the democratic and constitutional order and the legitimate exercise of power in Honduras." The text demands "the immediate and unconditional restoration of the legitimate and Constitutional Government of the President of the Republic, Mr. José Manuel Zelaya Rosales, and of the legally established authority in Honduras."

Robert Zoellick, head of the World Bank, announced that the Bank will suspend loans to Honduras -- around $80 million planned for the next fiscal year.

In a further show of international support, President Zelaya was to return tomorrow accompanied by the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Jose Insulza and presidents Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina and Rafael Correa of Ecuador. Now plans for return await the result of the OAS ultimatum.

Indigenous, AIndigenous, Afro-Honduram, farmer and worker organizations have emitted numerous declarations calling for the return of Zelaya and constitutional order, amid street protests and a widespread work stoppage called by unions. The recently formed Popular Resistance Front called for delegations to travel to Honduras to stand by the popular organizations of Honduras in support of the return of the democratically elected president and inform the situation.

The Front has called for mass demonstrations in the country. It also called on foreign media, members of grassroots organizations and human rights groups to increase pressure on the coup and support the call for reinstatement of the president.

Rafael Alegria, leader of Via Campesina rural organizations in the country told the Americas Program this morning that protest movements are mobilizing throughout the country and awaiting the end of the 72-hour period.

"We are waiting to see if in the 72-hour period set by the OAS we can achieve the re-establishment of the rule of law, to strengthen democratic processes that are taking place throughout all of Latin America."

As in any military coup, the fourth actor -- the armed forces -- plays a major role in determining how events unfold. Micheletti appeared yesterday before a pro-coup crowd, backed up by uniformed military officers.

Coup leaders are portraying the return of the Honduran president as a "foreign invasion" and evoking images of the Cold War to justify their position. Supporters flashed signs against Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez to the media at their rally. Coup leaders have been taken aback by the U.S. government's condemnation of the coup and asserted that the international community's position is due to ignorance.

The Los Angeles Times quoted a retired General reviving the domino theory:

"I'm surprised that Barack Obama is not better informed," retired Col. Natanael Guevara, 56, said, referring to U.S. condemnation of the coup. "If Honduras falls, Central America falls and then Mexico. I'm ready to put my uniform back on if it means defending my country from Hugo Chavez."

Alegria said that the army has blocked protesters from traveling to Tegucigalpa and other points. He added that they have learned that the military is recruiting young people and calling out reservists, amid talk of war. Some battalions, Alegria asserted, are refusing to repress the Honduran protesters.

Follow Laura Carlsen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tortuga7

Comments

[AntonioSosa]

By siding with Zelaya and against the rule of law and the human rights of Hondurans, the corrupt UN and OAS demonstrate again that, rather than defending human rights, they support dictators who trample on those rights. The world in general and the Americas in particular would benefit from the closing of both pernicious organizations. As a bonus, we would all save money and their fancy buildings could be put to better use!

To further empower and enrich itself, the UN helps promote evil schemes, such as Obama’s global warming/cap and trade Ponzy scheme, which will kill the U.S. economy. And the OAS under Insulza has been helping Castro and Chavez enslave Latin Americans.

Venezuelans, Bolivians, Ecuadorians, etc. have written open letters to Insulza begging him to defend them from Chavez, Morales, Ortega, Correa, and the rest of the Marxist thugs. Insulza has responded by declaring “transparent and democratic” the fraudulent elections of those thugs. The UN and the OAS have become enemies of freedom and democracy and should be dissolved.

[AntonioSosa]

Congratulations, Hondurans! Many of us wish we could have done what you are doing before the Marxist thugs working for Castro and Chavez enslaved our countries.

What happened in Hondurans is an opening for all Latin Americans to free themselves from Castro, Chavez and the rest of the Marxist thugs who are destroying Latin America – Ortega, Morales, Correa, etc.

Many of us have suffered under those Marxist thugs, who get elected through lies, manipulation, intimidation and fraud, promising to “help the poor” and with CHANGE and YES WE CAN slogans. Chavez, FARC and possibly Iran pay for overwhelming media propaganda on their behalf.

Once elected, they proceed to destroy the country’s economy and institutions, take over the Legislative and Judicial branches, change the constitution, get complete control of the country and do as they please with the country and the people. Just like Castro in Cuba. The people, poorer than ever, manipulated and intimidated, can’t defend themselves.

Zelaya was about to take over the Legislative and Judicial branches, when the Supreme Court, considering Zelaya’s crimes and ties with Chavez, ordered that he be removed.

That is why all honest and informed Americans and Latin Americans are elated at what Hondurans have done. They deserve to be congratulated for their courage and for giving us all hope and an example of patriotism and civility.

[AntonioSosa]

What happened in Honduras is NOT a military coup! Hondurans prevented a coup. They quite rightly ousted a man who was unlawfully preparing for a power grab which would have resulted in disaster for Hondurans. The same disaster that is destroying Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and the rest of the countries enslaved by Marxist thugs guided by Castro/Chavez.

Zelaya, the sitting president, behaved illegally and the Honduras military acted under the orders of the country's Supreme Court to remove that president, and to elevate the person next in line under the Honduras Constitution. This is Constitutional Democracy in action combating illegal behavior by a sitting President.

[antropologo]

Ms. Carlsen is distorting the facts and is not reporting the whole truth. First off, it is inaccurate to describe this as a military coup. Rather it was a police action to apprehend a Honduran citizen who was in violation of the law. The action to remove Zelaya was ordered by the Honduran Supreme Court, which has the authority to undertake such actions according to their Constitution. Secondly, Ms. Carlsen's piece is inaccurate because she fails to report about the massive demonstrations in support of President Micheletti. It should be noted that these demonstrations in support of Micheletti focus on peace, they praise the functioning democratic processes in Honduras, and they are much, much larger than the protests by Zelaya supporters.

Check out this opinion piece for a better explanation of the Honduran political crisis: http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=94375367223&h=-O87U&u=IQUUa&ref=nf

[SophieAmrain]

I see that the trolls are out in force. That members of congress and the supreme court help the coup, does not make it any less a coup. The President, Zelaya, was beaten, dragged from his house in his pyjamas and expelled from the country. Sounds like a very legal procedure, no? Many radio and TV stations have been blocked or raided, only the pro coup stations can send. The supposedly freedom-loving coupists have suspended basic democratic rights, and they do all they can to keep pro Zelaya people from meeting, organizing, demonstrating. If Zelaya would have so little support, why did the coupists not let him embarass himself with the non-binding referendum (perfectly legal, btw) on whether to hold a vote on whether to concene a constitutional assembly to re-write (not reform) the constitution (also perfectly legal). They are afraid, that is why they overthrew an elected government. They are afraid that the old ways of being rich and looking down on colored servants may become a thing of the past.

[babybuda]

well said

[VeggieVeal]

With Iran, it's clear who the good guys and bad guys are. With Honduras, it's not clear at all (yet).

[Laura Carlsen - Huffpost Blogger]

I think you don't have to be an unconditional supporter of President Zelaya to condemn the coup. Now that the coup has declared a state of seige, suspending all major civil liberties in the country, it is pretty clear that they are on the side of preserving their power regardless of the effects on democracy and human rights.