The Honduran Coup: A Graphic History

On November 29, national elections will take place in Honduras. Five months earlier, on June 28th, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was arrested in the middle of the night by the armed forces and forcibly exiled to Costa Rica -- on the day he had proposed to hold a non-binding public poll on a popular assembly. Why? For his supposed intention of subverting the Honduran constitution to extend his time in office. Zelaya still remains under effective house arrest in the Brazlian embassy -- which is surrounded by coup leader Roberto Micheletti's troops -- after being smuggled back into the country. Read the first part of The Honduran Coup: A Graphic History here.

After a considerable delay, the US finally intervened to broker a deal on Oct 30, which has since been rejected outright by Zelaya and decried by the International community. Despite its previous solidarity with the deposed President, the US has now agreed to recognize the new elections that are scheduled for November 29, with or without Zelaya's restitution. Why the change of heart for the Obama administration?

In our follow-up to The Honduran Coup: A Graphic History, which was published online at Alternet.org in October, we look at the situation on the ground in Honduras, examining the details of the proposed accord and the background realpolitik that led to the sudden change of heart in the US's stance. See the links below each page for their sources and corroborating evidence.

• • • • • • Panel 1 - This is an adaptation from journalist Joe Shansky's first hand reporting of the event for Pulsemedia.org. Read the original article here.

 

Comments

[jsgaetano]

03:52 PM on 12/09/2009

Just goes to prove- conservatives in the US are STILL overthrowing democracies in South America.

[RobinsonRoad]

03:37 PM on 11/29/2009

Buh Bye, Zelaya. Nice try at the unconstitutional term extension.

[Balzac]

11:34 AM on 11/27/2009

Based on limited information, I'm supporting Zaleya. The side which doesn't want to talk is most likely the side trying to seize power from everyone.

[kgb999]

09:49 PM on 11/28/2009

Based on hours and hours of research, I support Zelaya being tried for his crimes. I also support the military officers who removed him from Honduras being tried as well.

[LushLife72]

08:23 PM on 11/26/2009

John Perkins ("Confessions of an Economic Hit Man") had it right. Honduras was the neo-liberalists "line in the sand" against the rising tide of populism in Latin America. He argues that the CIA was undoubtedly a player in this as well.

[KIVPossum]

06:09 AM on 11/27/2009

No doubt the CIA was a player.

[thrdr]

05:02 AM on 11/26/2009

The Obama administration has never evinced anything that can accurately be called "solidarity" with Zelaya; from beginning to end, its position has been unjustly equivocal, and its support for Zelaya's reinstatement has been tepid and calculated to preserve the status quo of the coup's perpetrators.

[Dev Capps]

12:58 AM on 11/26/2009

Dan, as always, sneaks in a serious story under the "guise" of comics. Always a good read.

[higherstrategy]

07:21 PM on 11/25/2009

so the congress and the Supreme court of Honduras both acting within the legal framework of the Constitution are/were wrong to stop a man trying to bring back an era of South American History better left in the past, and that of 'dictators' like Chavez?

I just fail to see how you all can support the deposed President when both the Congress AND the Supreme Court acted correctly in stopping someone from creating a situation South America has worked so hard to keep from it, except for the likes of Chavez and his horrid influence in the area.

[thrdr]

04:59 AM on 11/26/2009

What alternate universe have you been living in? The Honduran Congress and Supreme Court endorsed an illegal military coup. Illegal under Honduran law and illegal according to international law. These are facts.

[kgb999]

09:35 PM on 11/28/2009

Do some real research. You are just wrong on this. The military helped Zelaya escape a fully legal arrest warrant.

[sticksnstones]

01:28 PM on 11/26/2009

Given that you're such a legal scholar, it shouldn't be difficult for you to point out for us exactly where in the Honduran Constitution is the provision for the removal of the elected head of state at gunpoint by the military in the middle of the night from his home and the forced exile of that same elected head of state to Costa Rica. For what ?? According to the illegitimate Micheletti coup cartel, it was necessary to overthrow the government in order to prevent Zelaya from overthrowing the government.

George Orwell could have written a sequel to Animal Farm over the twisted logic of THAT excuse for a Coup d'Etat, my misinformed friend.

[kgb999]

09:37 PM on 11/28/2009

If that was the only issue, you'd be right. But it isn't.

The illegal action of the military doesn't change the fact that Zelaya violated the constitution 10 ways to Sunday before he was removed. The charges against him seem to be based on some pretty incontrovertible facts.

Both the military who removed him (in violation of the courts order to present Zelaya) should stand trial. But so should Zelaya.

[Sara111]

02:51 PM on 11/25/2009

Dan Archer's work is gorgeous and visually brings the story to life.

[LMPE]

02:30 PM on 11/25/2009

Where's Vaclav Havel now?

[larry278]

01:56 PM on 11/25/2009

FWIW: The latest edition of the NY Rev of Bks has a lengthy article discussing the "Velvet Revolution(s)" in E Europe that helped kill Stalinst Communism & the USSR in the 1980s & 1990s which discusses revolutions from the French Revolution to uprisings now. The NYRB's articale will aid in understanding HP's blog about the upcoming farce of an election in Hondorus on 11/29/09. A more accomplished bibliographer may choose to augment my brief comment with a more complete citation.

[peterg76]

01:16 PM on 11/25/2009

Nothing about the situation in Honduras is making sense.

[Garioch]

02:11 AM on 11/27/2009

Makes perfect sense and entirely in keeping with the U.S. management of the region for decades.