Oh Honduras, taking us back to a time before Latin America's third wave of democracy. As you know, President? Zelaya is hiding...I mean, symbolically residing in Honduras...in the Brazilian Embassy. Despite low levels of food and bare resources, the interim government has yet to "smoke him out of his hole" (who knew I'd ever quote President Bush?) and Lula refuses to boot Zelaya from the Embassy.
Anyhow, some Senate Republicans wanted in on the action and wanted a CODEL (Congressional Delegation) visit to Honduras. Pump your brakes guys. The State Department has an official no playing with the interim government rule (and that White House seconds that rule)! The rule exisists because of that whole undermining democracy thing that Micheletti did when his people forced Zelaya on a plane with a gun in his face!
Jim DeMint (R-SC *sigh*) has called this Obama administration and John Kerry bullying, and they have a right to know the truth about the situation in Honduras. Fine, Senate Republicans...here is the truth. President Zelaya broke the constitution and was holding a referendum so that he could have the chance to run for President...again. What makes this sketchy is a.) the ballots were printed in Venezuela and shipped to Honduras and b.) there are some articles in the constitution that made the referendum and Zelaya's seeking it illegal. This lead to the government coming, Latin American style, to his door with guns and putting him on a plane in his PJs, this is the coup part of this. To try to solve the problem, the hemisphere's most peaceful country, Costa Rica drafted a deal that could have resolved the problem BUT both Zelaya and Michiletti rejected it. Zelaya then went on an international feel-sorry-for-me tour, danced on the border, then illegally snuck back into the country to....well I'm not sure what he planned to do since he hasn't left the Brazilian Embassy yet.
The point is this, Zelaya was kooky and breaking the law but he was forcefully removed from office, the first coup since Latin America's fresh new democracies. In my humble opinion, both Zelaya and Micheletti have some guilt and 'splainin to do to the internationl committee but what occured is a coup and is not okay.
Nonetheless, as U.S. Senators, you need to stand behind U.S. foreign policy on this matter meaning no rum and cokes with Micheletti and friends. It is important for all U.S. public officials to send the same and clear message to Honduras' interim government that is unacceptable to stage coups, that is soooo 1980s.
My theory: These guys are trying to pull a Mark Sanford and have Honduran mistresses. Just saying.
Jim DeMint (R-SC *sigh*) has called this Obama administration and John Kerry bullying, and they have a right to know the truth about the situation in Honduras. Fine, Senate Republicans...here is the truth. President Zelaya broke the constitution and was holding a referendum so that he could have the chance to run for President...again. What makes this sketchy is a.) the ballots were printed in Venezuela and shipped to Honduras and b.) there are some articles in the constitution that made the referendum and Zelaya's seeking it illegal. This lead to the government coming, Latin American style, to his door with guns and putting him on a plane in his PJs, this is the coup part of this. To try to solve the problem, the hemisphere's most peaceful country, Costa Rica drafted a deal that could have resolved the problem BUT both Zelaya and Michiletti rejected it. Zelaya then went on an international feel-sorry-for-me tour, danced on the border, then illegally snuck back into the country to....well I'm not sure what he planned to do since he hasn't left the Brazilian Embassy yet.
The point is this, Zelaya was kooky and breaking the law but he was forcefully removed from office, the first coup since Latin America's fresh new democracies. In my humble opinion, both Zelaya and Micheletti have some guilt and 'splainin to do to the internationl committee but what occured is a coup and is not okay.
Nonetheless, as U.S. Senators, you need to stand behind U.S. foreign policy on this matter meaning no rum and cokes with Micheletti and friends. It is important for all U.S. public officials to send the same and clear message to Honduras' interim government that is unacceptable to stage coups, that is soooo 1980s.
My theory: These guys are trying to pull a Mark Sanford and have Honduran mistresses. Just saying.
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