General Who Led Coup Seeks Honduran Presidency

[Judi Lynn]

General Who Led Coup Seeks Honduran Presidency
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras January 20, 2013 (AP)

The man who led the military part of a coup against former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is now a candidate for president himself.

The Honduran Patriotic Alliance voted Sunday to make retired Gen. Romeo Vazquez Velazquez its standard-bearer for the November election.

Zelaya tried to fire Vazquez as military chief in 2009, but the Supreme Court reinstated him. He then had Zelaya arrested and flown out of the country. The ouster was approved by the country's Congress and court but brought international condemnation. Vazquez more recently has headed the country's telecommunications company.

Vazquez's recently formed party emphasizes the need for greater security and trust in God. It includes many people linked to the military.

More:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/general-led-coup-seeks-honduran-presidency-18265241

[center]

Romeo Vazquez Velazquez[/center]

[Judi Lynn]

1. Former coup general launches Honduras presidential campaign

Former coup general launches Honduras presidential campaign
Sun, 20 Jan 2013 20:11 GMT
Source: reuters // Reuters

TEGUCIGALPA, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Former Honduran armed forces chief Romeo Vasquez, who in 2009 led the coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya, on Sunday launched a presidential campaign, saying he will restore order and security to the troubled Central American country.

Vasquez, who until now has been running the country's phone company, will stand as a candidate for the right-leaning opposition Patriotic Alliance party in the elections in November, he said at an event in the Honduran capital.

"We will fight hard to bring order and security to this country, combating corruption and impunity so we can attract jobs and investment," he told journalists.

Mexican and Colombian drug cartels have expanded their operations into Honduras. The country now has the world's highest murder rate with 87 killings per 100,000 people, according to the United Nations.

http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/news/detail.dot?id=08445629-0c4d-4eec-bf9d-17756832d806

[Judi Lynn]

2. Honduras Coup General Was Charged in 1993 Auto Theft Ring (as we learned years ago)

Honduras Coup General Was Charged in 1993 Auto Theft Ring
Posted by Al Giordano - July 4, 2009 at 3:15 pm
By Al Giordano

General Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, who appeared on stage this week with Honduran coup “president” Roberto Michiletti, and who ordered the kidnapping and forced deportation of P resident Manuel Zelaya last Sunday, was charged with grand auto theft in 1993, Narco News has learned.

On February 2, 1993, the front page of the Tegucigalpa daily El Heraldo included this headline: “Eleven Members of the Gang of 13 Go to Prison”:

“Eleven individuals arrested for their alleged participation in the theft of 200 luxury automobiles… were sent to prison yesterday… (including) Colonel Wilfredo Leva Caborrea and Major Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, accused as alleged participants…”

~snip~
Prior to his criminal acts, Vásquez attended the US School of the Americas in 1976 and 1984, when the school was located in Panama, but he did not graduate.

It was the same Honduran Congress that endorsed, after the fact, last Sunday’s military coup, and named Roberto Micheletti as the country's "president," that promoted this common car thief as head of the Armed Forces.

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/al-giordano/2009/07/honduras-coup-general-was-charged-1993-auto-theft-ring

[Downwinder]

3. Don't think we can complain about redemption for car thieves,

we have Issa.

[Judi Lynn]

4. They have another common thread besides stealing cars: they're right-wingers. n/t

[DollarBillHines]

5. It's gonna get a whole lot worse.

Lord have mercy on the Hondurans.

[joshcryer]

6. Hey, he could be the next Chavez.