EU suspends Honduras budgetary support payments

[cal04]

Source: Reuters

The European Commission said on Monday it was suspending all budgetary support payments to Honduras after the failure of efforts to resolve a crisis following a military overthrow of President Manuel Zelaya.

"I very much regret that it has not been possible to this date to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution to the Honduran crisis," EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said in a statement.

"In view of the circumstances, I have taken the difficult decision to suspend all budgetary support payments," she said.

An EU spokeswoman said the European Commission had earmarked 65.5 million euros ($92.73 million) for budgetary support payments for the 2007-2010 period.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LK223534.htm

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. They gave them their chance to play nice

they said no, call me surprised NOT

[Judi Lynn]

2. Hope they will stand by their decision. This is excellent. Thanks. n/t

[peacetalksforall]

3. The OAS, the EU, the Central American association - all say no. Have we suspended

our aid funding?

Oh, that's right, we are spending money on the coup - through the CIA.

And we still have our bases there - rent money - is it going to the coup leaders? or the people?

[Peace Patriot]

4. "through the CIA." It's worse than that. $43 million in USAID funds to rightwing groups

in Honduras, some it funded through John McCain's (US taxpayer funded) "International Republican Institute." Our tax dollars are directly supporting the coup groups. (Eva Gollinger's FOIA research.)

Eat that!

--------------------------

The EU does the right thing, while our Congress is fumbling around with a Puke resolution to support the coup! Tell me that the far rightwing corporate control of all of our voting machines, with 'TRADE SECRET,' PROPRIETARY programming code, and virtually no audit/recount controls, does not materially determine the narrow parameters of our national political debate--from far right to right-center! You wonder how Congress can be so unrepresentative, so far right, so anti-democratic and so seemingly stupid? I think this is how. They were not elected. They were (s)elected by secret code that we are not permitted to review.

[peacetalksforall]

6. " It is chaired by Senator John McCain; notable board members include Paul Bremer, Brent Scowcroft

and Chuck Hagel."

And Chuck Hagel. Whaddyaknow. Discussed as a possible Cabinet member for Obama? Founder of ES & S - the vote thieving machine.

[Vidar]

8. Thanks for the information. Didn't know that about McCain.

[cal04]

5. Ousted Honduran leader pushes for more sanctions, Clinton added to the pressure

http://www.kwqc.com/Global/story.asp?S=10756235

Aides to ousted President Manuel Zelaya pushed Monday for international sanctions against Honduran officials who took power in a coup and foreign nations stepped up pressure after negotiations for his return reached a deadlock.

A top Zelaya adviser, Enrique Flores, told The Associated Press that other governments should take steps such as freezing the bank accounts of members of the interim government.

The European Union announced Monday that it is suspending some euro65 million ($92 million) in aid to Honduras after the government installed by a coup rejected a mediator's plan for Zelaya's return.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton added to the pressure, phoning interim President Roberto Micheletti over the weekend to warn of consequences if he fails to reach a negotiated settlement.

[Flaneur]

7. "We will be publicly irritated with you, but that's just for media consumption"

appears to be the real US line in this.

[Vidar]

9. I'm glad that the EU is on the right side of this, unlike the US.

[IDFbunny]

11. I we'd have impeached our president,

I'm sure they'd sanction our 'coup' government. :sarcasm:

[autorank]

10. What a diplomat k*r

"I very much regret" ... diplomatic but the right action was taken.