U.S. moves toward formal cutoff of aid to Honduras

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Washington Post

U.S. moves toward formal cutoff of aid to Honduras
By Arshad Mohammed
Reuters
Thursday, August 27, 2009; 6:29 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. State Department staff have recommended that the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya be declared a "military coup," a U.S. official said on Thursday, a step that could cut off tens of millions of dollars in U.S. funding to the impoverished Central American nation.

The official, who spoke on condition he not be named, said State Department staff had made such a recommendation to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has yet to make a decision on the matter -- although one was likely soon.

Washington already suspended about $18 million in aid to Honduras following the June 28 coup and this would be formally cut if the determination is made because of a U.S. law barring aid "to the government of any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup or decree."

The official said $215 million in grant funding from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation to Honduras would also have to end should Clinton make the determination that a military coup took place.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/27/AR2009082702778.html

[Joanne98]

1. YAY

[bemildred]

2. About time.

Get the Pentagon out of there too.

[Judi Lynn]

3. US 'disappointed' by Honduras mission failure

US 'disappointed' by Honduras mission failure
Thu Aug 27, 12:21 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US voiced disappointment Thursday at the failure of a seven-nation mission to persuade coup leaders in Honduras to accept a settlement and renewed its support for ousted president Manuel Zelaya.

"We are disappointed by this inability to move forward," the State Department said in a statement to AFP.

"The United States supports the peaceful restoration of democratic and constitutional order in Honduras with President Zelaya?s return as president to finish his term," it said.

"We firmly believe a negotiated solution is the appropriate way forward and that Costa Rican President Oscar Arias' plan for resolving this crisis is a good one," it said. "Both sides would be well advised to sign it promptly."

Foreign ministers from seven nations and the head of the Organization of American States returned empty-handed after failing to persuade Honduras' de facto leader Roberto Micheletti to accept the Arias plan.

The Costa Rican president had proposed the return of ousted leader Zelaya but also elections and an amnesty for the leaders of the bloodless June 28 coup. Zelaya supports the deal.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090827/pl_afp/honduraspoliticscoupus_20090827162346

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

4. When these coups take place, I suppose there is no way to ensure aid,...

,...gets to the nation's people rather than those who have installed a militant government.

I feel badly for Hondurans, right now.

[Judi Lynn]

6. The coup government is at total odds with the people who are protesting in large numbers daily.

The coup president, Roberto Micheletti, has installed the former head of the Honduran death squads, a man wanted by Spain for war crimes, Billy Joya, as the head of his security forces.

There is no press, no media working in Honduras now, and none safely operating since the coup. It had been sporadic for one tv station, one radio station which kept trying to get information out to the rest of the world, and their capabilities have been destroyed.

People have tried to get buses into town to protest, only to have the military stop the buses and shoot out the tires. Recently the government took care of the problem for good by closing bus transportation into towns from the countryside.

The people are simply continuing to walk in huge numbers, and they also are piling into caravans to demonstrate against the coup government.

[EFerrari]

5. Better late than never. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

7. Central American bank freezes Honduras loans following coup

Central American bank freezes Honduras loans following coup
By Associated Press
12:38 a.m. EDT, August 27, 2009

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Central America's development bank says it is freezing credits to Honduras following the June 28 coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

Local media say the decision could affect infrastructure projects like planned highways in the impoverished Central American nation.

The Central American Bank for Economic Integration said in a statement Wednesday that the freeze is provisional, while the banks' governors weigh whether to suspend financing.

The bank has provided about $971 million in financing for Honduras over the last five years.

Many other multilateral agencies and foreign governments have put Honduras aid projects on hold, in the face of the interim government's refusal to reinstate Zelaya.

http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-lt-honduras-coup-loans,0,54582.story

[harmonicon]

8. is the state department going to weigh in on "fire is hot" any time soon too? (nt)

[Vidar]

9. Moving slowly, but in the right direction.