DAY 2: COUP IN HONDURAS; MASS REPRESSION IN THE STREETS

[Joanne98]

Last night, the coup government de facto president in Honduras, Roberto Micheletti, spoke live in a television interview (the only television station left open in Honduras, the others have been shut down by the military), and reinforced his determination to remain in power. He said he would allow President Zelaya to return to the country - not as president, but as a citizen - only if he renounces his relationship with President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Micheletti also said he didn't need the approval of any nation - including the US- regarding his position in power and the "new government" in place in Honduras. Despite all of the condemnations from the international community, Micheletti has said his coup government will not step down.

Today there are several meetings in Nicaragua - the Rio Group is meeting (comprised of all Latin American and Caribbean nations), ALBA countries have been meeting since last night (Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador, Dominica, St. Vicent, Antigua and Barbados and Honduras) and the Central American nations are also all going to meet later today to discuss the situation in Honduras.

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has made a statement unilaterally condemning the coup in Honduras and calling for President Zelaya's immediate reinstatement. All have said so far they will only recognize Zelaya as the legitimate president of Honduras.

Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas has been released by the coup military officers who beat and detained her. She was forced into exile in Mexico, where she is now and is expected to fly later today with Mexican president Felipe Calderon to Nicaragua.

The coup government in Honduras has issued arrest warrants for members of Zelaya's cabinet that are still in the country. There is widespread repression throughout the country. A curfew was imposed by the coup government last night at 9pm to 6am this morning and the military have thoroughly barricaded the presidential palace to prevent protesters from getting close.

Television, press and radio in Honduras are not reporting AT ALL on the coup and President Zelaya's whereabouts. As they did during the April 2002 against Chávez in Venezuela, television stations are showing soap operas and regular programming, print media is not mentioning the coup at all and neither is radio. There is a MAJOR BLACKOUT on information in Honduras.

No longer is the coup in Honduras making international headlines. Seems like the international media doesn't really care that a military coup has just occurred in Honduras and the president was kidnapped, beaten and forced into exile. Nor are they reporting that for the first time ever, all multilateral organisms, like the OAS, UN, European Community, ALBA, UNASUR, etc, have all condemned the coup and convened emergency meetings to discuss solutions.

This afternoon, President Obama meets with President Uribe of Colombia, in a previously scheduled meeting, and will most likely make statements regarding the situation in Honduras.

Nevertheless, it seems like in the particular coup scenario, Obama has lost control. The US Military Group and Embassy in Honduras have been directly involved with the coup leaders. USAID and the Pentagon have backed this coup, there is just really no question. The Honduran military would never have moved with consent from their commanding officers, the US Military Group in Honduras and those stationed on the Soto Cano base.

http://www.chavezcode.com/2009/06/day-2-coup-in-honduras-mass-repression.html

UPDATE DAY 2: 11:17AM; VIOLENCE IN FRONT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE IN HONDURAS
ALERT: There is an irregular situation occurring outside the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Soldiers in riot gear are surrounding the palace, preparing for the coup leaders arrival. But the soldiers are not there to prevent the coup leaders from entering the palace, rather to facilitate their entry and the prevent protesters from nearing the palace grounds. The soldiers are in full riot gear with major weapons on hand and a potential major violent repression is about to occur.


Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas, previously kidnapped, beaten and forced into midnight exile by the coup leaders is giving declarations from her forced exile in Mexico. She confirmed she will be going together with Mexican president Felipe Calderon to the meetings in Nicaragua today. She reaffirmed the government she represents of President Manuel Zelaya remains the legitimate government of Honduras. President Calderon of Mexico, a right-wing president, has offered his help to dialogue with the coup leaders in Honduras in order to restore constitutional order.

http://www.chavezcode.com/2009/06/update-day-2-1117am-violence-in-front.html

[BolivarianHero]

1. Are there any concentration camps in Venezuela?

We need an appropriate place to eliminate the perpetrators of the coup and reeducate the soldiers who are allowing the repression to happen.

lol...You know it's bad when a UN Secretary General from an American client state is calling for the reinstatement of a Bolivarian head of state.

[malaise]

2. Any tweeting from the chattering classes at M$Greedia

I'm betting no because this is a right wing coup.

It won't spin in this hemisphere this time around. We will not recognize the coup leaders.

[Joanne98]

4. Oh yeah. There's plenty of tweeting from them.. They're pretending to be the little people.

But if you go back a few days on their feed, they're talking about "my vacation in " " LOL

[On the Road]

3. I Just Want to Understand the Court Decision Better

That's what separates this from any coup I've ever heard of. It seems bizarre that a set of justices can essentially fire a head of state at will. Do not even understand the basis of the decision.

[SuperTrouper]

7. Zelaya's term was about to expire. Elections were scheduled for 11/29/09

Zelaya's Vice-President resigned his post after denouncing Zelaya's repressive Chavista policies against the Honduran people. His former Vice-President is now the nominee for the Liberal Party for the Presidency of Honduras. Zelaya wanted to "consult" the people to amend the Constitution yesterday so he could theoretically run again, an illegal act because to "consult" the people he had to come first to the National Congress and to the tribunal of Elections to set the wheels in motion. The case went to the Honduras Supreme Court and in a 5-0 vote they rejected Zelaya's attempt and called this "consult" not constitutional. So Zelaya became unhinged and announced that he was the sole power in the land and would go ahead with this "consult" and ordered the Supreme Commander of the Honduras Army to enforce security in the voting booths. The Supremes and the Congress again said that what Zelaya was doing was not constitutional and General Romeo Vasquez Velazquez informed Zelaya that he would not obey the order because the Legislative and Judicial branches deemed it unconstitutional. If he wanted to have a "consult" he could ask Gallup or an organization to do so but not the voting booths of the land. Zelaya then fired General Vasquez and then the Congress impeached him. This was supported by the Judicial system and demanded that Vasquez be restored to his position and Zelaya refused and threatened to dissolve the Judicial and Legislative bodies. The Congress pleaded with Zelaya to save face and back-track on his "consulta" saying that he was doing so to handle the Swine flu crisis in Honduras and to work on the Budget proposal (which Zelaya has refused to do since January 2009). Once Zelaya dismissed the proposal, the Supremes and Congress jointly ordered the Military to remove Zelaya and depose him as President. The President of the Congress is next in line for the Presidency according to Honduras' Constitution and Roberto Micheletti became the Interim President until 11/29/09. The Presidential candidates are already campaigning and the two major parties approved of the decision. The MISTAKE by the Honduras Supremes and Congress was to remove Zelaya and send him to Costa Rica. They should have ousted him and kept him under house arrest pending a Constitutional trial for high crimes and misdemeanors (there have been several allegations of Zelaya violating Honduran law in the past three years) and if found guilty to jail him and sentence him to whichever remedy is allowed by the Honduran Constitution. If they found him innocent, then they could have released him to go on with his life.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

13. Please give us examples of "repressive Chavista policies against the Honduran people."

With links, preferably.

[On the Road]

14. OK, So Zelaya Attempted Some Unconstitutional Acts

and was opposed by the judicial and legislative branches. So far, so good.

However, it appears he was still legally president until after the Nov 09 elections. That's what's troubling about it.

When Andrew Jackson repudiated the Supreme Court decision on the Cherokees, should the top US general have sent troops into the White House to seize Jackson and send him into exile?

[BridgeTheGap]

5. From the proud sponsors of the Contra Wars...criminals still at work. n.t

[SuperTrouper]

6. Professional Venezuelan Agitators Arrive in Honduras to Cause Chaos

http://www.laprensahn.com/Ediciones/2009/06/29/Noticias/Agitadores-venezolanos-mueven-grupos-de-choque (La Prensa de Honduras-Honduras Press)

Translation:

San Pedro Sula, Honduras 6/29/09 11:06 AM

Professional agitators from Venezuela have arrived in Honduras to move groups and create chaos in the country.

Around 500 people protested in the Central Park of San Pedro Sula, intimidating pro-Micheletti supporters, a flagrant attack on freedom of expression.

A cameraman was snatched his camera and destroyed by the Venezuelan mob. They also beat a photographer for the newspaper La Tribune that covered the event in place.

Meanwhile, in El Progreso, 800 people have signed up to block the bridge La Democracia, burning tires and chanting leftist slogans. They seized the video camera of a cameraman for the Corporation Televicentro (National Televisioon Network) and broke the glass on a vehicle carrying the banner of the Press.

In La Ceiba, the communist Popular Bloc and some teacher leaders meet to define where to take a march against the departure of former President Manuel Zelaya of the country.

Zelaya was removed because of his irregular acts and threatening the rule of law, according to Legislative Decree approved by Congress.

The former President was arrested for conducting a referendum calling for a Constituent Assembly, to repeal the current Constitution and to allow the re-election (a Chavez-like move). This had been declared illegal by the Supreme Court, but Zelaya disregarded the Supreme Court order and insisted on the project.

Zelaya had changed his political philosophy since being elected nearly four years ago, aligning himself with Venezuela's dictator Hugo Chávez, which caused much anguish among the Honduran people.

Sunday afternoon, the Honduran Congress swore-in Roberto Micheletti as the new President of the Republic, who promised to hold general elections on November 29, 2009.

[readmoreoften]

8. Oh wow! Right-wing claptrap from a rightwing newspaper during a media blackout!

Funny how "leftwing" Obama supporters in the US are "rightwing" coup-backing apologists when it comes to Latin America. But anything to fight the battle against Chavez and the demon socialism, right?

[SuperTrouper]

9. This is not a right wing paper. I think you are thinking of El Tiempo from Tegucigalpa

or El Heraldo from Tegucigalpa. La Prensa has been around for almost a century and they tend to the left. They are based out of San Pedro Sula and support the Liberal Party, not the Natinal (right wing) Party. Sorry but you are wrong on this one.

[Flaneur]

12. Left or right, they have no journalist standards. Why post this tripe?

They lead with the classic "outide agitator" claptrap with NOT ONE WORD OF SUPPORTING EVIDENCE. This article is a pathetic attempt at propaganda.

I suppose its not surprising that a newspaper that supports the Liberal Party machine would propagandize for a coup led by the party machine.

[tkmorris]

15. Did you read that article?

Do you not recognize the blatant bias inherent in it? Don't let your personal opinions blind you to the truth.

I don't have much of an opinion on Zelaya. Honduran politics has never been very prominent on my radar. I am quite capable of recognizing bullshit however, wherever it shows up, and that article simply reeks of it.

[Flaneur]

11. La Prensa makes Fox News seem, er, fair and balanced.

Notice the lede: Professional agitators from Venezuela are responsible.

Notice the sourcing for that claim: There is none.

Notice the twisting of reality: The exercise of free speech to oppose the coup is defined as being anti-free speech.

THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN PROPAGANDA! Shame on you for posting this tripe.

[damntexdem]

10. Iran envy? The coup perpetrators may find that the topography has changed from prior decades.

Even rightwing governments aren't happy with this; and there are many more moderate and leftwing governments in the Americas than previously.