Honduran National Police Will Not Arrest Zelaya

[magbana]

ABN: Honduran National Police will not arrest Manuel Zelaya
Posted by: "Walter Lippmann" [e-mail] walterlx
Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:07 am (PDT)


Honduran National Police will not arrest Manuel Zelaya

Caracas, Jul 23. ABN.- The National Police of Honduras will not
follow the order issued by the Honduran de facto Government of
arresting the constitutional President of that country, Jose Manuel
Zelaya Rosales, when he returns to the country, reported the
multi-state television channel Telesur.

Telesur informed that this security organ started this Thursday a
national strike, because the non-fulfillment of a labor agreement
that established an increase on their wages since January.

A policewoman from this institution who did not want to reveal her
identity said that some police officers' wages do not reach even
200,000 lempiras a month (US$ 12,350).

?We have worked as nobody else at this political problem,
guaranteeing the security with no rest, not even on weekends and we
do not know when Zelaya's problem will be solved,? she added.

The police staff informed that they will stay in their quarters at
the diverse police stations nationwide. They will not work and they
will not follow the capture order against Manuel Zelaya, who should
return to the country in the next hours.

[flamingdem]

1. Looking forward to the squealing from Miami if they work this out nt

[Judi Lynn]

2. Wow. It would be so right if the military took a clue from this, but I'm afraid to hope. n/t

[EFerrari]

3. This could be the difference, right there. nt

[Peace Patriot]

4. Very important news!

For one thing, it means that the economic sanctions are starting to work. For another, that the National Police just don't have the heart to arrest or harm the elected president.

It combines with this other report out of Mexico--that Zelaya's ambassador, with the help of Brazil and other emissaries to Mexico--just threw the junta's embassy officials out, and took over the embassy for the elected Honduran government.

If this kind of action continues, the coup will be totally unable to function. The military might get violent, but, without the National Police, without control of embassies, and with a national popular uprising occurring, they will lose that fight. Can they control their own troops? It is increasingly doubtful. There will be defections in the military as well. It's looking more like the triumph of democracy at the end of the Venezuelan coup in 2002. And Venezuela was virtually alone at that time. Since then, numerous leftist democratic governments have been elected. They cover most of South America and about half of Central America (including every neighbor of Honduras), and these countries are acting together for their collective security.