US cuts aid to Honduras

[Judi Lynn]

US cuts aid to Honduras
By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer – 6 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration on Thursday cut all non-humanitarian aid to Honduras over the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya, making permanent a temporary suspension of U.S. aid imposed after he was deposed in June.

The State Department made the announcement as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was meeting with Zelaya. Spokesman Ian Kelly did not say how much assistance would be cut but officials have said previously that more than $200 million is at stake. Kelly said it affected "a broad range of assistance to the government of Honduras."

"The secretary of state has made the decision, consistent with U.S. legislation, recognizing the need for strong measures in light of the continued resistance to the adoption of the San Jose Accord by the de facto regime and continuing failure to restore democratic, constitutional rule to Honduras," Kelly said in a statement.

"Restoration of the terminated assistance will be predicated upon a return to democratic, constitutional governance in Honduras," he said. In addition to the aid cut, Kelly said the department would revoke the U.S. visas of an unspecified number of Honduran officials who are backing Zelaya's successor, Roberto Micheletti.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090903/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_us_honduras

[flamingdem]

1. Si se puede nt

[rabs]

2. It took State 68 days to determine that it really was a coup d' etat .

and officially admit that the milicos had taken part in Zelaya's ouster.

http://www.elheraldo.hn/var/elheraldo_site/storage/original/application/d71368c795ae37627a35429d47261b57.pdf

[Mika]

3. This moves almost nowhere.

From your link..

A presidential election is currently scheduled for November. That election must be under-
taken in a free, fair and transparent manner. It must also be free of taint and open to all
Hondurans to exercise their democratic franchise. At this moment, we would not be able to
support the outcome of the scheduled elections. A positive conclusion of the Arias process
would provide a sound basis for legitimate elections to proceed. We strongly urge all parties
to the San Jose talks to move expeditiously to agreement.

Just how the F is any of that going to be undertaken? The thugs are going to step aside and allow any legitimate process? Essentially its a big finger at democracy. I'm seeing the pattern of "Haitianization". It makes me sick.


Edit

The Micheletti mo-fo's should be taken down now. The US/Micheletti death squads are busy busy busy taking down unionists and lefties. Zelaya must be put back before anything else. Now.

---

[AlphaCentauri]

4. I say it before, that election is just the legitimization of the military coup

a right winger will be elected with the blessing of the S.D.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Guardian: IMF: Stop Funding Honduras

Published on Friday, September 4, 2009 by The Guardian/UK
IMF: Stop Funding Honduras
By giving millions of dollars to Honduras, the IMF is supporting an illegitimate coup government the world doesn't recognise
by Mark Weisbrot

The IMF is undergoing an unprecedented expansion of its access to resources, possibly reaching a trillion dollars. This week the EU committed $175bn, $67bn more than even the $108bn that Washington agreed to fork over after a tense stand-off between the US Congress and the Obama administration earlier this summer.

The Fund and its advocates argue that the IMF has changed. The IMF is "back in a new guise", says the Economist. This time, we are told, it's really going to act as a multilateral organisation that looks out for the countries and people of the world, and not just for Washington, Wall Street or European banks.

But it's looking more and more like the same old IMF on steroids. Last week the IMF disbursed $150m to the de facto government of Honduras, and it plans to disburse another $13.8m on 9 September. The de facto government has no legitimacy in the world. It took power on 28 June in a military coup, in which the elected President Manuel Zelaya was taken from his home at gunpoint and flown out of the country.

The Organisation of American States suspended Honduras until democracy is restored, and the UN also called for the "immediate and unconditional return" of the elected president.

No country in the world recognises the coup government of Honduras. From the western hemisphere and the EU, only the US retains an ambassador there. The World Bank paused lending to Honduras two days after the coup, and the Inter-American Development Bank did the same the next day. More recently the Central American Bank of Economic Integration suspended credit to Honduras. The EU has suspended over $90m in aid as well, and is considering further sanctions.

More:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/09/04-1