On June 28th this year the Honduran army ousted Zelaya, an elected president, and exiled him in Central America's first military coup since the Cold War; Roberto Micheletti, the head of the Honduran Congress seized executive power in his stead where elections are scheduled for 28th of November this year. This week the Honduran interim government has set a 1
0 days ultimatum for the Brazilian authorities to ensure that Zelaya, who snuck back into the country and took refuge at the Brazilian embassy, not use its diplomatic protection to instigate violence in the country.
0 days ultimatum for the Brazilian authorities to ensure that Zelaya, who snuck back into the country and took refuge at the Brazilian embassy, not use its diplomatic protection to instigate violence in the country. Mr Zelaya's removal followed a power struggle over his plans for constitutional change. The ousted president had wanted to hold a referendum, a non-binding public consultation due to be held on 28 June this year, that could have led to an extension of his non-renewable four-year term in office.
Zelaya has called his supporters to launch mass protests against the coup that has widely being condemned as illegal. There have been regular demonstrations both for and against Mr Zelaya, in a turmoil that has divided the Honduran population. A condition of political deadlock has ensued and a state of emergency has been imposed. In a whirlwind of events the interim government has cracked down on media and imposed curfews only to later apologize and promise a restoration of liberties.
Mr Zelaya, who came to office in 2006, a left oriented leader, enjoyed the support of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and other left-wing leaders in the region. This appears to have alarmed certain sectors in Honduras, who perceived his plans for constitutional change as an attempt to stay in power.
Tension had been brewing in Honduras over recent months. Mr Zelaya sacked the head of the armed forces, at his refusal to provide logistical support for the planned referendum, a decision the Supreme Court later overruled. At Zelaya’s insistence to carry forth the consultation the Congress voted to remove him for what it called "repeated violations of the constitution and the law", and the Supreme Court put its weight behind it by ordering removal of the president.
Now widely being hailed as a symbol of a democratic Honduras, Zelaya, one analyst notes ironically did not hold popular approval, where only 25% voiced support for his policies in an opinion poll this year. Moreover the legality of his planned referendum is widely under doubt and the interim government is adamant that the military mobilized under constitutional orders and not of its own accord.
The United States has joined the Latin American leadership in proclaiming the ouster as illegal. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking after meeting Mr Zelaya in Washington on 7 July, said that the US supported the restoration of the democratic, constitutional order in Honduras. But she did not explicitly call for Mr Zelaya, a frequent critic of the US, to return to power, saying he should try to settle issues in talks. However, recently president Obama qualified that a "terrible precedent" would be set if the coup were not reversed. Hence far attempts at reconciliation have not borne any fruit, with no end to the crisis in sight.
[1]Discussion Questions:
· Has the unfolding crisis in Honduras put the nation at a critical juncture that would determine the course of a democratic Latin America?
Now widely being hailed as a symbol of a democratic Honduras, Zelaya, one analyst notes ironically did not hold popular approval, where only 25% voiced support for his policies in an opinion poll this year. Moreover the legality of his planned referendum is widely under doubt and the interim government is adamant that the military mobilized under constitutional orders and not of its own accord.
The United States has joined the Latin American leadership in proclaiming the ouster as illegal. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking after meeting Mr Zelaya in Washington on 7 July, said that the US supported the restoration of the democratic, constitutional order in Honduras. But she did not explicitly call for Mr Zelaya, a frequent critic of the US, to return to power, saying he should try to settle issues in talks. However, recently president Obama qualified that a "terrible precedent" would be set if the coup were not reversed. Hence far attempts at reconciliation have not borne any fruit, with no end to the crisis in sight.
[1]Discussion Questions:
· Has the unfolding crisis in Honduras put the nation at a critical juncture that would determine the course of a democratic Latin America?
· Do you think Zelaya, now being portrayed as a democratic martyr is playing a shrewd political game?
· Does the American condemnation of the political upheaval and only a recent categorical renouncement of specifically Zelaya’s ouster as illegal demonstrate a tentative shift in the superpower’s policy towards Latin America?
Bibliography:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8125292.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8124154.stm
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE55R1S820090628?sp=true http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090928/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_honduras_coup
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/zelayas-game-899
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