No lifting of emergency decree for Honduras

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

No lifting of emergency decree for Honduras
October 02 2009 at 09:19AM
By Patrick Markey and Esteban Israel

Tegucigalpa - De facto Honduran President Roberto Micheletti on Thursday resisted demands he lift a decree that suspended civil liberties as part of a crisis triggered by the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya.

Zelaya, who upset conservative elites with his ties to Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chavez, was overthrown and exiled by the army in June in a coup that has spiraled into Central America's worst political turmoil in years.

Micheletti imposed the emergency measures over the weekend to curb pro-Zelaya protests around the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, where the leftist has been holed up in refuge after sneaking back into the country 10 days ago.

Washington, the United Nations and even some of his local backers have called on the de facto leader to lift the decree, but Micheletti has resisted as the standoff drags closer to November elections that he says will resolve the crisis.


Read more: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=nw20091002071007348C116003

[Arctic Dave]

1. Please, someone get a lot of pictures of Demint and the COUP LEADER/DICTATOR.

They will come in very handy for his opponents campaign against him.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Great idea for an opponent's campaign. Here's a good view, very cuddly:

Senator Demented makes the case for all-czar government...
Fri, 10/02/2009 - 3:16pm

http://www.foreignpolicy.com.nyud.net:8090/images/091002_rothkopfb.jpg

What is it about South Carolina's Latin loves? Or more precisely, what is it about their Latin passions that drives South Carolinian politicians insane? First, we had Governor Mark Sanford falling head over heels for his sweet little alfajore from B.A.. Now, we've got South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint in a lovesick swoon for Honduras's de facto president Roberto Micheletti.

Despite the fact that Sanford lied to his constituents and betrayed his family, his saga was almost poignant. He clearly suffered acutely from that uniquely male disorder that involves the blood rushing from the brain and taking up residence in other parts of his anatomy. He went lovestupid. (It reminds of a true story told to me by a former Argentine ambassador. He ... who had five or six wives ... was having a conversation with his pal, then Argentine President Carlos Menem, himself a famous connoisseur of the opposite sex. Menem said, "you know, my friend, you and I are a just a couple of old putaneros." And the Ambassador responded, "No, Mr. President. You are a putanero. I am a romantic. Hence the five or six marriages.) Guys like that can't help themselves.

Then there is DeMint, who has fallen so hard for Micheletti that he decided to go visit him and whisper sweet nothings in his ear, despite the fact that his support for the interim president would run directly contrary to the foreign policy of the U.S. government. Apparently, the passion that draws DeMint down Tegucigalpa way is so strong and disorienting that he somehow thought no one would object. Senator Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee did and cancelled DeMint's trip. As of late Thursday, Senator Mitch McConnell then reinstated the trip under the aegis of a different committee. And no doubt there will be further chess moves on this front, with DeMint so goggle-eyed over the dubious appeals of the Micheletti government that he seems to think that this issue ought to be a top priority, taking precedence over say, everything else in U.S. foreign policy or policy in the region.

We know he thinks that the little telenovela that is playing out in Honduras is the most important thing happening in the hemisphere because -- apparently over this issue -- he has personally blocked the confirmation of the administration's two excellent, highly qualified nominees to be Assistant Secretary of State and Ambassador to Brazil. This issue has driven him nuts and he is going to drive the rest of the government nuts too, by golly! That's patriotism. Them's priorities. That's a South Carolina man in (ideological) heat.

More:
http://rothkopf.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/10/02/senator_demented_makes_the_case_for_all_czar_government

[L. Coyote]

4. OAS Returns to Seek Deal on Honduras Crisis

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/10/02/us/politics/politics-us-honduras.html

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - An Organization of American States mission returned to Honduras on Friday to start work on negotiating an end to a standoff .... Roberto Micheletti says Zelaya must face charges and cannot return to power, while Zelaya insists on being reinstated to office.

Honduras refused entry on Sunday to an OAS advance mission but a team of diplomats flew back into Tegucigalpa on Friday to prepare ground for foreign ministers from the region who hope to broker a deal to break the deadlock.

"Naturally we have to be cautious in all this but we are reasonably optimistic," OAS mission chief Victor Rico told reporters at the airport. ...

....

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U.S. Senator Jim DeMint and some U.S. congressmen met Micheletti after the Republican lawmaker criticized the Obama administration for "blind support" of Zelaya's reinstatement.

...

[Judi Lynn]

3. Zelaya's supporters protest martial law

Saturday, 3 October 2009
Zelaya's supporters protest martial law

HONDURAS: At least 500 supporters of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Thursday protested the martial law imposed by the post-coup government in this Honduran capital.

The demonstration, gathering members of the union and peasants' groups, was staged outside the U.S. embassy, also calling for Zelaya's reinstatement.

Participants told local media that the protest would continue until the martial law and curfew was lifted.

There were also demonstrations outside the capital city.

The post-coup government on Sept. 27 issued a decree, restricting civil liberties and other constitutional rights for 45 days.

Meanwhile in Nicaragua, Zelaya's followers Thursday issued a statement, rejecting any kind of dialogue and the presidential election in November under the current political situation in Honduras.

They accused the de facto government of creating a political climate of persecution, violent dislodges and killings in the country.

Zelaya's followers considered impossible to have a dialogue between the interim government and Zelaya, his relatives and the people inside the Brazilian embassy in Honduras that has been sheltering Zelaya, when they are objects of torture with toxic gases and harassment by the police and military forces from the post-coup authorities.

More:
http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/10/03/wld04.asp