Honduran teams agree plan to restore ousted president

[Are_grits_groceries]

Source: AFP

Honduran negotiators reached agreement Wednesday on a plan to restore President Manuel Zelaya to office and end a political crisis triggered by his ouster in a June coup.

"We have agreed in a document on point number six, which relates to the restitution of the powers of state to where they were before June 28, 2009," Victor Meza, Zelaya's representative told a news conference.

Restoring the state to the situation before the coup would imply Zelaya's return to office, something that had been opposed by Robert Micheletti, the head of the coup-backed interim government.

Micheletti and Zelaya must now ratify the agreement reached by their representatives in talks here.



Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Honduran_teams_agree_plan_to_restor_10142009.html

[Vidar]

1. This definitely a cause for hope, but anything can happen.

[struggle4progress]

3. Honduras De Facto Government Dampens Hope Of Zelaya Deal

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras' de facto leader Roberto Micheletti appeared to back away on Wednesday from a proposed deal to resolve a political crisis sparked when the army ousted President Manuel Zelaya in a coup.

Earlier, Zelaya's lead negotiator Victor Meza said the two sides had agreed on the wording of an agreement and the army chief said a resolution was near.

But negotiators who met later with Micheletti in the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa said no deal had been reached on the central issue of reinstating the leftist Zelaya, who was toppled in a June 28 coup ...

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/10/14/news/news-us-honduras.html?_r=1

They're tryin to run down the clock

[timeforpeace]

2. These daily announcements are by one Zelaya guy but the term "Honduran teams" gets used.

[struggle4progress]

4. Honduran rivals strike deal in bid to end diplomatic crisis

... Before the announcement the army chief, Romeo Vasquez, a key figure in the coup, said a deal appeared close. "I know that we have advanced significantly, we are almost at the end of this crisis," he told local radio HRN ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/15/honduras-zelaya-rivals-strike-accord

[struggle4progress]

5. Honduras Talks Have Advanced, OAS Chief Insulza Says (Update2)

By Daniel Cancel and Matthew Walter

Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Honduras’s deposed President Manuel Zelaya and the acting government have agreed on some points of a plan to resolve the country’s political crisis, Organization of American States Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza said.

Negotiators for Zelaya and acting President Roberto Micheletti are discussing the so-called San Jose accord, a plan drafted by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias while he sought to mediate the dispute in July, Insulza said today in comments broadcast by the Telesur network. The plan originally called for Zelaya’s return to office before November elections.

“I don’t want to cause an excess of optimism -- this won’t be over until it’s finished -- but there have been some good advances that allow us some hope that there’s a Honduran solution to a Honduran problem,” Insulza said ...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aVkrVpbC3XEs

[Peace Patriot]

6. Yeah, but who's going to restore the four months of his term lost in exile,

while the junta purged the government of anyone loyal to the rule of law, the elected president and the Constitution (and of course any leftists); and who's going to be running the election; and what about the deaths, tortures, rapes, beatings and unjust imprisonment that many Zelaya supporters have suffered; and how can an entire country cut off from the outside world by the shutdown of all but pro-coup media, and living under martial law, possibly be ready to vote in an election; and, and, and....

...well, I'm sure that Zelaya and his cabinet and advisors are more acutely aware of these issues than anybody, and will do their best, under the circumstances, not to negotiate away the rights of the Honduran people. I hope it is true that this fascist junta has decided to stand down, but there is still more than the possibility of further treachery. It is a perilous moment.

Oscar Arias--quoted in The Nation by Greg Grandin--recently said that the Honduran Constitution is "the worst in the world," and that, if a fair election cannot be arranged, then the "only solution" would be a Constituent Assembly (constitutional convention), to rewrite Honduras' fundamental law. This was possibly just a veiled threat aimed at the coupsters: if you don't stand down now, you and the "ten families" you represent will lose yet more of your untoward power in Honduras. OR, was he actually proposing this solution (what Zelaya and the unions and grass roots groups have wanted all along), since it is pretty obvious that a fair election in Honduras will be very hard to come by? And, is this a new US position, that Arias is "floating" for Obama/Clinton? I was surprised--and felt new hope--when I read it, that the US government might actually do something right in Latin America, for once--and not only oust these brutal fascists but advocate for real democracy in Honduras.

"Hope is a thing with feathers..."--Emily Dickinson wrote.

[L. Coyote]

7. Who's going to restore the democracy lost by shutting down liberal media?

The liberal media remains silenced.

[L. Coyote]

8. Honduran police: drug smuggling up since coup

Honduran police: drug smuggling up since coup
By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA (AP) – 41 minutes ago - http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ih-fh6J-mV8XPcGjbMPsvoE0NuRAD9BB8S380


TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Drug trafficking has increased in this Central American nation since the U.S. limited military cooperation to protest a June coup, Honduras' top anti-narcotics officer said Wednesday.

More aircraft carrying drugs from South America have landed in Honduras since the June 28 coup that toppled President Manuel Zelaya, Aristides Gonzalez told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. He said 14 such planes landed in the country between January and June, compared to at least 10 in just the past month.

Police have been unable to stop drug-smuggling planes without the help of U.S. helicopters and radar technology, Gonzalez said, adding that police have only found abandoned planes.

With U.S. help "we captured planes with drugs and even the crew," Gonzalez said. "Now we only get to the place to find burned planes, or people who tell us a plane landed and took off 20 minutes later."

...........

[L. Coyote]

9. Honduras deal in balance as talks tackle Zelaya future

Honduras deal in balance as talks tackle Zelaya future
Frank Jack Daniel - Oct 15, 2009 11:32am EDT - http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE59E42Q20091015


TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - A tentative plan to end Honduras' political crisis hung in the balance on Thursday as negotiators met again ....

Zelaya's lead negotiator Victor Meza said on Wednesday the two sides agreed on the wording of a settlement including the issue of the leftist's future, but the proposal appeared not to get the approval of the country's de facto leader Roberto Micheletti.

Envoys for both camps meet again on Thursday morning. ........... .

"The dialogue has advanced, we hope to quickly achieve a new triumph for Honduras that will allow us to keep living in democracy," Vilma Morales, a negotiator for Micheletti, told local radio.

.........

Zelaya says elections called by a government installed in a coup are not legitimate and will set a bad precedent for Latin America's young democracies. His supporters want to boycott the vote.

Rights groups including Amnesty International report a litany of abuses including deaths since the coup.

[L. Coyote]

10. Zelaya, Micheletti move toward compromise to end impasse

Zelaya, Micheletti move toward compromise to end impasse
Oct. 15, 2009 at 10:44 AM - http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2009/10/15/Zelaya-Micheletti-move-toward-compromise-to-end-impasse/UPI-99361255617882/


TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- .... No specifics of the compromise formula were immediately available but negotiators for the two sides told Honduran media the talks were focused on restoring Zelaya to presidency to clear the way for Nov. 29 presidential elections in an internationally acceptable format.

.....

The compromise centers on having Zelaya reinstated to preside over the elections that are likely to produce a new presidential regime.

Vilma Morales, former president of the Supreme Court of Justice and negotiator for Micheletti's de facto government, told news media the talks between the two parties had entered a stage where restitution of Zelaya was very much on the agenda.

....

The accord calls for Zelaya to head a national unity government until his term ends in January 2010 and then retreat without facing charges of abuse of power. Micheletti likewise has been promised amnesty for organizing Zelaya's ouster.

The revised Arias initiative includes proposals for the creation of a truth commission to investigate the events that led to the crisis. .....

.............

[LeftishBrit]

11. Here's hoping!

[L. Coyote]

12. DeMint's Honduran coup buddies set to return power to overthrown prez

DeMint's Honduran coup buddies set to return power to overthrown prez
Chris Haire on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 12:56 PM - http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/HaireoftheDog/archives/2009/10/15/demint-honduran-coup-buddies-set-to-hand-back-power-to-overthrown-prez


A few weeks ago, Jim DeMint journeyed to Honduras to meet with the Honduran government officials who overthrew democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya.

Upon the South Carolina junior senator's return, he declared that the coup was good — and the people rejoiced because they knew that it was good, despite the current state of marshal law in which they lived and the daily curfews that restricted their activities.

Now, Reuters, AP, et al, are reporting that Honduran officials are in the middle of negotiations to return Zelaya to power.

Hmm. Maybe things weren't as hunky-dory as DeMint claimed.

[EFerrari]

13. Martial law. And yeah, maybe Jim didn't notice the whole country was locked down

by his good buddies the golpista murderers.

[L. Coyote]

14. He reported only one person in Honduas supported Zelaya, Obama's ambassador, of

all those he spoke with.
Says a lot about the company he keeps!! Pinochelettis, one and all (but one). :rofl:

[EFerrari]

15. I read that. I guess he didn't see these people.

[L. Coyote]

16. It is always funniest when they pin the stupid sign on themselves

I meant "Stupid Moran" sign :rofl: