Curfew imposed after Honduras protests

AP, The Independent, Aug. 12, 2009

Honduras' interim government reinstated a nighttime curfew for the capital after thousands of anti-coup protesters marched into Tegucigalpa to demand the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

The government said it reinstated the curfew after protesters burned a bus and an outlet of an American fast food chain.

Information Minister Rene Zepeda said the curfew would be in effect from 10pm to 5am, and would apply only to the capital.

Attempts to resolve the dispute over the June 28 coup that ousted Mr Zelaya also suffered a setback when Nobel Peace laureate and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias - who has acted a mediator in talks between the two sides - announced that he has swine flu.

The protesters arrived in Tegucigalpa yesterday after staging weeklong walks across Honduras, producing one of the largest demonstrations in support of Mr Zelaya since he was ousted.

Mr Zelaya's wife, Xiomara Castro, welcomed a long column of about 10,000 protesters carrying Honduran flags and signs denouncing interim President Roberto Micheletti.

"It's been 45 days of resistance and the people are still on the streets," Ms Castro told the crowd. "This has transcended the history of our country."

An additional 4,000 Zelaya supporters gathered in San Pedro Sula, the country's second largest city.

Soldiers arrested Mr Zelaya and flew him into exile in Costa Rica after he ignored a Supreme Court order to cancel a referendum asking Hondurans if they wanted a special assembly to rewrite the constitution.

Mr Zelaya is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election. Opponents say his real motive for the referendum was to abolish term limits so he could run again. Mr Zelaya denies that was his intention.

Third Stage of Operation Crack the Coup: Popular Mobilization

By Laura Carlsen, Americas MexicoBlog, July 31, 2009

Photo: Honduran high school teacher Roger Abraham Vallejo Soriano shot by police was pronounced dead at 3:30 am Aug. 1 by the capital city morgue. -ACFJ

In an interview yesterday, I described the three stages of the coup so far. Stage one began with the immediate response of the international diplomatic community in condemning the coup d'etat in Honduras and supporting the immediate return of President Manuel Zelaya. Zelaya appeared before the Organization of American States, the United Nations, Central American and South American integration groups and received universal backing.

Many countries would do it, especially when the colossal of the north, the United States, weighed in against the coup. How long could the coup leaders last, iced out of the international system?

The answer turned out to be much longer than we expected and way longer than we hoped. The coup has gone into its second month. Either the diplomatic sanctions were not strict enough or the coup leaders have hidden sources of support that have led them to believe they can buck the rest of the world.

Both of these explanations are demonstrably true, and we can add to that a high dose of delusional thinking on the part of de facto regime that does not seem to understand its own dilemma. As documented here before, international rightwing forces have backed the fall of Zelaya since before the coup and continue to provide expertise and likely considerable financial resources. U.S. so-called "democracy promotion" programs including the National Endowment for Democracy, USAID and the International Republican Institute have also funneled large amounts of cash to Zelaya opponents. The Honduran oligarchy controls a huge percentage of national wealth and now has exclusive control over the national budget. Given the high degree of corruption in the country as a whole, it probably has some more shady sources as well but that remains on the docket for further investigation.

Sanctions by the U.S. government have so far touched only a small percentage of aid to Honduras and although joint military operations have been cut off, the School of Americas Watch reports that the school continues to train Hondurans and there have been no changes in operations at the Palmerola military base where the U.S. has military personnel. Freezing assets of coup members or applying trade sanctions have not even been discussed openly.

The second stage was the mediation promoted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and led by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. This stage has ended in failure as well. After Arias proposed a seven-point plan, the coup rejected the main point of Zelaya´s return. The coup announced that it would come back with an answer on Monday. Dilatory practices that end in more refusals have been standard coup behavior since the talks began.

Moreover, Zelaya´s return to office is not the only issue in mediation. There exists the problem that the State Department seems to favor a plan that will curtail the constitutional powers of the president.

Amb. Robert White, president of the Center for International Policy, writes,

"President Mel Zelaya is right to refuse to be delivered back to his presidential chair, trussed and bound like a capon, an impotent symbol of a democratic façade."

"If Secretary of State Clinton permits the coup regime to impose conditions on the return of the constitutional president, then she damages, perhaps irreparably, the OAS, and breaks faith with Oscar Arias who thought he had her unequivocal backing."

Americas Program on-the-ground writer in Honduras, Dick Emanuelsson just sent in a long report on the current situation in Honduras that combines interviews and eye-witness descriptions, history and analysis, and an understanding of the country that comes with years of living in Tegucigalpa and reporting for news agencies throughout the world on that troubled corner of the earth. We are currently translating it in its entirety for these pages.

Here is part of an interview with Marvin Ponce, congressional representative of the Democratic Unification Party and a member of the delegation that Zelaya selected for the dialogue in Costa Rica with Arias. Ponce met with State Department officials in Washington. Here he expresses his lack of faith in Arias and the mediation process.

“Oscar Arias is an enemy of social movements and has played a sad role by dragging out the process and proposing an agenda of seven points even though he is not a negotiator and even discarding the popular consultation, which was the reason for the coup...”,

"They (the coup leaders) have the arms—not only the military but also the communications media. We have broken the media blockade of the right and the groups in power, and you can see how the people have been mobilizing all this time without giving in.”

"We went to Washington to demand a stronger role of the United States that practically displaced the OAS; it took over the process and took it to Central America and to Arias where it became a sterile dialogue, meant to go on and on to wear out the president, the citizenry and give more force to the coup and practically converted the coup into a valid counterpart. The biggest mistake of the president was to sit down and dialogue with the coup. However, he believed that after talking with Hillary Clinton everything would end in two or three days because the mediation would have been an ultimatum to the coup to give up power."

“The first meeting with Arias was a failure. The second also, and the third brought in this other agenda. The coup leaders now say that they are taking the proposal to the national congress and the Supreme Court to consult—this is a bureaucratic way of buying time. Now the Obama administration is telling Zelaya not to go to Tegucigalpa but to Washington. The U.S. is playing a sorry role and in the end is playing to the coup because they do not want a concrete solution to the problem."

“When we were in Washington, the representative in charge of Central America in the State Department told us that they were doing a legal study to decide whether or not there was a coup in Honduras. That's why we say that the people do not want to submit to national or international coup supporters.”

Ponce believes the mediation is weakening regional efforts at ending the coup.

"The Secretary General of the OAS, Jorge Miguel Insulza, arrived in Tegucigalpa the third day of the coup just to advise the coup leaders that they had to give up power to the ousted president Zelaya. Now he has a low profile and suggests that Zelaya should not go back to his own country, in recognition of the Costa Rica agenda."

Honduran social organizations have rejected the failed mediation and we have entered the third stage of the drama, where growing popular resistance faces off with increasing repression. The potential for more violence grows each day, as shown in the terrible attack on demonstrators in El Durazno, Tegucigalpa yesterday (see photo).

This doesn't mean that other stages are closed off completely. Latin American organizations have begun efforts to increase pressures. Members of the Mexican Congress called on President Felipe Calderon, who is the current president of the Rio Group, to call a meeting of that group to step up pressure. But he too has bought into the failed mediation and refused.

Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic Policy research, writing for the Guardian says,

"Latin America gave Washington a chance to use its influence with the Honduran elite to restore democracy there. It didn't work. Now it is Latin America's turn to take the lead. Hopefully, Washington will follow."

Perhaps it will be a combination of renewed diplomatic efforts and the popular movement that finally restores constitutional order in Honduras. For now, the latter is on the forefront and deserves total international support for its efforts to end the impasse before more people are killed and wounded by a coup desperate to retain power gained against all conventions of international law and human decency.

Honduras coup leaders under pressure as U.S. revokes visas

By Claudia Parsons, washingtonpost.com, July 28, 2009

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras' coup leaders came under new pressure on Tuesday to allow ousted President Manuel Zelaya's return to power as the United States revoked visas for four members of the de facto government.

Washington has refused to recognize the government led by Roberto Micheletti, who took over when Zelaya was toppled in a June 28 coup, and it already had cut $16.5 million in U.S. military aid to the Central American country.

Zelaya had asked President Barack Obama to revoke U.S. visas for the coup leaders and he quickly welcomed the move.

"They are isolated, they are surrounded, they are alone," the deposed leftist said of the coup leaders.

"This is a coup that has been dead from the start, so they will have to abandon their position of intransigence in the coming hours," he said in Nicaragua, where he is camped out near the border with Honduras.

Micheletti's government, backed by the Supreme Court and Congress, has refused to bend to international condemnation of the coup. It insists that Zelaya cannot come back and serve his remaining six months in office.

Zelaya, an ally of Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chavez, was ousted as he sought a referendum to change the constitution, a move the Supreme Court ruled illegal. Zelaya's critics say he was trying to extend presidential term limits so he could be re-elected, but he denies the claims.

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias has mediated talks between both sides, but the negotiations so far have failed.

Arias, who will host a regional heads of state meeting in northern Costa Rica on Wednesday, said he supported the U.S. move to strip some Micheletti officials of their visas as a way to pressure those holding power to reopen dialogue.

"If the pressure keeps rising with drastic measures, the de facto government in Honduras will possibly be more compelled to sit down at the table again," Arias told reporters.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said official diplomatic visas had been revoked for four individuals. "We don't recognize Roberto Micheletti as the president of Honduras, we recognize Manuel Zelaya," he said.

Kelly did not name those affected but said the diplomatic visas of others in government also were being reviewed.

Representative Connie Mack, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives who visited Honduras over the weekend, told Reuters it was his understanding that two of the people who had their U.S. visas revoked were Tomas Arita Valle, the Supreme Court justice who signed the order for Zelaya's arrest, and Jose Alfredo Saavedra, president of the Honduran Congress.

Mack criticized the move as intimidation.

Two others who confirmed they had their visas revoked were human rights ombudsman Ramon Custodio and Adolfo Lionel Sevilla, defense minister in the interim government.

Micheletti told reporters at the presidential palace on Tuesday that his U.S. visa had not been revoked.

Rosary in hand, Micheletti later appeared on state television to lead viewers in a "Day of Prayer" for peace. "I ask for forgiveness from those who for one reason or another do not agree with us, and I ask God to show them the light so they realize it is more important to live in peace," he said.

EUROPEAN UNION STEPS

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said during a visit to Venezuela he would ask the European Union to take similar punitive steps against the interim government. The EU has suspended all budgetary support payments for Honduras.

The Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank have frozen loans in a move the interim government says will cost $200 million in 2009, a blow to the coffee and textile exporter that already is one of Latin America's poorest countries.

Zelaya in recent days had questioned whether the U.S. government was doing enough to push for his return, and also called for a ban on the coup leaders' bank transactions.

Zelaya said as many as 1,000 of his supporters have made the trek to join him in Nicaragua, dodging road blocks and a curfew in the border region of Honduras.

Sporting his trademark cream-colored cowboy hat, Zelaya briefly crossed the border into Honduras last Friday but stepped back from security forces waiting to arrest him, saying he wanted to avoid a massacre. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described his actions as "reckless" and not helpful to the negotiation process.

Julia Sweig, a Latin America specialist at the U.S.-based Council on Foreign Relations think tank, said suspending visas would hurt since "they need to be here (Washington) to press their case and maintain their lobbying efforts."

(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed, Susan Cornwell, Sue Pleming and Tim Gaynor in Washington, Mica Rosenberg, Marco Aquino in Honduras, Miguel Angel Gutierrez in Costa Rica and Ivan Castro in Nicaragua; Editing by Paul Simao)

Update Saturday 3pm: Zelaya At Honduran Border Again; Clinton Says He's "Reckless"

By Eva Golinger, Postcards from the Revolution, July 25, 2009

President Zelaya is at the Honduran border again, reinitiating his attempt to enter the country, which although he passed through briefly yesterday afternoon, his reentry was prevented by military forces under orders from the coup regime. He is hoping to reunite today with his wife and children, who have been detained since yesterday several miles from the border in El Paraíso, Honduras, by police and army forces. There are approximately 3000 police and army forces at the border preventing Zelaya's reentry and interaction with supporters on the Honduran side.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Zelaya's behavior "reckless" in statements yesterday afternoon. Her specific statement was, "President Zelaya’s effort to reach the border is reckless. It does not contribute to the broader efforts to restore democratic and constitutional order in the Honduras crisis. So we urge President Zelaya and all other parties to reaffirm their commitment to a negotiated, peaceful solution to the integrity of Honduran democracy and the safety and well-being of the Honduran people. In fact, we urge both parties to accept the proposal put forth by President Arias. It is the basis for a peaceful solution, and that is what the United States supports."

Right, but the coup regime's repression of the Honduran people, political assassinations, tortures, detentions of over 1000 Zelaya supporters, violent kidnapping and forced exile of Zelaya, illegal usurpation of the presidency and executive functions, censoring of media, expulsion of foreign journalists, amongst other crimes, is "good behavior" that "contributes to democracy"??? Because we haven't heard any clear condemnations from Clinton or her spokesmen regarding all of the above. Zero, zip, nothing.

The whole Arias negotiation is a trap to buy time and consolidate the coup regime, or return Zelaya to the presidency with no power. Clinton advisor Kevin Casas-Zamora, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute (the most influential "democrat" think-tank in Washington) and former Vice President of Costa Rica under President Arias (hmmm, maybe that's why he is the designed negotiator) laid out the terms that Arias/Clinton are trying to impose on Zelaya in an article on July 9, 2009, at least one week before Arias presented his first proposal to resolve the Honduran conflict. Casas-Zamora said,

"First of all that Zelaya should return to the presidency, though not necessarily to power. The presidency and power are two different things. Number two, he has to end his plans to amend the constitution, which won't be much of a problem. Number three, he has to put some distance between himself and Chavez. That's essential. Number four, there has to be some kind of power-sharing agreement, whereby Zelaya remains at the helm of the government but some other people chip-in in the main decisions that are to be made between now and the next election in November. Number five, there has to be some kind of amnesty, for lack of a better word, where everybody turns a blind eye on the pervasive illegal behavior of all the parties involved, because all of them have acted with illegal behavior and have acted with total disregard for the rule of law. Sadly for Honduras, they will have to turn a blind eye to all of that. At this point, no party is in a position to demand accountability from anybody. There's no such thing as high moral ground in Honduras at this point."

So, let the coup regime off the hook and turn Zelaya into a limp president. This is the "smart power" solution of the Obama-Clinton administration. Save the empire's face and its interests too!

Zelaya's "reckless" return to Honduras and his reunification with his people is the only way to restore dignity to the Central American nation.

Honduras At Standstill; Arias Proposal Of "San Jose Agreement" Rejected By Both Parties

By Eva Golinger, Postcards from the Revolution, July 23, 2009

President Zelaya is giving a press conference right now, presumably from Nicaragua. About one hour ago, President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica presented a new proposal, called the "San Jose Agreement" of 12 points, adding and modifying his previous 7-point proposal that was rejected by the coup regime on Sunday. The 12 points, available in Spanish here, incorporated several of the requests of the coup regime into Arias' original proposal.

Specifically, point number one was changed from calling for President Zelaya's immediate return to power to become a call for a "government of unity and reconciliation" to be composed of members of the coup regime together with representatives from each political party. Zelaya would have been returned to the presidency, but with his hands completely tied. The proposal again called for amnesty for the coup regime, and, in an inference to the coup regime's allegations against President Zelaya, also called for amnesty to be granted to him as well. This factor clearly legitimates the coup regime's theories.

Another point incredibly called on the Zelaya government and supporters to refrain from convening a constitutional assembly, directly or indirectly, and in fact also ordered a refrain from even holding any kind of consultation, survey or opinion poll on any issue remotely related to constitutional form. This is absolutely outrageous because no government has the right to usurp the people's sovereign right to choose their form and model of government. This is not a right that can be transferred or taken away, it is inalienable.

Another point called for presidential elections to be held in October instead of November, and then again prohibited the people from protesting such elections, regardless of outcome or process, or engaging in any kind of civil disobedience, insurrection or any kind of manifestation of discontent regarding the political process in the country. That is also a completely outrageous and unacceptable usurpation of the people's innate right to protest and manifest their will.

There were a series of other points which, once I translate (or someone else does ;-) ) the "San Jose Agreement", can be analyzed. For now, I just wanted to update on today's situation.

Again, no meetings were held today, just the proposal set forth by Oscar Arias to "resolve" the situation. The Zelaya delegation immediately rejected the agreement, declaring the mediation as failed and called upon the United Nations Security Council, the Central American Integrated System (SICA) and the Organization of American States (OAS) to convene immediately - tonight if possible - and implement extreme measures of pressure against the coup regime in Honduras.

The coup regime's delegation rejected Arias' proposal as well, but still based on their original disagreement relating to the return of President Zelaya to power.

Today, the insane coup Foreign Minister called on Venezuela to recognize their regime, stating that it was "inconceivable" that neighbor nations would not recognize their government as legitimate. The coup regime is being recognized now by both the right wing governments in Panama and Colombia, as well as the United States, in its own, underhanded way.

By the way, the leading military figure in the coup, School of the Americas graduate General Romeo Vasquez, is in Miami today, invited to speak at some evangelical conference funded by the Cuban mafia. So, the State Department hasn't revoked his visa, obviously, despite his clear role in kidnapping - at gun point - and forcing into exile the democratically elected president of Honduras. Yet another clear indication of Washington backing the coup.

Zelaya is calling for insurrection in Honduras. Personally, I think that is the only way to resolve this situation with dignity.

Honduras Talks Postponed; Zelaya Says "On His Way" To Honduras; Coup Regime Expels Venezuelans

By Eva Golinger, Postcards from the Revolution, July 22, 2009

Supposedly the "final" talks scheduled for today in Costa Rica - after President Oscar Arias, the designated (via Washington) mediator, requested an additional 72-hours on Sunday, when the talks had failed - have now been postponed. Last night, President Manuel Zelaya announced his return to Honduras today, and charged chief military commander General Romeo Vasquez - heavily involved in the coup d'etat that ousted Zelaya over three weeks ago - with his safety. "If anything happens to me", said President Zelaya last night in a press conference from Nicaragua, "General Romeo Vasquez is responsible". The Honduran military, trained, armed and funded by the United States, which also maintains a major strategic military base in the Central American nation, kidnapped and forced President Zelaya into exile on June 28, and since then has militarized the streets, repressed the people protesting the coup, assassinated, injured and detained over 1000 Hondurans, and shut down media outlets reporting on the events in the country.

Coup regime leader Roberto Micheletti declared his delegation will not attend the talks today in Costa Rica, claiming that Arias is drafting a new proposal that allegedly will "appease" the illegal regime. The main issue of contention is President Zelaya's return to power. The coup regime refuses to allow the constitutionally elected head of state to assume his position again, despite the fact that the current presidential term ends on January 27, 2009 and the Honduran Constitution does not allow for reelection.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a "tough" phone call to Micheletti on Sunday - coincidentally as Arias announced he was requesting an additional 72-hours to arrive at an agreement between the two parties. Clinton's call to Micheletti was an effort to arrive at some kind of resolution that would allow Washington to save face. So far, the Department of State has declared the events in Honduras do not constitute a "coup d'etat" (see this post) despite the fact that the whole rest of the world sees it as a coup. Washington is also the only government with a remaining ambassador in place in Honduras, and has broken absolutely no diplomatic, military or economic ties with the coup regime. Yesterday the European Union suspended over $90 million in aid to Honduras because of the coup.

The coup regime also issued an order to the Venezuelan Embassy declaring all Venezuelans to leave the country immediately. Nevertheless, Venezuela responded by stating it does not recognize the order from the illegal coup regime, since it does not constitutionally represent Honduras. The Venezuelan Ambassador was recalled right after the coup, but some diplomats do remain at the embassy in Tegucigalpa and have been key in protecting international journalists that have come under attack by the regime.

Meanwhile, the Honduran people are still out in the streets protesting the coup, on this 25th day since the de facto regime was first installed. The economy remains shut down by striking workers, schools remain closed because of teacher's strikes and there are disturbances throughout the nation. A national curfew is still in effect, imposed by the dictatorial regime.

The new Panamanian government, led by recently inaugurated President Martinelli, a multi-millionaire neoliberal conservative, has applauded the Honduran military for "keeping order" in the country. Apparently, Panama is recognizing the coup regime and working closely with Micheletti to resolve the growing economic problems in Honduras. Micheletti and Martinelli are old friends, both members of several business councils in Central and Latin America.

The longer things stall, the coup regime consolidates. On Sunday, a month will have passed since the coup d'etat was executed. Hopefully, it will be defeated before then.

Honduras: Breakdown of Mediation Means More Pressure for U.S. to Act

By Laura Carlsen, Americas MexicoBlog, July 20, 2009

• Coup rejects proposal that includes return of Zelaya
• Zelaya to return to Honduras on Friday, supporters prepare reception
• Clinton calls Micheletti to warn of “potential consequences”
• European Union suspends aid to Honduras
• Honduran “Feminists in Resistance” convokes demonstrations at U.S. Embassies throughout the world

Last weekend, President Oscar Arias presented a seven-point mediation plan to representatives of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and the regime installed by a military coup last Jun 28. The plan included the return of Zelaya to carry out his term in office, formation of a coalition government, elections held a month earlier than scheduled, and amnesty for political crimes, among other points.

Showing great flexibility, the legal government, whose claim to power is supported by international law, democratic practice, the OAS and the UN, agreed “in principle” to the proposal.

The coup, led by Roberto Micheletti, replied with a flat-out “no”. The press reported that Carlos Lopez of the coup delegation announced, "I'm very sorry, but the proposal you presented [is] unacceptable to the government of Honduras that I represent."

The intransigence of the coup placed the nail in the coffin of efforts to mediate the conflict. On Sunday Zelaya called the talks “exhausted” and deemed the attitude of the Micheletti delegation “arrogant” and “disrespectful.” Sec. General of the Organization of American States José Insulza responded, “We deeply regret the attitude of Micheletti.” Insulza has led diplomatic efforts to return constitutional order in the country and reinstate Zelaya without bloodshed.

Although Arias has said he wants to continue with mediation, Zelaya has announced his return to Honduras this Friday, respecting the 72-hour period Arias requested for a last-ditch attempt at some kind of resolution. The National Front against the Coup called for a nationwide mobilization to receive the president, stating in a communiqué, "With the aim of giving a grand reception to our constitutional president, we call on all the Honduran people to be prepared and organized on this date for a huge march to the meeting at the place and hour to be announced soon.”

Leaders of the grassroots organizations of workers, farmers, teachers and citizens who support his return never had high hopes for the mediation efforts. They questioned the validity of making the coup a recognized counterpart in talks and have given up on the prospect of a mediated solution. Juan Barahona, leader of the Front, said Saturday, “We don’t see any possibilities to arrive at an agreement in the talks in Costa Rica. These talks could just be a way to buy time for the coup to consolidate its power and also to buy time to exhaust the resistance.”

As predicted, the talks fell through and the battle has moved to the streets. Zelaya’s daughter, Pichu, addressed the crowd and made clear the stakes. She defended the Honduran people’s right to democracy and urged the construction of “citizen power” to carry out the constitutional referendum and extend social programs started by her father.

A Two-Prong Strategy in the U.S.

Zelaya called on the international community to strengthen measures against the coup and said after the failure of the talks, “Today the coup leaders have once more insulted the international community, Oscar Arias and the Secretary of the United States, Hillary Clinton, promoter and sponsor (of the talks),” he said.

Clinton has been criticized lately for avoiding calls for the return of Zelaya and placing all the eggs in the basket of mediation. By all rights, she should be furious with the coup for scuttling that effort.

Instead, the State Department issued a milquetoast statement on the talks:

“We commend President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica for his continuing efforts to facilitate a peaceful, negotiated restoration of Honduras's democratic and constitutional order. This weekend's talks produced significant progress, and created a foundation for a possible resolution that adheres to the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the decisions taken within the Organization of American States (OAS).

We call on the parties to the talks to reflect upon the progress made so far, and to commit themselves to their successful conclusion. At this important juncture, we also call upon the OAS, its member states, and other interested parties to reaffirm their support for the talks facilitated by President Arias, underscore their commitment to the peaceful resolution of political disputes through dialogue, remain mindful of the principles of non-intervention and self-determination, and express their solidarity for the democratic well-being of the Honduran people.”

The declaration is not only weak and vague but also ominous and out of touch. When the international press announces that the coup has shut down talks, the State Department unaccountably refers to “significant progress.” There is no pressure on the coup to relinquish its illegitimate power to the elected president.

Later in a press briefing, spokesperson Phillip Crowley said that behind the scenes there has been some pressure. Asst. Sec. Tom Shannon and Ambassador Llorens had spoken with both sides and with other countries. He also said that Sec. Clinton called Micheletti from New Delhi for the first time and “encouraged him to continue focus on these negotiations and also helped him understand the potential consequences of the failure to take advantage of this mediation.”

Just how much Clinton put the screws to the Micheletti regime was unclear. Crowley said, “I think it was a very tough phone call. However, I think it was – she made clear if the de facto regime needed to be reminded that we seek a restoration of democratic and constitutional order, a peaceful resolution. We do not think that anybody should take any kind of steps that would add to the risk of violence in Honduras, and that we completely support the ongoing Arias mediation… that we need to have a restoration of democratic and constitutional order. We would like to see President Zelaya returned to Honduras, and that we’d like to see a clear path that leads to follow-on elections.”

When asked about sanctions, Crowley said “…in the Secretary’s phone call with Micheletti she reminded him about the consequences for Honduras if they fail to accept the principles that President Arias has laid out, which would – it has a significant impact in terms of aid and consequences, potentially longer-term consequences, for a relationship between Honduras and the United States.”

He also said that the State Department told Zelaya not to return to Honduras in the meantime and mentioned that the OAS was considering a statement in favor of mediation.

The response contrasts with the response of other countries. After talks broke down over the weekend, the European Union today announced the suspension of millions of Euros in financial aid to Honduras, in addition to the withdrawal of their ambassadors in the early days of the coup.

The U.S. government has done neither. For the grassroots organizations fighting against the coup, it is essential that the U.S. back up its words with actions. Barahona stated this weekend, “What we expect is for the United States to comply with the agreement of the OAS, which is for the complete economic and political isolation of the coup and they still aren’t doing it.”

The Honduran organization Feminists in Resistance has called for simultaneous demonstrations in front of U.S. embassies on Jul 22 at 10 A.M. The demands include:

* Condemn the political-military coup against the Honduran State, which was financed by Honduran businessmen and the Latin American and North American ultra-right, promoted by national media corporations, protected by the Ombudsman of Honduras and blessed by the leadership of the Catholic and evangelical churches in the country.

* Unconditional support for the return to constitutional order in Honduras, which means the return of President Manuel Zelaya Rosales a Honduras.

* End to repression of organizations that demonstrate against the coup by police and military units aided by retired military personnel responsible for the disappeared of the decade of the 80s in Honduras.

* End to threats of war, promoted by the de facto regime, which is creating a climate of terror in the Honduran population.

* Suspension of all technical or financial, bilateral or multilateral aid to the de facto regime.

* Condemnation of María Martha Díaz Velásquez, named as head of the National Women´s Institute by the de facto regime and María Antonieta Bustamante, representative of the Inter-American Commission on Women for Honduras, who met us with anti-riot police when we went to demand that they give back our institute. (See a video in Spanish on the violence against women protesters in front of the Institute July 15).

Grassroots organizations in the United States have launched a two-pronged strategy to defend democracy and unseat the coup in Honduras. The strategy calls for pressure on the government to demand additional sanctions, withdrawal of the ambassador and a cut-off of military ties. The School of the Americas Watch notes that although joint military operations have been suspended the school is still training Honduran soldiers. Many organizations are calling for U.S. citizens to support the Delahunt-McGovern resolution before Congress to declare the coup a coup, cut off non-humanitarian funding to Honduras and urge the reinstatement of President Zelaya.

The second part of the strategy involves grassroots actions to keep the issue at the forefront of a crowded national agenda through direct action and support the Honduran people. Tactics include demonstrations, protest actions including a planned convergence on SouthCom headquarters in Florida Jul 25, media and information sharing, and delegations to Honduras. U.S. unions have nearly unanimously condemned the coup and urged actions.

Coup Regime Rejects Proposed Solution To Crisis In Honduras; Arias Calls For 72 More Hours To Resolve Or Face Civil War

By Eva Golinger, Postcards from the Revolution, July 19, 2009

The talks are finished for now, with no resolution. The coup regime in Honduras, which ousted President Zelaya exactly 3 weeks ago, has rejected the 7-point proposal put forth by designated mediator Oscar Arias, president of Costa Rica. Zelaya's delegation in Costa Rica had earlier stated they had accepted the proposal, but later said they accepted debating the proposal, and didn't comment on whether or not they had unconditionally accepted all seven terms laid out by Arias.

The coup regime today introduced a counter-proposal, which would not have allowed for President Manuel Zelaya's return to the presidency, but would have allowed his return to Honduras, to be tried and imprisoned for alleged constitutional violations. The coup regime and those participants in the June 28th coup d'etat that involved the violent kidnapping and forced exile of President Zelaya, have claimed that a coup did not take place, but rather a "rescue" of the constitutional. They claim that President Zelaya was violating the constitution by proposing a non-binding national survey on the possibility of future constitutional reform. Most strange in this claim is that a non-binding survey, which means it doesn't legally matter what the outcome is, to consult the people's will regarding their constitution, is somehow a violent crime that justifies kidnapping, forced exile, and 3 weeks of imposed national curfew, suspension of constitutional rights and repression of the people. Who are the real criminals?

After the several hours of meetings today with Costa Rican president Oscar Arias, the designated delegations announced the outcome. The coup regime stated it was "sorry", but it was rejecting in its entirety the 7-point proposal set out by Arias. The delegation for the coupsters also tried to once again tell the world a coup had not taken place in Honduras, and that dictator Roberto Micheletti is the constitutional president of Honduras. Blah, blah blah.

President Zelaya's delegation reaffirmed their commitment to the mediation process and verified they had accepted the 7-point proposal from Arias as a point of debate, particularly point 1, the restitution of Manuel Zelaya to the presidency of Honduras. Even President Oscar Arias - the mediator (via Washington) - confirmed that point 1 was the essence of the entire negotiation. The Zelaya delegation declared the talks as "failed" and "over", but Arias called for another 72-hours to work on a solution that will prevent a civil war from erupting in the Central American nation. "Give me another 72 hours to work tirelessly on a solution, in order to avoid bloodshed", Noble Peace prize winner Arias said before the international media that were anxiously awaiting the outcome of today's meetings outside the presidential residence in San José de Costa Rica.

Another 72 hours? Stalling, or a sincere attempt to prevent civil war? Be it either, too much time has already passed that has allowed for the coup regime to violate more than a thousand citizen's human rights, assassinate and injure dozens others and consolidate itself in the government.

How will Washington react now? Will Obama-Clinton continue to skirt the issue of a "coup" and the return of Zelaya to power and back the 72-hour request by Arias? Probably. And Clinton lawyer and Advisor Lanny Davis will continue to make roadways in Washington for acceptance of the coup regime in Honduras.

Meanwhile, the outrage is growing in Latin America over Obama's request (happily accepted by Colombian president Alvaro Uribe) to occupy 5 new military bases in Colombia. This agreement, which was consolidated in the Oval Office this past June 30, 2009, as Obama simultaneously and cynically declared the Honduran coup "illegal", will turn Colombia into a dangerous launching pad for US military operations in the region, never seen before in history. $46 million of US taxpayer monies was already approved by Congress - as requested by Obama - for pumping up the capacity of just one of the Colombian bases that US forces will occupy. The base in Palanquero - central Colombia - is set not just for counter-drug operations, which is the usual justification for US military presence in the region, but also for "hemispheric security operations". Hmmm, security operations? Against whom? Maybe neighboring Venezuela and Ecuador, two nations that are in revolution and maintain anti-imperialist doctrines.

The people of the US and the world should express outrage and disgust at this violent, intimidating and threatening massive US presence in Latin America, authorized by "agent of change" Barack Obama.

Mediator Arias Calls For "Amnesty" For Coup Regime; Early Elections And Government Of "Reconciliation"

By Eva Golinger, Postcards from the Revolution, July 18, 2009

UPDATED AGAIN 10:15PM: The talks are done for today with no agreement. Zelaya's delegation confirmed they are accepting considering the proposal set out by Oscar Arias (see below), beginning with President Zelaya's return to power by July 24th (by continuing to push back the date, the coup regime consolidates and represses the people even more). The coup regime led by Roberto Micheletti has stated it will "study" the proposal overnight, though it has already had 15 hours to do so today, without arriving at a final decision. Several of the spokespeople for the coup regime have said they will not agree to President Zelaya's return to power, which makes things difficult because that is the principle issue at stake here. The talks will be resumed tomorrow morning at 11am, Costa Rica time. See below for my analysis...

UPDATE: President Zelaya has accepted Arias' offer - with all its massive, dangerous flaws - but, so far, it will not proceed because the coup dictator, Roberto Micheletti, has refused the terms set forth today in the negotiation meeting in Costa Rica. The coup regime stands firm on its refusal to allow President Zelaya to return to power. Supporters of Zelaya and popular resistance forces are still in the streets in Honduras. Zelaya says his return to Honduras - by any means and way - is imminent.

ORIGINAL POST:

The "dialogue" meetings on the Honduras crisis are taking place today in Costa Rica, mediated by the president of that nation, Oscar Arias, who was designed by the Department of State to assume this role. Arias has presented a "document" to both parties, which include representatives from the coup regime and the constitutional government that was ousted in the coup 21 days ago on June 28th. The document, is calling on all parties to accept the following seven terms in order to resolve the political crisis:

1. Allow President Manuel Zelaya to return to his post as president until the end of his term on January 29, 2010.

2. Conform a new government (with Zelaya as president) based on "unity" and "reconciliation", composed on representatives from all political parties in the country to govern through the end of Zelaya's term.

3. Declare a general amnesty to those actors involved in the coup d'etat.

4. President Zelaya will have to renounce any effort to convene a referendum or consultation with the people of Honduras regarding future constitutional reform.

5. Hold early elections during the last weekend of October instead of November 29th, 2009.

6. The military will be commanded by the Supreme Court of Honduras as of September 2009 in order to "ensure" a smooth electoral process.

7. Creation of a truth commission composed of renowned Hondurans and members from the international community, particularly the Organization of American States (OEA) to supervise the correct return of constitutional order and the implementation of the above terms.

President Zelaya has apparently accepted these terms, despite the fact that he would be completely castrated politically, and would be allowing for the same criminals that executed the coup against him to remain in power and in fact, have even more power since they would be part of a "government of unity and reconciliation". If this is true, Zelaya will be strongly disappointing a large majority of those Honduran people who have resisted and struggled against the coup government now for over 21 days. Also, many of us in the international community will also be severely bothered by Zelaya's giving in to such absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable terms!!

Personally, I believe the only issue to be considered is the first one, and it should involve the unconditional, immediate return of President Zelaya to power - that is the only matter at hand here. Also, the OAS resolution on the Honduran coup specifically called for the immediate, UNCONDITIONAL, restitution of President Zelaya to power. What Arias (via Washington) is proposing involves a series of conditions that would render Zelaya absolutely powerless.

Obviously, this is what many of us have been expected from Arias (via Washington) since he assumed this role as "mediator". This is precisely the outcome the Obama administration has been pushing for since day one of the coup. And it is absolutely unacceptable!

First of all, the issue of a government of "unity" and "reconciliation" is ridiculous. That means Zelaya does not name his cabinet members, and all those who previously held positions in his government would be forced to step down. This measure ties Zelaya's hands completely and is just outrageous.

The renouncing of considering a possible future constitutional reform is also unacceptable, since that is not an issue to be decided by a small elite in Honduras, but rather the people of Honduras.

And then the amnesty for the coup leaders sets a dangerous precedent for other actors seeking to overthrow their governments via illegal means, because they will see that it can be done, and you get off the hook for all the crimes and human rights violations committed!!

This is all just really awful. The worst part will be if Zelaya actually does accept this proposal as is being reported right now.

I believe the only viable solution is for the people of Honduras to immediately convene a constitutional assembly and to not only rewrite their constitution as they see fit, but also to depose the congress, supreme court and high military command, since they have all been principal participants in a violent, criminal coup d'etat. Once the new constitution is ratified, elections will be held to fill all offices as specified by law. The power resides in the sovereign people to determine the type and model of government they wish to have. If Honduras allows this coup to be legitimated by Arias' (via Washington's) proposal, it will be a dark day for the peoples of Latin America.

As Arias Proposes Coalition Government, National Front Against the Coup Vows to Keep Up Resistance

By Laura Carlsen, Americas MexicoBlog, July 17, 2009

• Hondurans continue blockades of major highways to strangle coup
• Juan Barahona, National Front Against the Coup: “We have no hopes for the talks”
• ‘The U.S. position is a double position: publicly, they are against the coup but there is another position that supports it.’
• U.S. should comply with "complete economic and political isolation" of the Honduran coup

The official mediator of the Honduras conflict, President Oscar Arias, further alienated Honduran anti-coup groups by saying he will propose a coalition government and try to disuade elected President Manuel Zelaya from returning to his country. Arias also mentioned offering “amnesties”, although he did not specify for whom or on what terms. With talks scheduled to begin tomorrow, conflicting statements regarding Zelaya’s return, the terms of talks and the positions coup leaders will take make for an uncertain, and unpromising, scenario.

For leaders of the grassroots movements risking their lives to break the coup’s grip on power in their country, the news comes as proof that the mediation holds little prospect of solutions for reinstating the democratically elected president, ousted by the military on June 28.

The Americas Program talked to Juan Barahona, one of the principal founders and leaders of the National Front Against the Coup, to get his response on Arias’ statements in Costa Rica.

Barahona noted that the coup leaders cannot be considered valid counterparts for negotiating terms for the restitution of constitutional law and return of the president. He also rejected any prospect of imposing a cabinet in Honduras.

“The faculty of appointing a cabinet is a constitutional faculty reserved for the president, President Zelaya. He names the cabinet and a cabinet cannot be imposed or conditioned by anyone else. That is just unacceptable,” he said.

Barahona also discarded a negotiation that would include amnesty for politicians and military personnel behind the coup.

“The other aspect that’s unacceptable is to pardon the coup. They have to pay for their crimes of usurpation of power, violation of the constitution, and the deaths of the past days since the coup.” At least four protesters and opposition leaders have been killed by security forces and hit squads.

The organizations leading the peaceful demonstrations that have mounted over the past week have consistently called for plans to continue to hold a vote on a referendum to call a constitutional assembly, the measure that catalyzed the coup.

“The other thing we can’t give up is our right to hold a constitutional assembly,” said Barahona. “That’s a right we have been fighting for over these past days of actions that we won’t give up.”

The constitutional assembly lies at the heart of the differences between the wealthy oligarchy, backed up by the Armed Forces and the farmer, worker and indigenous organizations that look to change the constitution to guarantee a more just distribution of wealth in the sharply unequal nation.

When asked about the future of the talks, Barahona replied,

“We don’t see any possibilities to arrive at an agreement in the talks in Costa Rica. These talks could just be a way to buy time for the coup to consolidate its power and also to buy time to exhaust the resistance. We don’t have any hope for the talks in Costa Rica.”

A major knot in the talks regards the return of President Zelaya to Honduras. Coup leader Roberto Micheletti has stated that he will not be allowed to return to the country.

According to the latest reports, Zelaya said he will return to Honduras within 48 hours if the talks fail. His foreign minister, Patricia Rodas, told the press that Zelaya will soon be on his way back, in his second attempt to enter the country. "The establishment and installation of an alternative seat of government will be to direct what I will call the final battle."

For Barahona and the Front, Zelaya´s return is non-negotiable.

“We want the president to return to Honduras. If there is no agreement, the presence of the president here will strengthen the resistance and alongside him we can recuperate power that was usurped by the coup.”

Barahona reported that the blockades in major highways continue. “We will keep up our resistance. We have roadblocks throughout the country and today we maintained the occupations of highways from Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula, from Tegucigalpa toward to south and also the highway to the major port of Puerto Cortes. We also have blockades in Ocotepec and Olancho.”

In recent statements, the U.S. State Department has reverted to calling for a “return to democratic and constitutional order” without mentioning the reinstatement of Zelaya, although when pushed by the press spokesperson on July 14 Ian Kelly did say that restoration of legal order requires the return of Zelaya. This zig-zagging and the lack of firm actions by the U.S. to apply broader sanctions has caused doubts about the government’s position in Honduras. I asked Barahona about the U.S. position.

“The position of the United States is a double position,” he said. “The public position is that they are against the coup. But there is another very different position that supports the coup.”

“What we expect is for the United States to comply with the agreement of the OAS, which is for the complete economic and political isolation of the coup and they still aren’t doing it.”

Human rights and anti-militarization groups in the U.S. have launched campaigns to call for the reinstatement of Zelaya and return to constitutional rule. Barahona noted that the support received from groups in other countries has been critical to the resistance.

“We really need this support, it strengthens us. With the internal resistance and internacional support we can defeat the people who have carried out this coup.”

LAT, Arias: US Must Pressure Honduran Coup Leaders

By Robert Naiman, Just Foreign Policy, July 14, 2009

Some people may have hoped that the problem of the coup in Honduras would magically go away once talks began between President Zelaya and leaders of the coup regime under the mediation of Costa Rica's President Oscar Arias. But of course it wasn't so and it isn't so. For the mediation to succeed, a key ingredient is required: sustained and escalating US pressure on the coup regime, until it agrees to the restoration of President Zelaya.

As the Los Angeles Times explains in an editorial today:

The coup leaders

seem to believe that if they can shoulder the hardships until November elections, all will be forgiven. Not so. The Obama administration needs to make it clear now that elections held under those conditions will not be regarded as legitimate and that such a plan would only prolong Honduras' troubles. Meanwhile, the U.S. should consider imposing sanctions on individuals involved with the coup, such as canceling visas and freezing bank accounts.

Indeed, while everybody in the U.S. supposedly loves President Arias, a Nobel laureate with a track record of helping to resolve deep conflicts in the region under difficult conditions, few people in the U.S. (with perhaps the praiseworthy exception of the LAT editorial board) seem to be listening to what Arias is saying.

As the New York Times reported Sunday (perhaps you missed this in the 17th paragraph):

[three officials close to the talks] said Mr. Arias told Mrs. Clinton that the United States had to make clear to Mr. Micheletti [head of the coup government] that elections held by an illegitimate government would themselves not be considered legitimate.

The NYT account corroborates the problem requiring US pressure as stated in the LAT editorial:

Among the most intractable of those obstacles [to a peaceful compromise], said three officials close to the talks, was Mr. Micheletti. While Mr. Zelaya indicated that he was willing to accept a compromise that would return him to office with significantly limited powers, the officials said, it appeared that Mr. Micheletti believed he could run out the clock and hold on to the presidency until his country's presidential elections in November.

Under U.S. law - the Foreign Assistance Act - not only is President Obama required to suspend U.S. aid in the event of a military coup; he is not allowed to resume aid until he certifies that a democratically elected government has assumed office. Not just any elections will do. As President Arias and the Los Angeles Times have said, the Obama Administration must make clear to the coup leaders that they must vacate and allow President Zelaya to return before the U.S. will recognize any subsequent election.

Mediation Hopes Slip as Coup Leader Returns to Honduras

By Laura Carlsen, Americas MexicoBlog, July 10, 2009

• Arias lays down terms: it is a coup d’etat, Zelaya must be restored to power
• Micheletti returns to Tegucigalpa, spurning direct participation
• Commissions set up on both sides to continue mediation process
• Future of talks depends on coup
• Members of U.S. Congress to present bill for suspension of aid

Following the first day of mediation in Costa Rica, President Manuel Zelaya, coup leader Roberto Micheletti and mediator Oscar Arias all appeared before the press to downplay what was clearly a setback for hopes of a timely solution to the Honduran stand-off.

Zelaya and Micheletti did not meet yesterday, although both were present in San Jose. Instead each met separately with Costa Rican President Arias. Then in an unexpected move, Micheletti announced he was returning immediately to Honduras, placing in doubt the future of any direct talks. He later stated vaguely that “he might return if necessary.”

Micheletti could not have been heartened by his prospects in this initial round of talks. In a definition of terms from the outset, Arias stated firmly yesterday that Honduras had suffered a coup d’etat, discarding Micheletti’s arguments that the destitution and exile of President Zelaya responded to legal processes.

At the Thursday press conference, Arias reminded observers that he was among the first heads of state to denounce the coup. Recalling an early scene in the coup drama that has now gone into its second week, he said, “I recognized it [as a coup d’etat] the same day it happened and called for the restoration of President Zelaya.” Zelaya was flown to Costa Rica Jun 28 by the rebel Air Force, where he appeared shortly after arriving in a press conference with Arias while still wearing his pajamas.

In laying out the parameters of the dialogue, Arias also said any proposal that bypassed restoring Zelaya to power was practically off the table. “It is very difficult to talk about a successful negotiation that doesn’t include the restitution of President Zelaya.”

OAS Secretary General Jose Insulza, who has spearheaded diplomatic efforts up to now but is not taking part in the mediation, left no doubt about the minimal requirement for a successful negotiation. Also in a televised press conference, he cited the OAS resolution calling for Zelaya’s restitution and issued a dire warning that if the Honduran coup is allowed to persist, “it could open the door to more coup d’etats in the region.”

Zelaya also called for "the re-establishment of the state of law, democracy and the return of the president elected by the Honduran people," a position he has maintained consistently throughout the conflict.

With the odds stacked against him, Micheletti dug in, saying that Zelaya’s return to power would not even be considered. "The topic not open to discussion is the return of ex-President Zelaya, unless he hands himself over to justice.”

Last night, Arias appeared tired but committed to further dialogue. After the day’s events, he cautioned against high expectations. "Dialogue can produce miracles but not immediate ones. This could take much longer than one might have imagined."

The mediator indicated that the sides will begin to analyze less diametrically opposed issues, leaving the controversial point of Zelaya’s return to last. "My recommendation is that we advance where it is easy and leave the most difficult point for the end," he told the press.

While both sides claim to have a commitment to the mediation and have appointed their respective commissions to continue talks, it is now difficult to imagine what progress can be made. The commissions cannot resolve the core issue and according to a CNN report filed before Micheletti boarded a plane to Honduras, “A talked-about third round, a meeting between Micheletti and Zelaya, was put in doubt by Micheletti's planned departure.”

Coup Will Decide Success or Failure of Talks

As expected in light of both OAS and UN resolutions to condemn the coup, the premises for the talks proved unfavorable to Micheletti’s hopes to consolidate his position as “president” until the November elections. It is therefore not surprising that he decided to return to his bastion of power in the Central American nation still occupied by the Armed Forces rather than expose his position to a mediation process that considers his claim to power illegitimate.

Reading from a prepared statement, Micheletti offered five points to the press, without divulging the contents of his three-hour meeting with Arias. He restated his argument that “no-one is above the law”, referring to legal claims against Zelaya; affirmed that elections will be held in November, promised that the electoral process would be “transparent and secure”, reiterated that at stake was the presidency and other posts, and designated a working group to carry on the discussions in San Jose.

In emphasizing the planned Nov 29 elections, Micheletti seemed to imply that his de facto regime would be overseeing the regularly scheduled elections. He did not mention putting up the date of the elections, a proposal that some U.S. intellectuals and others had assumed was the fallback position of the coup.

Because the mediator and multilateral organizations have established the return of Zelaya to power as a precondition for dialogue, the only way for the talks on Honduras to succeed is for coup leaders to back down. The ball is in their court.

But instead of returning the serve, Roberto Micheletti appeared to pocket the ball and run home with it yesterday. By leaving the talks and going back to the nation that has been held by the Armed Forces since Jun 28, Micheletti once more sends a message to the world that force trumps diplomacy. The physical act of going home is precisely what his counterpart—elected president Manuel Zelaya —cannot do ever since the Armed Forces exiled him and installed Micheletti in power.

With the mediation kicked down a notch to a meeting between commissions, Zelaya has embarked again on his peripatetic travels across the region. Today he flew to the Dominican Republic where he received state honors from President Leonel Fernandez, according to news reports.

Talks continue today in San Jose. At the same time, many fear an impasse already in the early stages of dialogue. The question is: if coup leaders hold the cards to success, what more can be done to pressure them toward a legal solution?

Although the all-important U.S. government has not cut off all aid to the coup yet, international economic sanctions are piling up. The World Bank, IMF and Inter-American Development Bank have frozen loans to Honduras under the coup. The U.S. announced a new cut-off of $16.5 million in military aid and the US Embassy in Honduras also warned that an additional $180 million is at risk. There are still many more pockets of U.S. aid that could be suspended, including security aid under the Merida Initiative, $100 million in a Millennium Challenge grant, and $42 million in development aid.

With a wait-and-see attitude still prevailing in the State Department on aid cut-off, members of Congress plan to present a bill today sponsored by Reps. Delahunt and McGovern “condemning the June 28, 2009 coup d’état in Honduras, calling for the reinstatement of President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, and for other purposes.”

The bill:

1) Condemns the June 28, 2009 coup d’état in Honduras and refuses to recognize the de facto Micheletti government installed by that coup d’état;

2) Calls on the Obama Administration to continue to refuse to recognize the de facto Micheletti government;

3) Calls for the reinstatement of President Zelaya as President of Honduras;

4) Urges the Obama Administration to suspend non-humanitarian assistance to the de facto
Micheletti government as required by U.S. law and as it deems necessary to compel the return of President Zelaya to office;

5) Calls for extensive international observation of the November 2009 elections once President Zelaya is returned to office to ensure that his successor is elected freely, fairly, and transparently.

6) Welcomes the mediation of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and encourages the Obama Administration to provide any assistance President Arias requests in his efforts.

Several Republicans, including Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen , the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee , have asked the State Department to restore aid.

There is no doubt that economic sanctions would have an effect on the country and its de facto rulers. Interviewed on Telesur, Honduran Ambassador to the UN Roberto Quesada warned that Honduras was heading for an “economic abyss” due to sanctions against the coup.

“Honduras has been struck by two huge catastrophes,” he said. “Mitch and Micheletti.” Hurricane Mitch hit the country in 1998, causing death and an estimated $3.8 billion dollars in damages.

Despite the hardships that sanctions would imply, more and more members of Honduran human rights organizations, the Zelaya government and the international community are speaking up in favor of sanctions to bring the coup leaders to mediation with viable proposals.

If the U.S. government does not decide at once to back up its positions with stronger consequences, its endorsement of the mediation process will ring hollow in international circles and continue to be ignored by the de facto regime that has entrenched itself against constitutional rule of law in Honduras.

In Rare U.S. Broadcast, Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya Discusses Coup, Costa Rica Talks, U.S. Role and More

Democracy Now!, July 9, 2009



Talks between the ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and the leaders of last week’s military coup begin today in Costa Rica. Shortly before leaving Washington DC for Costa Rica, Zelaya sat down with us for a rare U.S. television interview. He discusses how military coup forces forced him out, the upcoming talks in Costa Rica, his domestic policies in Honduras, the role of the United States and more.

Day 12: Nothing Came Out Of Today's "Negotiation" Meeting In Costa Rica

By Eva Golinger, Postcards from the Revolution, July 9, 2009

President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras, ousted in the military coup on Sunday, June 28, was in Costa Rica today for meetings with Costa Rican president Oscar Arías, who was selected by the Department of State (handpicked by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) to "mediate" the conflict in Honduras. Coup leader Roberto Micheletti also flew in from Honduras and attended a separate meeting with President Arias, after real President Zelaya met with Arias in the presidential residence in San José.

President Zelaya was clear that the only "negotiation" he would engage in regarded how the coup leaders would step down and either leave the country or pay some form of justice. Meanwhile, coup leader and dictator Micheletti was also holding his own, stating he would negotiate all matters except for President Zelaya returning to power.

So things are pretty much where they were 12 days ago. And in the meantime, 12 days have passed and the people of Honduras are living in a dictatorship!! And their constitutional president, who is trying to return back to his elected position, is getting the brush away from the White House, which seems to be controlling the situation at this point. The people of Honduras are still living in a militarized state, with a curfew imposed and a suspension of constitutional rights. They are also still resisting in the streets, despite the dangers and risks, to try and force the coup government to step down.

Both Zelaya and Micheletti have left "delegations" in Costa Rica to continue "negotiating". The whole thing is getting pretty circusy and not looking good in the short time.

Personally I think the ALBA countries need to step forward here and take some hardcore action to return President Zelaya to the presidency by any means necessary.

Day 11: "Negotiation" Meeting To Take Place Thursday In Costa Rica Between President Zelaya & Coup Leaders

By Eva Golinger, Postcards from the Revolution, July 8, 2009

Just a couple of quick updates today. Thousands of people are still in the streets of Tegucigalpa, protesting the coup government and calling for the unconditional return of President Zelaya. A variety of different non violent actions are being taken by protesters, including shutting down major roadways, striking and maintaining a popular resistance front to keep people unified against the coup government. There are reports of over 600 detentions by the armed forces of Zelaya supporters.

On Thursday - tomorrow - President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica will host the first "negotiation" meeting between President Manuel Zelaya and several of the individuals who ousted him in the military coup on Sunday, June 28. Zelaya denounced earlier today that the coup leaders are sabotaging the negotiation efforts. The coup leader, Roberto Micheletti, has stated that he won't - under any circumstances - allow President Zelaya to return to power as president of Honduras. This kind of complicates things. The whole point here is to assure Zelaya's return to the presidency, so Micheletti's hardline stance makes that difficult.

The question still remains as to why negotiations - imposed by the United States - are even taking place. By giving the coup government equal participation in a "dialogue" to find a solution, their illegal actions are being legitimized. This creates a dangerous and unacceptable precedent for other undemocratic groups seeking to remove their elected leaders from power and then "negotiate" a resolution, gaining ground politically and weakening the democratic system. The opposition to President Chávez in Venezuela is already trying to play this up by calling on the Organization of American States (OAS) to intervene in their favor, since they claim human rights and constitutional guarantees are being violated by the government. Despite this not being true, the opposition in Venezuela is using Honduras as an example to attract attention.

For example, a leader of the April 2002 coup against President Chávez, Antonio Ledezma, now the mayor of greater Caracas (don't ask), went on a hunger strike at the OAS offices in Venezuela just days after the coup in Honduras. His purpose was to demand the OAS intervene in Venezuela as it has done in Honduras. Today he ended his strike after a ridiculous 6-day show. He did get a phone call, allegedly, from OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, stating he would look into the mayor's complaints.

And the president of Globovision, the most rancid, anti-Chávez television station in Venezuela, also heavily involved in the April 2002 and ongoing media war (Globovision is a thousand times worse than Fox News Network, if you can fathom that), was received yesterday afternoon by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the State Department offices, just after she gave her press conference on her meeting with President Zelaya of Honduras. Alberto Federico Ravell, president of Globovision, together with Leopoldo Castillo, the moderator of the station's most biased, hateful program (like a million times worse than the O'Reilly Factor), were given a 20 minute interview with Clinton and a photo op, which they are drooling over and repeating nonstop. This meeting is clear evidence of the State Department's (Obama Administration's) support for hate-TV Globovision and the Venezuela opposition. Globovision has become the new political party of the opposition.

Obama's first 6 months as president are not looking well in Latin America. From down here, we are seeing the same old folks engaging in the same old intervention and domination tactics. Luckily, Latin America is not the same old backyard of the United States. The people's movements here have risen up and are alert and holding ground against the imposition of US imperialism and aggression.

Stay tuned for the outcome of tomorrow's meetings in Costa Rica. Oh, and I do have some more goodies coming soon regarding the U.S. role in the Honduran coup...the old gang is back!

Clinton Announces Mediation of Honduras Conflict, Zelaya Says Talks to "Plan Withdrawal of the Coup"

By Laura Carlsen, Americas MexicoBlog, July 7, 2009

* Costa Rican President Arias to Mediate Dialogue on "Restoring Constitutional Order" in Honduras
* Zelaya Agrees to Dialogue to "Plan the Withdrawal of the Coup"
* Obama: "America supports now the restoration of the democratically-elected president"
* More Massive Demonstrations in Honduras for Return of President
* Some U.S. Aid "Paused", But No Numbers or Decision on Suspension Yet

In a press conference following the closed meeting between President Zelaya of Honduras and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Clinton announced an agreement to have Costa Rican President Oscar Arias mediate between the coup leaders and the government of elected President Manuel Zelaya.

Clinton stated:

"It is our hope that through this dialogue mechanism, overseen by President Arias, that there can be a restoration of democratic constitutional order, a peaceful resolution of this matter that will enable the Honduran people to see the restoration of democracy and a more peaceful future going forward."

Clinton affirmed the U.S. commitment to a "return to democratic constitutional order" in Honduras. She did not give details of the talks, saying the parties will determine the conditions and the issues.

When asked if the restoration of order meant the return to power of President Zelaya, she refused to confirm that position. "Now that we have a mediation process that we hope can begin shortly, I don’t want to prejudge what the parties themselves will agree to." State Department spokesperson Ian Kelly later dodged the question in the same way.

Zelaya and Clinton did not appear together to make the announcement. Several hours later, Zelaya gave a press conference in which he confirmed that he will be entering into the dialogue in Costa Rica "to plan the withdrawal of the coup." He noted that among the non-negotiable points are his return to the country and the people's rights to demonstrate and express themselves.

"We are not holding a negotiation. There are things that are non-negotiable—the restitution of constitutional order in Honduras. This is not negotiable anywhere, not in the position of the OAS, or the United Nations or the U.S. government." He stated that to negotiate on this point would be a betrayal of the Honduran people.

Clinton stated that the talks would be held in Costa Rica, not in Honduras. In the highly charged field of coup semantics, Clinton was meticulous in referring to "the de facto regime" and not using the word "government," which has become common in the mainstream press lately. On the other hand, by calling for restoration of the constitutional order rather than the return of President Zelaya, she fueled doubts about the U.S. commitment to bringing Zelaya, who has opposed the free-trade economic model in recent years, back to power.

While some analysts, including this one, viewed the statements as a possible wavering on the return of President Zelaya to power, Zelaya himself noted that both President Obama and Clinton have supported his return.

He stated emphatically, "We have no reason to doubt this position."

Zelaya cited Obama's statement today in Russia, noting "I am grateful for the words of the president of the United States."

In Russia, President Obama stated:

"America supports now the restoration of the democratically-elected president of Honduras, even though he has strongly opposed American policies... We do so not because we agree with him. We do so because we respect the universal principle that people should choose their own leaders, whether they are leaders we agree with or not."

Aid, Ambassador and Airplanes Still Up in the Air

On the critical issue of U.S. aid, Clinton stated, "We have paused in the aid that we think would be affected by the letter of the statute. There is humanitarian aid, and that is a concern for us—the well-being of the people of Honduras. But we’ve made the decision to basically pause on any further aid." The government has still not made the official designation of a military coup in Honduras, which would automatically mean a cut-off of certain types of aid.

Ian Kelly, when pressed, added:

"Basically, what we’re looking at is aid that would directly benefit the de facto regime down there, so obviously, that means military assistance programs. But we’re still – I mean, we’ve taken a policy decision to stop aid that might be subject to this – the statute. And so I think that’s kind of a broad definition. I mean, it’s still a fairly small percentage of our overall aid because most of our aid would not come under this statute. And this would be humanitarian aid, which goes directly to the people – it doesn’t go to the government – and any aid that would be construed as democracy promotion."

Kelly added that the U.S. Trade Representative would have to answer questions on any sanctions or suspensions under the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

In other controversial issues, Clinton noted that the U.S. has not decided to withdraw its ambassador, as other countries have and as many Honduran citizen organizations have demanded. She said that President Zelaya had thanked her for the ambassador's role in assuring the safety of his family during the coup and that the State Department would be analyzing the pros and cons of maintaining Amb. Hugo Llorens in Honduras.

Zelaya announced that the State Department issued an official letter suspending the Honduran ambassador in Washington, Roberto Flores, who supported the coup. Appointment of a new ambassador is pending approval.

Clinton also expressed her view that President Zelaya should not attempt to return to his country in the following days:

"I believe it [the dialogue] is a better route for him to follow at this time than to attempt to return in the face of the implacable opposition of the de facto regime," Clinton told reporters at the State Department." So, instead of another confrontation that might result in a loss of life, let's try the dialogue process and see where that leads, and let the parties determine all the various issues as they should." Zelaya stated that he will return to his country but did not give a timetable.

A new detail appeared when Zelaya described again his attempted return to Honduras on Sunday. He mentioned that two CASA planes left from the Soto Cano military base to intercept his plane as it approached Tegucigalpa for a planned landing.

Zelaya quickly added that the planes were Honduran planes and that the military base is a Honduran base shared with the United States for anti-narcotics operations under a cooperation pact.

In other developments, Under-Sec. of State Thomas Shannon met today with former Honduran president Roberto Maduro in Washington, a coup supporter. Zelaya dismissed criticism of this meeting, saying, "Maduro is not an official of anything. They have no reason not to receive him." He went on to question the national loyalty of an ex-president who supports a military coup. There are no reports, as of this writing, who the coup leaders, virtually orphaned among the international diplomatic community, were able to meet with. Rumors of the involvement of rightwing former diplomats and conservative non-governmental institutions in the coup have been cropping up repeatedly in recent days, prompting calls for investigation.

Hondurans Step Up Protests for Return of President

Before holding his press conference on the meeting with Clinton, Zelaya called Honduras to speak over loudspeakers to thousands of his supporters protesting in front of the Public Ministry office—an office that worked with his opponents in the congress and courts to run him out of office. His wife, First Lady Xiomara Castro, marched with the group and urged them to continue to demand her husband's return.

President Zelaya called on Hondurans to actively demand restoration of constitutional order in the country. He said demonstrations should be "non-violent, peaceful, but the people have to continue to struggle."

Given the pre-condition of the restoration to power of the elected president, expressed in the UN and OAS resolutions and by President Zelaya, no-one knows what exactly will be on the table for the upcoming negotiations but much will depend on the positions of the coup. Surrounded by international opinion and internal opposition, it may come down to ways to save face and avoid prosecution for treason. The Honduran Supreme Court suggested that Zelaya could be granted amnesty, but maintained that the Congress would have to decide. The coup seemed to be suggesting some kind of symbolic offers as the agreed-on dialogue begins. Via Campesina leader Rafael Alegria told Telesur reporters that "It's the coup that needs amnesty... The president has committed no crimes."

As mobilizations intensify in Honduras, the main pressure on the coup has shifted from the international community to the popular uprising in the streets. With the failure of international diplomacy to convince coup leaders to back down, grassroots organizations have taken the lead in this drama. The demonstrations have shown that the movement to restore the president has increasing capacity to organize peacefully and to amass large crowds.

Criminalization of the opposition and repression has led to at least three deaths and the arrest of hundreds of pro-Zelaya persons. The curfew remains in place and is likely to be extended, affecting all aspects of Honduran life. Army troops occupy the airport and main streets of the capital city.

While Hondurans have accepted the dialogue, many expressed concern over a protracted process due to the extreme danger and tension in the country.

Zelaya said he expects to arrive in Costa Rica at around 4:00 p.m. tomorrow, where both Arias and Micheletti have agreed to begin talks.