by Maricela Cruz
In troubled Honduras, patience thins end plots thicken by the day.
Ousted President Man-uel Zelaya has announced he will return to his “righfful” place as Honduras’ leader even if he has to sneak back into the country.
“I’m not going to give you the date, hour or place,” he said after initial negotiations in Costa Rica between the interim government and Zelaya collapsed July 19. The political battle began June 28 after a military coup led to Zelaya’s exile five months before his term would end.
Costa Rica President Oscar Arias, known for his political brokering skills, hosted the negotiations and now has presented an 11point proposal that would put Zelaya back to power by July 24 while imposing some limits on his presidency.
Interim President Roberto Micheletti, former president of the country’s national Congress, has remained adamant that he will not accept any decision that reinstates Zelaya. Each has until July 23 to sign the agreement, after which Arias says the pair should seek mediation through the Organization of American States. .
Britain-based journalist Hugh O’Shaughnessy, who has covered Latin America for four decades, wrote July 19 that Enrique Ortez Colindres, “the supremely undiplomatic octogenarian (who was) appointed foreign minister by Mr. Micheletti, has had to resign but not before he called Barack Obama’a negrito who knows nothing about anything’ on Honduran television.”
Reports of violence toward Zelaya supporters in the impoverished country continue to increase. According to Abencio Ferndndez Piñeda of the International Commission for the Defense of Human Rights, anyone against the coup is being threatened and assaulted. News of crowds gathering to block highways, entrances to the capital and vowing to repeat the process untl Zelaya is back in power illustrate the lack of unity in the now-divided country.
O’Shaughnessy noted the growing divide along party lines in the country and abroad. He projected the unrest will lead to the interim government’s ultimate defeat.
The coup government took further political action July 22 by expelling Venezuelan
diplomats from the country. Venezuela has been among the loudest Central American countries to call for Zelaya’s reinstatement.
The Venezuelan government is not alone. The entire membership of the Organization of American States has refused to honor the interim government. Mounting pressure from the international community will further put it to the test as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton placed a call to Micheletti threatening more cuts in aid.
She warned that the long-term relationship between the United States and Honduras would suffer if Zelaya was not restored, highlighting President Obama’s demand that Zelaya be restored as paramount to democracy.
The United States has already cut military aid to the country. Further cuts couId severely weaken Honduras, which has failed to gain support from major world leaders.
The interim government has succeeded in gaining support of Republicans on Capitol Hill. On July 17 Congressman Mike Penceof Indiana, speaking at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute’s annual conference, condemned Zelaya and the White House policy aligned “with the Castro brothers and Hugo Chávez.”
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida joined him in backing the interim government.
Micheletti supporters say Zelaya’s removal is in line with Honduran law and accuse Zelaya of trying to change its Constitution.
U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona also supports the interim government. He made arrangements for Micheletti’s July 7 National Press Club news conference.
The Obama Administration still refuses to acknowledge any government that does not have Zelaya at the helm.
Zelaya says he remains open to returning to power with congressional sanctions.
But as the window on negotiations continues to close and with the Micheletti government Unwilling to accept any such proposal, Zelaya forces say they have not ruled out a “peacefuI uprising” by the Honduran people.
(Erick Galindo and Brittney Cooley contributed to this report.) Hispanic Link
