Honduras' Non-Coup: LA Times' exhaustive explanation of what happened

[timeforpeace]

From last month, but a more succinct explanation of the situation has not been written since:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-estrada10-2009jul10,0,1570598.story


Honduras, the tiny Central American nation, had a change of leaders on June 28. The country's military arrested President Manuel Zelaya -- in his pajamas, he says -- and put him on a plane bound for Costa Rica. A new president, Roberto Micheletti, was appointed. Led by Cuba and Venezuela (Sudan and North Korea were not immediately available), the international community swiftly condemned this "coup."

Something clearly has gone awry with the rule of law in Honduras -- but it is not necessarily what you think. Begin with Zelaya's arrest. The Supreme Court of Honduras, as it turns out, had ordered the military to arrest Zelaya two days earlier. A second order (issued on the same day) authorized the military to enter Zelaya's home to execute the arrest. These orders were issued at the urgent request of the country's attorney general. All the relevant legal documents can be accessed (in Spanish) on the Supreme Court's website. They make for interesting reading.


What you'll learn is that the Honduran Constitution may be amended in any way except three. No amendment can ever change (1) the country's borders, (2) the rules that limit a president to a single four-year term and (3) the requirement that presidential administrations must "succeed one another" in a "republican form of government."

In addition, Article 239 specifically states that any president who so much as proposes the permissibility of reelection "shall cease forthwith" in his duties, and Article 4 provides that any "infraction" of the succession rules constitutes treason. The rules are so tight because these are terribly serious issues for Honduras, which lived under decades of military rule.

As detailed in the attorney general's complaint, Zelaya is the type of leader who could cause a country to wish for a Richard Nixon. Earlier this year, with only a few months left in his term, he ordered a referendum on whether a new constitutional convention should convene to write a wholly new constitution. Because the only conceivable motive for such a convention would be to amend the un-amendable parts of the existing constitution, it was easy to conclude -- as virtually everyone in Honduras did -- that this was nothing but a backdoor effort to change the rules governing presidential succession. Not unlike what Zelaya's close ally, Hugo Chavez, had done in Venezuela.

[BuddyBoy]

1. MSM opposes term limits for the Reagans & Bushes of this world

but they ardently support term limits for any political leader anywhere who wants to do good things for ALL of its citizens, as in cases like that of Honduras, where it was feared that one of those good things might well be legislation to raise the minimum wage.
THAT is why President Zelaya was illegally kidnapped and a more corporate-friendly "leader" was installed in his place as President.

Apparently, anything that might lead to raising the minimum wage in Honduras is not the kind of change that Obama believes in.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Actually here in CA, the M$M has been anti-term limits for some time

for State posts. No one has suggested unlimited terms (and the required change to the Constitution) for the Presidency

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. Standby for some heavy weather...point out facts like that really annoys some here

I've been taking the same basic line since it happened and the vilification has come thick and fast.

What amazes me are those who decry any intervention in Latin America who are now pressing for immediate action to change the state of laws in a sovereign nation. Clearly they do not realize that Micheletti was next in line for the Presidency since the serving VP had resigned to run for President. That the Supreme Court, dominated by his own party, voted unanimously to remove him. That the National Congress concurred. They just don't want to hear it and will attempt to shoot the messenger and discredit any citation. Prepare for ad hominums etc

Clearly both side have dirty hands. Zelaya was intent on his referendum to the point of mob violence and attempting to fire anyone who got in his way. Clearly the army should not have exiled him. I expect he will be allowed back into the country once his term expires and new elections are held.

[BuddyBoy]

4. Was Zelaya "intent on his referendum" because he

wants to be a fascist dictator? No? Oh. I didn't think so either.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Actually it doesn't matter why. He was removed from office by the highest court in Honduras.

In a 15-0 unanimous decision. There is no higher authority on Honduran law than that, no matter how others try and spin it.

[kgnu_fan]

5. supported by School of America... nt

[roody]

6. The Honduran generals are good graduates.

www.soaw.org