DN ...Coup in Honduras: Military Ousts President Manuel Zelaya, Supporters Defy Curfew

[Joanne98]

In the first military coup in Central America in a quarter of a century, the Honduran military has ousted the democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya. Former Parliamentary speaker Roberto Micheletti, who was sworn in as Zelaya’s replacement on Sunday, has imposed a two-day nationwide curfew. But hundreds of Zelaya supporters remain on the streets, and shots were fired at protesters near the presidential palace early Monday morning. We go to Honduras to speak with Honduran medical doctor and award-winning human rights activist, Dr. Juan Almendares, and NYU professor of Latin American history, Greg Grandin.

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/29/coup_in_honduras_military_ousts_president

[Recursion]

1. To me "coup" implies the military put itself in power

Though maybe that's what "junta" means. I guess it is a coup, but this is different from what we saw in the 70's and 80's.

[SuperTrouper]

2. The overwhelming majority of Hondurans are in agreement with the ouster of

Zelaya. This was a Constitutional, Democratic coup, the Judicial Tribunal and the national Congress unanimously voted to remove Zelaya from power for trying to have an illegal "consult" using tax-payer lempiras. They offered Zelaya a face-saving excuse (the swine flu epidemic in Honduras, the budget failure by his Administration) to backtrack on his illegal maneuvering but he refused and threatened to dissolve all powers in the country except his. The mistake that was made in Honduras was to take him by force to Costa Rica. He should have been arrested, kept under house arrest and a Constitutional trial done for high crimes and misdemeanors, to find him guilty or innocent and then to free him or sentence him to whatever remedies allowed by Honduran Constitutional law.

Venezuela, Nicaragua, and other countries should stay out of Honduras internal affairs; they can go and condemn the ouster under international law (OAS, UN, the Rio Group) but nobody should violate Honduran sovereignty like Chavez was threatening to invade Honduras. Hondurans like to say: Not even the shadow of a leaf will be taken away from the sovereign Honduran territory.

[Mudoria]

3. I don't think some of the crowd here has any interest in what you are saying..

They want to overlook the fact that Zelaya was trying to have an "opinion" referendum which the Honduran Supreme court had ruled was illegal and the Honduran Congress refused to endorse. The man seemed to think he ruled by imperial decree. Perhaps the interim President will abide by the law and do a better job of running the government without overstepping his authority.

[tekisui]

5. How do you feel about the assassination?

[tekisui]

4. Don't forget the assassination of the only other candidate on the left.