Day 2: Coup in Honduras (Eva Golinger)

[subsuelo]

Last night, the coup government de facto president in Honduras, Roberto Micheletti, spoke live in a television interview (the only television station left open in Honduras, the others have been shut down by the military), and reinforced his determination to remain in power. He said he would allow President Zelaya to return to the country - not as president, but as a citizen - only if he renounces his relationship with President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Micheletti also said he didn't need the approval of any nation - including the US- regarding his position in power and the "new government" in place in Honduras. Despite all of the condemnations from the international community, Micheletti has said his coup government will not step down.

Today there are several meetings in Nicaragua - the Rio Group is meeting (comprised of all Latin American and Caribbean nations), ALBA countries have been meeting since last night (Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador, Dominica, St. Vicent, Antigua and Barbados and Honduras) and the Central American nations are also all going to meet later today to discuss the situation in Honduras.

...

The coup government in Honduras has issued arrest warrants for members of Zelaya's cabinet that are still in the country. There is widespread repression throughout the country. A curfew was imposed by the coup government last night at 9pm to 6am this morning and the military have thoroughly barricaded the presidential palace to prevent protesters from getting close.

Television, press and radio in Honduras are not reporting AT ALL on the coup and President Zelaya's whereabouts. As they did during the April 2002 against Chávez in Venezuela, television stations are showing soap operas and regular programming, print media is not mentioning the coup at all and neither is radio. There is a MAJOR BLACKOUT on information in Honduras.

No longer is the coup in Honduras making international headlines. Seems like the international media doesn't really care that a military coup has just occurred in Honduras and the president was kidnapped, beaten and forced into exile. Nor are they reporting that for the first time ever, all multilateral organisms, like the OAS, UN, European Community, ALBA, UNASUR, etc, have all condemned the coup and convened emergency meetings to discuss solutions.

This afternoon, President Obama meets with President Uribe of Colombia, in a previously scheduled meeting, and will most likely make statements regarding the situation in Honduras.

Nevertheless, it seems like in the particular coup scenario, Obama has lost control. The US Military Group and Embassy in Honduras have been directly involved with the coup leaders. USAID and the Pentagon have backed this coup, there is just really no question. The Honduran military would never have moved with consent from their commanding officers, the US Military Group in Honduras and those stationed on the Soto Cano base.

http://www.chavezcode.com/2009/06/day-2-coup-in-honduras-mass-repression.html">Chavez Code - read more

[flamingdem]

1. The WAPO article says the coupists cut off communication with the USA

I think that it is NOT true that the USA is supporting the coup.

The US Military Group in Honduras is there for drug interdiction, not for political purposes.

[magbana]

2. Cutting off communication or saying communication has been

cut offers the ultimate "plausible deniability" for the US.

[flamingdem]

4. We have to wait and see. Obama is not Bush and times have changed.

The USA knows it needs to befriend the South.

On the other hand it might very well be against US interests
to see Hugo become stronger via the reinstatement of Zelaya.

I am ambivalent about Hugo especially after reading about
his support for the Iranian ruling elite and his put downs
of the demonstrators.

He's an opportunist looking to expand his power.

Isn't that what it comes down to on all sides?

The old idea of "leftist" and being on the right side
of the people's struggles is ever murky.

In the meantime we have a potentially very progressive
president and the "left" swipes at him given the chance,
assuming that he is somehow in favor of the coupists.

The left can be wrong.

[EFerrari]

5. Drug interdiction is a beard.

I think Eva is right.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Absolutely right. It replaces the less acceptable ancient "commie" crap

with which the US dominated through horrific measures governments throughout the Americas starting with the first unavoidable example of the CIA overthrow of Guatemala's Arbenz in 1954.

If ONLY people took the time to know WTF has been happening.

[EFerrari]

8. The wingnuts are STILL calling Obama "comrade Obama" on Twitter.

The right wing is still fighting the Cold War in LatAm, even younger people whom you'd think would know better. :crazy:

[magbana]

3. Telesur is confirming that communication outlets are shut down, but

there is an active boca a boca, word of mouth machine that is getting info around.

A spokesperson for Channel 36 in Tegucigalpa is talking about the massive buildup of military around his TV station and no one can get near it. The military has taken physical control of various stations.

[Judi Lynn]

7. It's good to think there are ways around electronics-dependent problems.

No way should they be able to repudiate the people's own right to have their elected President serve out his own term of office, and the people's right to not be flatly insulted and neutralized, their own Presidential vote voided.

[Judi Lynn]

9. That's a wonderful resource. Thanks for the link to Eva Golinger's information. n/t

[Peace Patriot]

10. "Honduran military woult never have moved with(out) consent from ...the US Military..."

I tend to agree with that. That's one of the big things that points to U.S. complicity, whether with or without Obama's consent. The Honduran military is a creation of the U.S. military, and it is fat with 'war on drugs' millions. And Honduras has been a U.S. client state, much like Colombia, larded with military aid and a launching pad for dirty wars and other dirty rotten anti-democratic, fascist schemes. The Honduran military is very powerful in Honduras, but they answer to Washington or at least to the Pentagon.

Full quote: "The Honduran military would never have moved with(out) consent from their commanding officers, the US Military Group in Honduras and those stationed on the Soto Cano base."

I'm not sure about the first statement--that some elements of the Honduran military wouldn't have moved without their commanding officers. They might have moved on the word of only their immediate officers, who may have been subverting/disobeying their superiors (or equals). Zelaya hinted at this in one of his statements--that the military was divided, that not all of them were involved.

But without permission from the U.S. at some level, in some form? It's almost unthinkable. Possible, but extremely unlikely.

The comparison to the "Bay of Pigs" may be relevant--a coup set up by the Bushwhacks, which some of them may be running in their 'retirement.' I've often pointed to Rumsfeld's interest in defeating the left in South America, re his 12/1/07 op ed in the Washington Post ("The Smart Way to Defeat Tyrants like Chavez"). There could be private U.S. coup groups that want to defeat both Obama and Chavez (and all the other leftist leaders in Latin America), who are quite deliberately undermining Obama policy, and who answer to no one (except their global corporate predator masters). They may have moles in the U.S. military and the CIA and elsewhere.

Obama could be "winking" at them. He could be worried about them and trying to fight them. We don't know.

One other thing: I think both the Honduran and Colombian rich elites, and the Bush Cartel are very dirty on drug trafficking. That could be the hidden story in this Honduran coup.