Sunday, July 19, 2009

COUP REGIME REJECTS PROPOSED SOLUTION TO CRISIS IN HONDURAS; ARIAS CALLS FOR 72 MORE HOURS TO RESOLVE OR FACE CIVIL WAR

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.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Eva,
We look forward to your news and analysis every day of this crisis, which has gone on too long.
A small correction: Obama did not declare the coup "illegal" but "not legal," which is another crafty way of not recognizing it as a coup. Also, his State Department keeps calling for a return to constitutional order. Let us not forget that Haiti was returned to constitutional order almost immediately after the US-backed coup, but with a new president.

zbowling said...

Thank you for your spreading the "real news"
Diana, you are mistaken, but even as repugnant as Obama's failure to reign in his cabinet's fascist elements and rectify the situation swiftly without equivocation, he has said that the coup was NOT Legal.
He sure can deliver a pretty speech of meaningless rhetoric. Obviously we Americans are also the victims of a silent coup of our own.
Google: honduras coup Obama.

Roger Milbrandt said...

Eva,

So, Zelaya dodged the bullet, or got away with his bluff: the Micheletti people were not shrewd enough to realize that Arias was offering them almost everything they want and more than they would need to arrest the process of social democratization.
Whatever the intention of the 72 hour delay before the renewal of negotiations, the effect is to give the Lanny Davis crew a few days to try to get the coup-makers to see reason.

I hope Zelaya does not allow them 72 hours; that he returns to Honduras immediately. If he can only set foot on home soil, he will leave Micheletti to chose among several unattractive options and he will give the Honduran population a chance to indicate where they stand.

One caveat: if in Zelaya's judgment there simply is not enough Honduran support for his position to enable the mounting of a credible challenge to the oligarchy - and from this distance it is difficult to tell - then it would be irresponsible to return until Arias manages to negotiate the terms.

Anonymous said...

Estimada Diana Barahona: hola, estas en lo cierto. El Presidente Obama es un mentiroso, y no solamente el Presidente Obama sino la Casa Blanca en general usa un lenguaje como medio raro, un lenguaje deconstructor, tergiversador de la realidad. Por ejemplo si un periodista le pregunta al Presidente Hugo Chavez de color es el cafe, Chavez diria que el cafe es negro. Pero la Casa Blanca diria que el cafe es de color blanco, porque se le puede agregar leche y cambiaria a blanco.

Y asi mismo es todo lo que Casa Blanca dice. Por ejemplo una tecnica que usa los Secretarios de Estado de Relaciones exteriores de la Casa Blanca es la palabra "Believe".

Por ejemplo, yo me acuerdo que esta tecnica la usaban para querer hacer parecer como si Iran tiene en su posecion Armas Nucleares ante el publico ignorante.

La Secretaria De Relaciones Exteriores Condoleza Rice decia siempre: "We believe that Iran is making Nuclear Weapons." Con eso cualquier intelectual y literato alegaria que ese argumento no es una argumento de verdad para comprobar que el Gobierno de Iran tiene Bombas Nucleares. Pero el publico Norteamericano como es tan ignorante y impresionista, creia que lo que Condoleza Rice esta diciendo era que Iran tenia Bombas Nucleares.

Y asi mismo es la Casa Blanca con respecto a Venezuela y a otros paises.

Gracias

.

Unknown said...

This is -- and always was -- beyond merely Mel Zelaya and his constitutional role and duties. In fact, hondurans should accept nothing less than that new Constituent Assembly they demanded. And whatever it takes to get there, as well.

So let's back them on that revolutionary task all the way.

Zhandra said...

Hola Eva. Ya sabemos de las "soluciones" de esta gente. esa negociación murió antes de nacer, pues el sólo hecho de poner a Zelaya y al gobierno de facto al mismo nivel, implica reconocer a este último como interlocutor válido, es decir, como Estado constituido legalmente. Desde el principio estuvo mal y no sé quién pudo llegar a imaginar un resultado distinto de todo esto.

El tiempo atenta contra Zelaya y legitima a Micheletti. Y mientras el Gobierno de Obama condena el golpe, por debajo de la mesa están haciendo cuanto está en sus manos para que el gobierno ilegítimo de los usurpadores pase a formar parte de lo que denominan los "expertos" gobiernos de transición.

Saludos, Zhandra

mr. barter said...

Anyone hear Radio Times this morning? Jesus Christ, NPR is as bad as FOX these days. They had this corporatist flack on: CHRISTOPHER SABATINI, senior director of policy at the Council of the Americas. God it was awful. Fortunately, the two callers they took weren't buying his crap.
http://www.whyy.org/91FM/radiotimes.html

Anonymous said...

Eva,
Great to hear your voice on our local station, KPFK Los Angeles. Would that Amy Goodman had the sense to invite you on Democracy Now!

Eva Golinger said...

Thanks Diana!!