Chavez states “The Strike has started”. Honduras “Surrounded”

by utilaeastwind | June 29, 2009 at 04:19 am

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HONDURAS 29th June 2009 6:20am

Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, Sandinista President Daniel Ortega, President Rafael Correa of Ecuador and the Cuban Foreign Minister all met under the ALBA Flag in Managua, Nicaragua late last night. This emergency meeting was held to form a strategy regarding the fate of Manuel Zelaya, the recently ousted President of Honduras.

At the meeting President Chavez warned the Honduran military and the new government that are "surrounded" by the countries of ALBA. "It boils the blood in your veins. Desde Venezuela no teníamos dudas. From Venezuela we have no doubt. El golpe había comenzado”, declaró. The strike had started, "he said.

ALBA (eng. DAWN) is an international trade organization started by Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, which has evolved in Latin America into a Socialist Block contrary to the United States of America that calls for the integration of all Latin American Countries into a single economic block.

One notable observer member is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Honduras joined ALBA by the Presidential Decree of Ex-President Manuel Zelaya near the end of George Bush’s Presidency. This was not widely approved of by the Honduran people and was thought of as a strong shift to the left.

Honduran Presidential elections are due to be held in November this year, bringing an end the term of President Zelaya. However, a plan was initiated that would, through a Referendum, allow a fourth ballot to be placed on the Presidential Ticket. This Ballot would give voters the option to instead of voting for a new president to vote for a Constitutional Assembly to replace the constitution and allow Zelaya to remain President.

Considering that Honduras did not have any legal provision for a Referendum the Congress Passed a Referendum Act that does allow for referendums, but the results would be a survey of the people’s support for the process. This was not acceptable to Zelaya because it did not give him the legal power to add the controversial Fourth Ballot. The Supreme Court of Honduras ruled that the Ballot was constitutionally illegal, yet President Zelaya ignored the Court and vowed to push forward with the vote. He then ordered the Military to support the ballot.

This is where the real trouble began.

The Military is bound by the constitution and Zelaya was asking them to go against the Constitutional Ruling. At this point the Congress, seeing that the President intended to continue without regard to the ruling, voted unanimously to halt the ballot.

Zelaya still would not comply. Later, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Vasquez was removed by Zelaya due to the General's unwillingness to go against the Constitution and assist in the illegal Poll demanded by the President. After the dismissal, the Commanders of the Army, Navy and Air force resigned.

The Supreme Court later ruled that the dismissal was illegal and reinstated the Vasquez to his post.

The Ballots were ordered seized by the courts yet, the President, who is the Commander of the Honduran Armed Forces entered the Air Force base where the ballots were kept, took the ballots with the aide of his supporters and started distribution of the ballots.

Meanwhile in Caracas, Hugo Chavez, upset with the problems created by the Honduran Supreme Court, Congress, Military and over 100,000 protesters who marched against the illegal ballot started a propaganda campaign stating that ALBA would mobilize. During his speech Hugo Chavez reiterated, "This is an armed revolution" and to "Summon our people to the great battle for the full independence of our America, only the union will make us free” and to "Summon our people to the great battle for the full independence of our America, only the union will make us free”. This Venezuelan Army Day speech was delivered to military cadets from Honduras marching with Cuban, Nicaraguan and Bolivian Military.

These events and the refusal of the Ex-President to respect the Supreme Court and Congress gave way to his removal.

The international community is unsure of the situation in Honduras and they are taking a very condeming position.

As the facts come to the surface and the world sees that not only America meddles in the internal politics of sovereign states, Honduras will hopefully able to peacefully elect a new president in the elections scheduled for November 29th.

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Jordan Yerman

at 06:13 on June 29th, 2009

Great work with these reports.

Carrell (not verified)

at 07:31 on June 29th, 2009

Thanks for all of your reports. Good job keeping all of us who love Honduras informed.

Barbara McPherson

at 09:12 on June 29th, 2009

Thank you for presenting much needed information about this situation. Moonwolf's comments add a new dimension to this. Let's hope this isn't a repeat of the coup in Chile.

rahul

at 10:44 on June 29th, 2009

Another perspective and historical facts can be found in my last story/opinion at Nowpublic: Is Honduras to endure a dictorship again? It shows how coup recipes have been used in Chavez`s Venezuela, Aristide`s Haiti and Zelaya`s Honduras.

Yuliya Talmazan

at 11:24 on June 29th, 2009

Canada has now joined the list of nations that have condemned coup d'etat in Honduras.

Canada called Monday for all parties in coup-hit Honduras to respect democratic norms and seek a peaceful way out of their current crisis.

"Canada condemns the coup d'etat that took place over the weekend in Honduras," Secretary of State for foreign affairs Peter Kent said in a statement.

bdeboikot

at 15:03 on June 29th, 2009

Chilenos Solidarios se movilizan Contra el Golpe de Estado en Honduras

Más de Un centenar de solidarios chilenos, agrupados en diversas organizaciones de izquierda llegaron hasta la embajada de Honduras en Santiago, para demostrar apoyo hacia el pueblo hondureño y al presidente constitucional Manuel Zelaya y repudiar el Golpe de Estados por parte de la Burguesía, el Clero, los militares y los Medios de Comunicación corporativos.

bdeboikot has contributed a photo to this story.

Uwe Paschen

at 18:20 on June 29th, 2009

You did a good job here and after reading through several news outlet and cashing up on the events, I have to say that this is not totally surprising nor should it be seen as illegal either since the President of Honduras has done several illegal things that lead to this. He is as much a dictator him self then what he accuses the Coup leaders to be.

I do believe that Honduras can speak for its self and does not need Either Venezuela or the US to step in and pretend they would know any better or what is best for Honduras.

Venezuela and the US are equally dangerous for Honduras.

Spydermonkey

at 21:20 on June 29th, 2009

Yes Paschen, If it comes to blows Honduras would likely be torn up between The rock & a hard spot.

I hope that doesn't happen...

Margarita (not verified)

at 21:18 on June 29th, 2009

Es increible pensar que un golpe de estado solucionara los problemas de un pueblo, la historia ha comprovado que en Latino America los gobiernos de facto no han tenido exito, estos actos son repulsivos para la razon, atentan en contra de la libertad, la felicidad y el crecimiento de un pueblo. Por el otro lado la falta de verguenza de governantes que illegalmente quieren apoderarse de un pueblo haciendo marañas ilegales para enraizarse en el poder por el resto de su vida, verguenza es culpar a una sistema, otra nacion o a personas en particular, actos en contra de la constitucion son un delito que el pueblo necesita condenar golpes de estado es un delito que elpueblo necesita condenar, Un sistema de gobierno democratico es el que, tanto el presidente de la republica (Honduras o la nacion que sea) y el Ejercito estan al servicio del pueblo, han jurado resguardar y protejer la constitucion y ambos han fallado.

Es hora que el pueblo se una y que ejerza su derecho de elegir fuera con los gobernantes corruptos, fuera con ejercitos corruptos, fuera con Chaves y sus influencias socialistas y fuera finalmente con Obama y su sistema capitalista, es hora que el pueblo Hondureño trace su camino, camino a la dignidad humana, a la libertad y el crecimiento.

Roberto Alvarez-Galloso

at 06:35 on June 30th, 2009

Great work. Here is my report. http://my.nowpublic.com/world/hondurans-demonstrate-against-zelaya I also agree with Paschen that Venezuela and USA are dangerous for Honduras.

Blanca Polanco (not verified)

at 22:52 on June 30th, 2009

Shame on everybody porque estan tratando de meterse en la politica privada de Honduras...El ex-presidente Zelaya violento la Constitucion de Honduras, y ahora el viene a decir corrupcion cuando el era el mas corrupto del pais. Solo les voy a decir que clase de hombre es Zelaya, si su padre mato a 17 personas en Olancho y los tiro en un pozo de malacate...decendiente de asesinos y es un estupido ignorante. Abajo con los comunistas que viven en Honduras. UN MENSAJE A LA COMUNIDAD INTERNACIONAL. KEEP YOUR NOSES OFF OF HONDURAS. AND THIS MESSAGE IS SPECIALLY PARA CHAVEZ, ORTEGA EL INDIO DE BOLIVIA, ECUADOR Y CUBA. Arriba Catrachos y sigan adelante. GOD BLESS YOU ALL

RoatanCanadian (not verified)

at 15:03 on July 1st, 2009

It sure is funny how all these people living outside Honduras know so much about our politics. Having lived here for almost 12 years myself... corruption is quite normal here... but in the past 3 1/2 years.. Zelaya has taken corruption to a whole new level. I agree with Utilaeastwind as he nailed it. Zelaya had to go. He himself was taking this country into the crapper. He himself, because he went totally against the elected congress, constitutional order and laws, the Supreme Courts, and the Electoral Tribune. And by not submitting the 2009 Budget (as was required by law back in September 2008) he used public coffers for whatever he wanted.. squandering money on a Villa in Spain, a private jet for his kid to go to a Shakira concert, and much more. Millions of dollars are "missing" from the budget. And to make matters worse, he is charged with more than 18 criminal charges against him including drug trafficking (weekly planes loaded with cocaine from Venezula enroute to USA) and other crimes against the society he's "crying crocodile tears pretending to protect". The truth WILL come out. And the world will know that his ousting saved Honduras from CERTAIN demise at the hands of the dictator-wannabe, Manual Zelaya.

Wm. (not verified)

at 15:57 on July 1st, 2009

The truth seems to be that the dictators & leftists in the region do NOT like Honduras escaping from their ALBA-attempt at formulating a repressive latin american sort of "mini-me" pseudo-super-power in the region. They want power to oppose America. Look at who's involved: it speaks for itself. The Hondurans saw the ex-president's power-grab going on, read the writing on the wall, and decided something like "No Way! --We do NOT want another Chavez, here! ...Not in OUR country!" The world needs to respect that. They just aren't accustomed to the idea of a NOBLE & HONORABLE military opposition to a president.