Honduras President Mel Zelaya Kidnapped in Military Coup

by rahul | June 28, 2009 at 05:36 am
3886 views | 85 Recommendations | 45 comments


Updated V: Roberto Micheletti took oath as the new Head of State of Honduras amid international and regional condemnation of the coup this morning that ousted President Manuel Zelaya and forced him into exile at Costa Rica.  During his inaugural speech, Micheletti promise to "observe the constitution" and include the voice of excluded Hondurans into the government. Dictator Michetti  thanked ther local Catholic Church authorities and former presidents for their support. The UN General Assembly is expected to meet tomorrow to condemn the coup. honduras legitimate Foreing Minister Patricia Rodas continues to be missing. There is concern over her fate.


In a TV intervention, the President of the National Congress,Roberto Micheletti, read a letter that stated President Zelaya had quitted his post. However, President Manuel Zelaya immediatly responded by CNN stated such letter was fake and he had not resigned to the presidency. UN issued a press statement to reject the military led coup.


Early this afternoon and cladded with a pijama, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya gave an international press conference from Costa Rica. He then confimed he was still the democratically elected Head of State of his country. Ousted President  Zelaya called upon his fellow nationals to press the plotters by peaceful means and civil disobedence. In addition,  Zelaya informed he would be attending a regional meeting as Honduran President tomorrow at  Nicaragua.  Regional coordination in expected to reject the coup in Honduras.Honduran Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Patricia Rodas, was taken hostages. Venezuelan, Nicaraguan and Cuban Ambassadors were hurt when Minister Rodas was forcibly taken from her house and held captive at a military instalation. Congress is gathering to declare President Zelaya as incompetent to hold the post. A curfew is expected to be declared shortly in Honduras.


OAS has agreed to act swiftly on the current crisis. Honduran President, Manuel Zelaya has been taken to Costa Rica. During a telephone conversation with Telesur at 11:10 (VLT), President Zelaya spoke from San Jose Airport in Costa Rica. Ousted Zelaya explained how he was kidnapped and betrayed by military forces. Then he was taken as a hostage to Costa Rica on a military plane.  He also explained his current status in Costa Rica was as guest and not as a political refugee. Zelaya who was still wearing his pijamas asked the US Obama administration to express its view over the coup against his goverment. Without US backing, this coup woul not take root, Zelaya added. An international press conference is expected soon. In Honduras, the President of the National Congress,Roberto Micheletti, declared himself as povisional Head of State until general election were held by November 2009. Such political move does not count with a legal backing in the current Honduran Constitution.



Caracas, Venezuela, 28 June 2009. The democratically elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, has been abducted by the local Air Force from the government Palace at Tegucigalpa early this morning. The kidnapping took place on the very same day Honudurans would vote over a referendum call for a Constituent Assembly. Such political initiative caused opposition at some conservative cadress and the destitution of the Chief of the Honduran Army Romeo Vásquez Velásquez. The ongoing coup has been fueled by military sectors that opposed the attempt to change presidential terms by a Constittutional reform. Zelaya was initially supported by conservatives but then rejected once his government followed a left leaning agenda and established close ties with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and joined ALBA. Pro government supporters of President Manuel Zelaya have been protesting at the presidential palace and confronted military personnel. Power supply has been disrupted. Radio Station are unable to broadcast on the current crisis. Opposition led Honduran channel 11 has been broadcasting cartoons instead of reporting on the coup.  The local governmental TV station - Channel 8 -has halted its transmission. Very few private stations are reoporting on the ongoing coup. Only two days ago, OAS had expressed concern over ottempts to ovewrthorow the democratically elected government in Honduras. During a Telesur interview with Hector Zelaya, son of the ousted President, unconfirmed information suggested the Head of State was taken out of the country. It is believed Zelaya is at Costa Rica or Guatemala. All other Minister- except Honduran Foreing Secretay Patricia Rodas- had been abducted too.

Local reaction has followed the ongoing coup. Bolivian President Evo Morales and Venezuelan Head of State, Hugo Chavez, comdemned the coup. Chavez called on current US administration to reject the cout. Venezuelan President also pointed out this event was similar to them CIA led attept to overthrow his government in 2002. Chavez stated that not all members of the Honduran Army backed the ongoing coup. Military planes overflight Honduran capital city, Tegucigalpa.


More news to come.


Sources: Telesur, Globovision, VTV, El Universal, Liberation, NYT, Guardian, Le Figaro, CSM

recommend This comment thread is now closed
0
Cess|Pool

All the Honduranians here that are posting that the Coup D'etat was the best thing that happened are mostly the wealthy , they don't represent the majority of the people from Honduras. Just the fact that they speak English and are blogging is proof, they are a minority not the majority.

0
Nancy Fabiola Honduras

You should really verify that on your own. Do me a favor, come here and ask every single civilized, intelligent, principled, honest Honduran about your opinion. WE ARE LITERALLY SICK of all these. Either you know nothing, or you are as paid as a sold man can be. Shame on you.

1
Nancy Fabiola Honduras

PLEASE READ: 


VERY IMPORTANT AND TRUE STUFF. 

OPEN YOUR MINDS.!

ENTER 

 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124623220955866301.html#articleTabs%3Darticle



1
Paola

Im sorry for opinions given like those of Mr. Cess Pool, those are opinions of people that are not really involved. If you look into events that have occurred the past two weeks you would know that there were massive protests against this so called survey. I do not believe that all those people are rich do you?? I have also participated in those protests and I for a fact know that "poor people" (I use quotations because they are rich in principles and are not willing to SELL their country and their childrens future as some other people) that were on their way were taken down from the buses so that they weren´t able to protest. Why was this done?? Because they are afraid, because that is what they want you to believe, that rich people are the only ones supporting the current situation. Do you know how degrading it is to wear a tshirt that supports this survey which would only lead to the loss of our freedom, because if you refuse, you would loose your job?? Or to be so poor that $100 or less is all it takes for you to "vote" for something you don´t really understand...

1
luis sosa

some people hate mel zelaya in my country, but especially the wealthy and those in power, because he would not bend to their needs. so they did a coup d'etat and cut off electricity, to keep us from knowing what was happening. they also shut down all opposing radio and tv news stations leaving only available those controlled by so called new president micheletti. right now a witch hunt is being conducted and freedom of speech is non existant. the armed forces are out in the streets and above them with tanks, helicopters, planes, soldiers. they didnt call it a coup d'etat but simply the supposed acceptance of a resignation from president zelaya. when mel zelaya denied those statements on cnn they simply shut down that channel and every other international news channel such as bbc and univision. the conspiracy involved wasnt even too elaborate since the supposed resignation dates thursday the 25th, 4 days earlier. most of the people posting here have money and in my country that usually means you are dirty aswell, so they are protecting their interests.

mel zelaya raised minimum wages and reduced the price of combustibles in my country, both things that enraged those with power, but the common people love him for it. he also made mistakes, and those are all you will read from in here.

the man who ilegally assumed the presidency is probably the mos corrupt figure of the liberal party in the last years, a man from the same political party as the president, and who previously disallowed the current candidate for presidency of the same party in order to become himself the candidate and will stop at nothing to do so.

some of the people who agree with the coup simply believe it to be right but most of them have a real profit in seeing the man go so don't be deceived. what cnn is saying is true. and no, 99% of the people do not agree with the events, we simply fear for our lives.

0
Wm.

If their former President was indeed illegally attempting to extend his Presidency, the "coup" was no coup but rather an upholding of Law and the government of the people -- a rally to support democracy, and no-one should challenge that, right?  Think before talking, people, otherwise you lend support to the potential for another dictatorship in the region.

0
isela

good afternoon eveyone.. i am originally from  honduras, but resides in the city of new york . i know i should not leave a strong opinion about our president but i believe he is affecting our society especially those who  deposits their confident and voted for him to become the president of honduras .. sorry to say that but this president was the worst president to our country not because he violated certain laws in the constitutional, in addition of not helping our country to develop a great economy in order to help the entiere society. on the contrary he was just influence by the venezuelan and cuban president. those president should not make their opinion about honduras..  i believe this controversity is between honduran people and the president.. therefore the president mel zelaya should not reamin in the presidential because he is not working as it should be..

1
Fidel in Pijamas

Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador y Nicaragua son las desgracias de Latino America.

Todos dictadores! Viva Honduras libre!

0
Camaro

It's interesting to watch CNN not showing the truth; they say there are thousands on the streets backing MEL. I've been there and it's been just a few hundreds (many of them armed) provoking the military (who by the way have not responded by force as many would like)

MEL was declared in contempt to a court rulling and the military were called to enforce such rulling. The honduran constitution and laws state a way to solve it by appointing the Vice President and then the President of Congress as temporary President. IT IS THE LAW.

Now MEL is crying out fault when he was warned of his wrong doing. Members of the international community, please come to Honduras and learn LIVE what is going on here. We finally (after several months of fear and confusion) are free of MEL's insane behavior (inspired and provoked by Chavez and company). Please inform yourself over the tricky moves MEL was doing at the last moment to cheat the system and get as in Venezuela and other ALBA countries a life-long stay in power.

May God bring his wisdon to our current authorities and light the way for a better Honduras.

 

 

0
Blanca Polanco(otra catracha)

Bueno ya veo que cada quien esta dando su opinion y aqui les va la mia. NO QUEREMOS AL EX-PRESIDENTE ZELAYA de regreso al pais, el es simple y  sencillamente un comunista y ya estamos artos de que le besaba el trasero Al perro de Chavez.  Que se creen Uds. que en Honduras estamos mancos y que  no nos vamos a defender?  Que hagan la prueba a ver que les va a pasar.  Abstengase de querer opinar en contra de Honduras. Ah se me olvidaba NO FUE GOLPE DE ESTADO recuerden que el firmo su renuncia.  And by the way I speak English to pero soy De la ciuda de El Progreso Yoro pero ahora vivo en La Florida.I thank The Lord and finally my prayers were answer.  Que Dios Bendiga la prodiga tierra en que naci, circunda el sol sus campos labrantio y sus Bosques(esta es la oracion de el Hondureno.

0
Jose Avila

Let's set the facts straight: Dictator Micheletti, is just that, a dictator! Presidents are elected, this guy came to power by militarily kidnapping president Zelaya who was elected by the people. Second, if the people really didn't want him, there was an election coming up. Why couldn't they wait just a little bit longer till the election. The real problem that the super rich of this country don't want the poor to have any rights, they are afraid of change.

0
Elias Handal

The truth of what had happend in Honduras


http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=107507500101&h=lGWSm&u=lgGQF



0
MRS. FIALLO

Looks who's talking when you elias handal are a thief...If you are the same elis handal of distribuciones generales.  Tu estas defraudando el fisco de la Republica de Honduras.  Tu vendes sin factura y no pagas los impuesto reales que se deben pagar al pais.  Tu Elias Handal y tu Hermanos hacen eso en tu Distribuidora.  Con razon estas con Mel porque los dos son unos ladrones.

0
PAHC

OH AND ROY,THIE RIGHT THING WAS DONE AND CANT BE UNDONE.

 

 BELIEVE ME ,GOD IS IN THIS AND YOU WONT UNDERSTAND.

0
jose escobar

no estoy de acuerdo que ese delicuente vuelva al poder no es justo mel selaya es comunista mucha gente lo apolla porque son innorantes no tienen ni idea que es comunismo son innorantes senor micheleti no se tire para atras atras ni para cojer inpulso

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