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The problem with this is that no case worked its way into the Supreme Court to allow them to make a ruling. The Supreme Court may have ordered Zelaya removed from office, but did they have the authority to remove him from the country? The problem is that Zelaya tried to shortcut the Honduran Constitution with his actions, and that was wrong. But his opposition didn't just try to shortcut the Constitution with their actions, they actually did so, and so they are equally in the wrong.
While I can meet you in the middle here and agree that the Supreme Court may have taken a better track than they did, I cannot agree with the Obama administration’s attempt to reinstate Zelaya.
Why aren’t we simply working diplomatically to insure elections are held and that Honduras moves on?
Instead we are hurting them big time with sanctions at least as serious has anything we are doing to Iran right now.
And let's not downplay the specter of Hugo Chavez here. That man is dangerous and this is about Chavez expanding his hegemony which is something we ought to be doing our best to prevent.
Hugo Chavez was not trying to get control of this country.
The Supreme Court, like the legislature, is composed of the wealthy landowners in Honduras. They opposed Zelaya for doing things like bringing in doctors to set up temporary clinics for the poor. Zelaya was considered a traitor to his party because he began to advocate for the people of Honduras.
There was no urgent emergency that required a coup. Even if Zelaya could have successfully staged a referendum, which is doubtful given that he didn't have any political allies, no judicial support, no military support, the referendum could have/would have simply been ignored by the legislature because it wasn't legitimate.
Impeachment could have continued, with Zelaya given the opportunity to have his say in court. Unless? No, it couldn't be that the people in power didn't want Zelaya given an opportunity to explain to the Honduran people and to the world his actions. No, that couldn't have been the reason why they invaded his home in the middle of the night, and then spirited him out of the country. Surely not.
I do not agree that Hugo Chavez was not involved. The ballots and the polling equipment was being flown in by Chavez.
Honduras is nothing but a ****hole that we staged raids into El Salvador back in the day. You should know that porkster. Blaming Limbaugh for a coup now is ridiculous unless he is getting his oxy shipped up from there now.
I do not agree that Hugo Chavez was not involved. The ballots and the polling equipment was being flown in by Chavez.
So? Who was going to distribute those ballots? Who was going to set up the polling equipment?
Zelaya was isolating himself on a political island, and that island was shrinking by the minute.
Even if by some miracle he could have pulled off the referendum, the referendum was only a referendum. A vote that could have been challenged in the courts for decades. Challenged on its Constitutionality. Challenged on its legitimacy. Challenged on its validity.
Zelaya was in the process of being impeached. Why not finish that process? Why invade his rooms in the middle of the night, and why evict him from his country? Why not just finish the impeachment process? The only reason I can think of is that impeachment is a trial, where the defendant has a chance to offer up a defense, and the people in power may have feared Zelaya's ability to speak to the Honduran people. Isn't that what this interim government has tried to stop right from the beginning? Stopping protests. Shutting down media outlets critical of the coup. Shutting down foreign press. That's not pro-democracy.
I'm not saying that Zelaya was in the right, and I think his current actions are inappropriate. I feel sorry for Brazil being dragged into this conflict. But the interim government is not legitimate because how it began was just as Unconstitutional as Zelaya's referendum.
So? Who was going to distribute those ballots? Who was going to set up the polling equipment?
Zelaya was isolating himself on a political island, and that island was shrinking by the minute.
Even if by some miracle he could have pulled off the referendum, the referendum was only a referendum. A vote that could have been challenged in the courts for decades. Challenged on its Constitutionality. Challenged on its legitimacy. Challenged on its validity.
Zelaya was in the process of being impeached. Why not finish that process? Why invade his rooms in the middle of the night, and why evict him from his country? Why not just finish the impeachment process? The only reason I can think of is that impeachment is a trial, where the defendant has a chance to offer up a defense, and the people in power may have feared Zelaya's ability to speak to the Honduran people. Isn't that what this interim government has tried to stop right from the beginning? Stopping protests. Shutting down media outlets critical of the coup. Shutting down foreign press. That's not pro-democracy.
I'm not saying that Zelaya was in the right, and I think his current actions are inappropriate. I feel sorry for Brazil being dragged into this conflict. But the interim government is not legitimate because how it began was just as Unconstitutional as Zelaya's referendum.
I cant find a way to agree with you that there was no danger here and that Chavez had no ability to cause serious problems.
I suspect that the fear in Honduras centered abround Chavez's actions and a fear that Zelaya was trying to set himself up that way.
There is no question that Zelaya was getting the poor people's support in much the same way Chavez did. And taking the slow approach in my opinion probably left the Supreme Court feeling vulnerable.
When you have the context of Honduras's recent past civil wars, I suspect these people were trying their best to cut the head off a dangerous snake as quickly as possible.
Maybe they didnt handle things the way we want them to, but there is no way to downplay the danger that Chavez poses. getting the populous riled up in a nation full of people who have already taken up arms in civil wars is at best russian roulette.
that has to be considered here. In the one interview I saw with the acting president he said as much.
There is no question that they need to move on with free elections. and that the sitting president needs to not be a part of that process.
But allowing Zelaya back in is also NOT and option.
I understand your POV, Chavez is no friend to the US, and we need all the friends we can get in South America. I don't think Chavez posed as much a threat as you do, and I think the leaders of the coup actually reference that supposed threat as a way to spin their actions. But I do respect what you are saying, and, like you, my hopes are with the Honduran people that this will be a solid election and they can move forward with a new leader in 2010.
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