Ousted Honduran President Back In Honduras

Pres. Zelaya inside Brazilian Embassy, Sept. 22, 2009 (ORLANDO SIERRA/AFP/Getty Images)

You have to admit, this guy has a flare for the dramatic:

At midday today (September, 21), 86 days since the military coup d’etat in Honduras, President Zelaya returned to join the resistance movement in the final stretch of the long fight to restore constitutional order. As a spy helicopter buzzed the demonstrators and police poured into the area, thousands of supporters gather outside the Brazilian embassy to receive the President. (Telesur has continuous coverage here in Spanish.)

In his first comments, Zelaya declared a “day of celebration.” Zelaya called on everyone to gather at the Brazilian Embassy, and reasserted the commitment to non-violence. “I’m not afraid of the judicial process,” he affirmed and added he would face any accusations but that so far all the coup had produced was calumnious statements.

Zelaya is lining up his support and his strategy in these moments. He announced that he was waiting for communication from President Lula, the OAS, the United Nations, the European Union and others in an interview with Telesur. He said his plan is to initiate internal dialogue and that the idea is to demonstrate the support of the international community without involving it in the dialogue. He added that he has not spoken with de facto government and was meeting with his cabinet and resistance groups.

[snip]

A visibly shaken Roberto Michelleti appeared before on CNN, denying that the Zelaya was in the country and claiming that the news was an invention of “media terrorism” to stir people up and provoke a huge mobilization. “It’s not true. He (Zelaya) is relaxing in a suite in Managua,” Micheletti told the press with a chuckle. He later added that if the news turned out to be true, Zelaya would be arrested.

By that time, Zelaya’s return had already been confirmed. As the coup chief went into denial, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom confirmed the news, stating that he hoped this would mean the end of the coup. US State Department spokesperson Ian Kelly confirmed the presence of Zelaya in Honduras in a brief statement calling for all sides to avoid violence, and President Chavez of Venezuela praised Zelaya for what he called his “peaceful and courageous” return. Zelaya is reportedly meeting with resistance leaders at this moment…[emphasis added]

You know, the more Roberto Michelleti talks, the more he begins to sound less than reassuring in terms of his capability to lead in a democratic fashion. I mean, come on, “media terrorism”? And what’s worse is that as he was denying Zelaya had returned, Zelaya was off talking to members of the press from the Brazilian Embassy in Honduras! Who’s zooming who, Roberto?

But seriously (because it is serious), things do have the potential to get out of hand:

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias appealed for calm and dialogue in Honduras on Monday after the surprise return there of ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Clinton met in New York with Mr. Arias, who has been trying to broker a peaceful resolution of the Honduran crisis.

The dramatic return of Mr. Zelaya dominated a previously-scheduled meeting on Honduras between Clinton and the Costa Rican leader, both of whom expressed hope that the latest turn of events does not lead to violence.

[snip]

At a photo session with Mr. Arias, a Nobel peace laureate tasked by the OAS with mediating the conflict, Clinton said it is imperative that Mr. Zelaya’s return not lead to violence.

The Costa Rican president described the development as a moment of opportunity for Mr. Zelaya and his opponents to try to come to an agreement. And he said he is willing to go to the Honduran capital if both sides wished.

Later, at a briefing for reporters, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley said the United States had warned the deposed president not to try to return home in the absence of a negotiated settlement. But, he said, now that he has returned, the United States is urging all those involved to show restraint.

“The real issue is what happens now,” said Crowley. “The Secretary made clear that given that this has taken place, now is the time for dialogue; now is the time for both sides to sign on to the San Jose accords and get on with the process of moving to a new government through the electoral process, and restoring democratic and constitutional order.”

Crowley said the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, Hugo Llorens had spoken to Mr. Zelaya, who reportedly has taken refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa after his return under unexplained circumstances.

Soldiers outside the Brazilian Embassy

He said Clinton discussed the situation in a telephone call with Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and that U.S. officials have also been in contact with the interim Honduran administration…

Also today, the State Department released this statement:

The United States calls on all parties to remain calm and avoid actions that might provoke violence in Honduras, and place individuals at risk or harm. We urge that all parties refrain from actions that would lead to further unrest.

We stress the need for dialogue; the United States supports the proposed mission by the Organization of American States to promote this dialogue. We encourage the parties to sign and implement immediately the San Jose Accord, which remains the best approach to resolve this crisis.

We stress the importance of respecting the inviolability of the Embassy of Brazil in Tegucigalpa and the individuals on its premises. We note with appreciation the de facto authority’s statement last night promising to respect the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, to which Honduras is a party. Respect and protection for the inviolability of diplomatic premises is a universally accepted principle of international relations.

Honduras is now in “lockdown” on orders of the de-facto coup government:

A day of protest and sporadic violence ended with troops loyal to the military junta which seized control of the country three months ago surrounding the building in the capital, Tegucigalpa, before cutting off its electricity, water and telephone supply.

Amid fears that he would order soldiers to storm the compound, the regime’s de facto leader, Roberto Micheletti, said that instead he intended to starve Mr Zelaya out and was prepared to keep the siege going for “five to 10 years” if necessary….

[snip]

Whichever way the crisis develops, there can be little doubt that Mr Zelaya – who has been in exile for almost three months – timed his return to Honduras to perfection. As world leaders gather in New York for the UN summit, it will be difficult for them to ignore the crisis in the country.

The deposed president sneaked across the border in a car boot on Sunday night before making the lengthy journey to the capital using a variety of vehicles, including a tractor. His return, which also saw him swim a couple of rivers, so shocked the junta in control of the country that they initially described it as a hoax…

A rally in support of Zelaya

I hope they really do mean “lockdown” and not “martial law.” It would seem to me that Michelleti’s plan to “starve” Zelaya, ( and possibly the family members and diplomatic staff who are all in the Brazilian Embassy) in order to get him out of the embassy, could have far-reaching consequences re: Brazil. Of course, I guess one could argue Zelaya should have thought of that, although Brazil’s embassy does have special diplomatic status, as do all embassies, and Zelaya was probably relying on that fact to protect he and his family and whomever else he has holed up in there. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Zelaya has acted in a responsible manner- not at all- although I will admit it was a stroke of political brilliance given what is going on in NY at present and all the attention Zelaya will be able garner as a result. Honestly, I can’t even believe he pulled it off, but Michelleti is in danger of over-playing his hand, also. There simply has to be a way to get these two sides to start acting like rational adults before things escalate further.

Here’s a question- why didn’t Zelaya bunk over at the Venezuelan Embassy? I have a feeling there’s more to that question (and answer) than meets the eye.

Advertisement