Interesting Times

22 September 2009



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Ousted President Zelaya Returns to Honduras

Back on June 28, the Honduran military woke President Jose Manuel Zelaya and put him on a plane out of the country still wearing his pajamas. Naturally, the coupsters claimed they were acting to protect the constitution of the nation and the liberties of the people. Mr. Zelaya's crime was trying to hold a non-binding referendum to allow longer terms in office that the legislature and supreme court had ruled was illegal. Yesterday, Mr. Zelaya appeared in his trademark white cowboy hat on the grounds of the Brazilian embassy in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, waving to hundreds of supporters. Something is about to hit the fan if the coupsters don't find a way to bend with the prevailing political winds.

Costa Rican Foreign Minister Bruno Stagno and his boss President Oscar Arias have been working to get a negotiated settlement that would provide Honduras a way out of its current mess. About a month ago, they got very close to an agreement on what has been dubbed the San Jose Accord, after the capital of Costa Rica. A great many power centers in Honduras participated in the discussions that led up to the almost-deal including the presidential candidates in the election scheduled for November 29, all branches of the Honduran government, the military, the Catholic Church, business leaders and other civil organizations. The obstacles are the return of Mr. Zelaya to power and a temporary general amnesty. Mr. Zelaya was hesitant at first, but he accepted the plan before his return to Tegucigalpa. Coup leader and therefore President Roberto Micheletti hasn't done so.

Mr. Zelaya's return seems to have been quite an adventure. He told the BBC, "[We traveled] for more than 15 hours . . . through rivers and mountains until we reached the capital of Honduras. We overcame military and police obstacles, all those on the highways here, because this country has been kidnapped by the military forces." Perhaps, Governor Schwarzenegger will play Mr. Zelaya in the film version.

Now that Mr. Zelaya is back home, even if legally on Brazilian soil, the Micheletti government looks completely inept. It must now yield to the inevitable and get the best possible terms it can. The elections are only a few weeks away, and Mr. Zelaya has called for his supporters to boycott them. The makings of a compromise are present. Mr. Micheletti must let Mr. Zelaya return to office, everyone gets amnesty, and the elections go ahead as planned with Mr. Zelaya's full support.

What is largely obscured in this situation is the role of Brazil. The BBC said, "I am in the Brazilian Embassy. President Lula and Foreign Minister Amorim have opened the doors for me. This is useful for us in calling for a dialogue." There is more to it than that. Brazil is the second biggest fish in the Americas, and it has far greater credibility when it comes to motives than the USA. Muscle combined with somewhat pure motives can make Brazil, along with good neighbor Costa Rica, significant actors in this crisis. Indeed, it positions Brazil as a potential counterweight to Yankee ambitions. Unless, of course, the gringos are smart enough to see that and decide to work with Brazil, best by way of the Organization of American States.

© Copyright 2009 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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