and who should care what politicians from DC think? On Dec 5, 10:52 am, THE ANNOINTED ONE <[email protected]> wrote: > Regardless of a congressional vote (111-14) that upheld Honduran Ex- > president Zalayas permanent removal from office for constitutional > reasons the US refuses to recognize the interim and legally elected > President, Porfirio Lobo, in spite of the fact that it all took place > at US insistence, under US supervision, after the US brokered the > "extra-constitutional" procedure. > > Zalaya was one of Hugo Chavez' favorite boys, ties were strong and > open.... yet the US supports Zalaya and his efforts to copy the > Venezuelan system while condemning that very system from the other > side of their perma-grin mouths whilst your media and government > continue to call an open and very public constitutionally required > process a coup. > > No wonder we can't see that birth certificate. > > read: > > TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Where does Manuel Zelaya go now? > Congress slammed the door on restoring the ousted Honduran leader to > power, ignoring intense international pressure to reverse Central > America's first coup in 20 years. > He faces arrest if he leaves the Brazilian Embassy, where he stays up > into the night talking on the phone, sleeps until noon and fires off > letters to world leaders, urging them not to forget him. Seeking > asylum would return him to the exile he faced when soldiers ejected > him from the country in his pajamas. > He vows not to do that — for now. > His other option is trying to negotiate a deal with President-elect > Porfirio Lobo, who won Sunday's elections. Lobo appears to be in no > hurry to deal with the sticky question of Zelaya's future. > "He doesn't want to start something that isn't a product of a national > consensus, to avoid provoking further polarization," Vice President- > elect Maria Antonieta de Bogran told The Associated Press. She said > Lobo had not spoken to Zelaya since Sunday's election. > President Barack Obama's administration said Thursday there was no > choice but to accept the congressional decision. Lawmakers had the > last word under a U.S.-brokered accord to end the five-month crisis > over the June 28 coup. The pact called for the creation of unity > government until Zelaya's term ends Jan. 27, but left the decision of > reinstating him up to Congress. > "We're disappointed by this decision since the United States had hoped > that Congress would have approved his return," said Arturo Valenzuela, > the assistant U.S. secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs. > However, he said lawmakers voted Wednesday "in an open and transparent > manner in accordance" with the agreement, which both Zelaya and > interim President Roberto Micheletti signed in October. > So for now, Zelaya is trapped in the embassy, where he and his wife > sleep on inflatable mattresses and are increasingly alone. Hundreds of > supporters followed him inside when he sneaked back into the country > Sept. 21, vowing to stay with their leader until the Micheletti > government fell. Slowly, most have left, including his son and a top > adviser who finally went home this week. > Hundreds of soldiers and police still surround the embassy, waiting to > arrest Zelaya if he steps foot outside and making threatening gestures > when his supporters look out the window. > Zelaya faces abuse of power charges stemming from his defiance of a > Supreme Court order to cancel a referendum on changing the > constitution. Opponents claim Zelaya was trying to hang onto power by > lifting a ban on presidential re-election, as his leftist ally Hugo > Chavez has done in Venezuela. Zelaya denies this, say he wanted to > shake up a political system dominated by a few wealthy families that > hold sway over political parties, the courts and the media. > The dispute prompted his June 28 ouster. > Aides say Zelaya will not leave the country, at least until his term > runs out. > "His plan is to stay there, in the embassy. On Jan. 27, well, it's his > personal decision," said Carlos Reina, the adviser who left the > embassy this week. > That opens the door for negotiations with Lobo, the wealthy rancher > who has inherited the pressure of resolving the crisis. > Washington has recognized his victory but stopped short of restoring > development aid and anti-narcotics cooperation, insisting some sort of > unity government must still be installed for the remainder of Zelaya's > term. Most Latin American countries refused to recognize Lobo's > incoming government because the elections took place with Zelaya out > of power. > Lobo is unlikely to win back their support if Zelaya is thrown in > jail. > The president-elect has given few clues about his intentions, > promising only that he will start a national reconciliation process as > president. His options may be limited. He cannot grant Zelaya amnesty > from prosecution. That power belongs to the same Congress that voted > 111-14 to keep Zelaya out of power, with many lawmakers loudly > demanding the deposed leader be tried. > Still, some Honduran politicians say an informal deal allowing Zelaya > to leave the embassy without fear of arrest is possible. > "While Zelaya is in the country there is always a possibility of some > agreement that can allow him to stay," said Edmundo Orellano, who > resigned as Zelaya's defense minister in the dispute over the > constitution but also opposed his overthrow. "Nothing in politics is > written in stone."
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