Nightshade

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/..._honduras_coup

Honduras rejects OAS appeal to restore president
AP


TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Honduras' Supreme Court rebuffed a personal appeal from the Americas' top international diplomat Friday, refusing to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya before a Saturday deadline.

Jose Miguel Insulza, who heads the Organization of American States, flew to Honduras in an attempt to persuade the forces that ousted Zelaya to take him back in the face of overwhelming international condemnation and economic sanctions.

He met for two hours with Jorge Rivera, president of the Supreme Court that authorized the military to seize Zelaya on Sunday and fly him into exile.

"Insulza asked Honduras to reinstate Zelaya, but the president of the court categorically answered that there is an arrest warrant for him," said court spokesman Danilo Izaguirre. "Now the OAS has to decide what it will do."

Insulza made no comments as he emerged from the meeting. He has said Honduras will be suspended from the organization, a move that could lead to further sanctions against one of the Americas' poorest countries, unless Zelaya is restored by Saturday morning. The OAS has called an emergency meeting in Washington for Saturday afternoon.

Insulza had conceded before traveling to Honduras that his mission was unlikely to succeed, saying: "It will be very hard to turn things around in a couple of days."

"We are not going to Honduras to negotiate. We are going to Honduras to ask them to change what they have been doing," he said.

Insulza also was meeting with leaders of Congress, "basically to clarify exactly what our position is." But he said he would not see Roberto Micheletti, whom Congress named president after Zelaya's ouster, in order to avoid legitimizing the government.

Micheletti's foreign minister, Enrique Ortez, said that Insulza "can negotiate all he wants, except for Zelaya's situation."

"That is not negotiable because he cannot return to Honduras, and if he does he will be arrested and tried," Ortez said.

Zelaya, who was traveling in Central America, planned to return to Honduras on Sunday, according to Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. Zelaya has said he would be traveling with Insulza and the presidents of Argentina and Ecuador.

Contrary to assertions by the Micheletti government, Interpol on Friday released a statement saying it had not received any request to issue an arrest warrant for Zelaya.

Micheletti led a raucous chant of "Democracy!" before a giant crowd waving blue-and-white Honduran flags in front of the palace that Micheletti has occupied since Zelaya was seized by soldiers and flown into exile. He pledged to stand firm in the face of the international pressure.

"I am the president of all Hondurans," he proclaimed.

"They said we were afraid, but here is the proof that the people are not afraid," Micheletti yelled. "We are asking Hondurans to communicate with their relatives throughout the world to tell them that no coup took place here."

A rival rally by thousands of Zelaya backers marched to the offices of the OAS. Marchers carried a banner with a picture of Zelaya and the words: "Mel our friend, the people are with you!" Labor and farm leaders who back Zelaya said they would meet with Insulza on Friday afternoon.

Despite feared violence, the two groups did not clash. Police helicopters circled overhead and dozens of soldiers and police guarded the palace.

Micheletti's supporters say the army was justified in ousting Zelaya — on orders of Congress and the Supreme Court — because he had called a referendum which they claim he intended to use to extend his rule. Zelaya denies that and has said he will no longer press for constitutional changes.

Nations around the world have promised to shun Micheletti, who was sworn in after the coup, and the nation already is suffering economic reprisals.

Neighboring countries have imposed trade blockades, major lenders have cut aid, the Obama administration has halted joint military operations and all European Union ambassadors have abandoned the Honduran capital.

On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Honduras issued a statement expressing "deep concern over restrictions imposed on certain fundamental rights" by Micheletti's government, including a curfew in force since Sunday, and "reports of intimidation and censorship against certain individuals and media outlets."

Micheletti's government is so eager to find a friend that it announced it had been recognized by Israel and Italy — surprising the governments of those countries. Italy withdrew its ambassador to protest the coup, and Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said: "All rumors about Israeli recognition of the new president are wholly unfounded."

Micheletti asked Nobel Peace laureate Rigoberta Menchu to help mediate the conflict, and she arrived in Tegucigalpa on Friday.

"I come to try to talk with anyone who wants to listen to search for peace for this country," she said.

A suspension by the OAS could encourage other organizations and countries to suspend international aid and loans to Honduras.

Ousted Honduran Finance Minister Rebeca Santos on Friday told international finance ministers in Chile that the coup has already hurt the economy. The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank have suspended between $300 million and $450 million in financing.

BetterBob

that's good.

why people thing they are doing something wrong is beyond me.

It's clearly written in their constitution to do this.

Nightshade

It is written in ours as well, which is why the POTUS is taking such an active interest.

BetterBob

I thought you were going to mow the lawn, or clean the grill or something.

Nightshade

Plenty of day to post and get shit done too

Jafro

I think that they're doing a wonderful thing. If Chavez condemns it, it has to be good. Why are we siding with Chavez???

Why would our government condemn Honduran people fighting for democracy?!?!?! OH SNAP! I forgot! Our government condemned Iranian people fighting for democracy for 20 days before pseudo-supporting it. It's because BHO is pro-dictatorship. GO HONDURAS!!!

I have a close friend that got married here in VA to an Irish girl, and he moved back with his family in Honduras to help get 10-14 year old kids off of their addiction to sneaker glue. I'm sure he's fine, but I'm waiting for him to facebook me back. He'll have better info than our news media.

white_n_slow

LOL, the whole reason they gave the guy the boot was because he was becoming a Chavez puppet, and Chavez is somewhat less than popular with the people of Honduras :chuckles:

According to Micheletti, he just wants to hold down the fort and make sure Zelaya stays the fuck out until the next election. Pretty lenient on a president that violeted the constitution and his duties of office. :shrug:

RB

What are you talking about? When has the current administration ever condemned the Iranian protesting?

Jafro

That's pretty much what my buddy Albert said on his wall, in a nutshell. Didn't say much about Chavez, but a comparison was made to him where dictators are concerned and that the Honduran people don't want dictators ruling their lives.

What really gets me is... the Honduran people are protesting for the sake of upholding democracy, but BHO is condemning this action as an illegal coup. I guess he read that book that Chavez gave him and liked it? :scratches: So what if a leader was ousted by their military? The people actually want him gone for attempting to change their constitution against their favor. I'm really questioning everything coming from Washington lately, and every last effort that the US foreign policy is making. It's like Dumb and Dumber are in the wheel house of this giant ship called America. Sad.

I wish Americans had the balls that Hondurans do.

AcuraLsSE

I got attacked by sand flees in Honduras