Friday 2 October 2009

US Honduras Policy: The Ghost of George W. Bush

U.S. Repeats its Hallmark Policy of Refusing to Take a Definitive Stance
By COHA Research Associates Stephanie Brault and Michaela D'Ambrosio

While Micheletti’s support continues to ebb, it may seem like only a matter of time before President Zelaya is reinstated. Meanwhile Washington continues to blunder around, failing to decisively clarify its position on the continuing crisis and its diplomacy seems to be anything but sure footed. 

After realizing his swaggering actions had severely backfired, the interim president of Honduras, Roberto Micheletti, is asking the Supreme Court to reverse last Sunday’s decree, which suspended civil liberties throughout the country as part of its 45-day “state of emergency.” As part of its crack-down on dissent, the Micheletti regime closed the two top Honduran news media outlets that had been covering ousted President Manuel Zelaya’s statements from his refuge inside the Brazilian embassy. The siege suspended constitutional guarantees of civil liberties, including freedom of assembly, press, and privacy. The Honduran Congress, Supreme Electoral Court, and the country’s four main presidential candidates for the November elections clearly have stated that they will not tolerate Micheletti’s efforts to suspend civil liberties. As a result, Micheletti has now been witnessing significant limits to his power. Mainstream Honduran officials are beginning to demonstrate their intentions to now find a political and diplomatic solution to the crisis, rather than through the use of pure force and constitutional tampering.

For more see http://www.coha.org/honduras-update-micheletti-spirals-downwarde-u-s-fails-to-fully-condemn-the-de-facto-regime-and-insists-on-mincing-around-with-the-appointees-who-don%e2%80%99t-wear-its-colors/