Swansen
The Ninj
This just after all that jazz in Iran, but if you would like to catch up.
The Real News Network - Episode
(multi-part report)
The Real News Network - Episode
(multi-part report)
Anyone Following the Honduran Coup ??
- Thread starter Swansen
- Start date
DaRuSsIaMaN
Geek Comrade
Wow, no I haven't heard anything about it. Care to summarize? I'm too busy doing physics hw to read it for myself right now lol.
Swansen
The Ninj
right, right. Well, like real quick and short like. Overnight the leader of Honduras was ousted by a military regime. They figured they would get support from the US, but it didn't happen like that. The Honduran people wanted a new constitution and the president at the time was pushing for what they were asking. He made a remark at a conference regarding presidency, its term, and the constitution. It was taken out of context and it was said that he was committing unconstitutional acts.
The military regime takes no interest or care into the Honduran people or what they ask or want. A constitutional change would throw power away from the few who hold it into the people's hands. The regime been enforcing curfews to try and stamp out civilian protests, they set up road blocks to keep MASSIVE amounts of people from getting to the capitol.
They have held an election to which there was very low turnout for the country.. its was somewhere in the low 40s(percent) because the people understood the election was rigged, and it was in turn thrown out(results). They are to hold another election soon, but it still is highly unsupported, the people want their previous ousted president to be returned to power.
The regime is currently failing as they are destroying their economy via the airports being shut down and with the curfew. In the process creating a food shortage. In the vacuum of power the Brazilian government has stepped in... not exactly sure what part they are playing.
The US has created an agreement, or a protocol, but the name is alluding me... er they are supporting it, can't remember specifics. Anyways, there was a meeting of the nations leaders, central american nations. ...can't remember name of group... (includes islands etc area, Bermuda, Jamaica, Caribbean, etc) I think it was the Jamaican president, he was like why are we wasting time with this, why haven't we met sooner, why aren't we talking about the protocol, why are we wasting time on mindless banter.... Meeting was ajourned with nothing accomplished..
Pretty much where that is right now i think.
The military regime takes no interest or care into the Honduran people or what they ask or want. A constitutional change would throw power away from the few who hold it into the people's hands. The regime been enforcing curfews to try and stamp out civilian protests, they set up road blocks to keep MASSIVE amounts of people from getting to the capitol.
They have held an election to which there was very low turnout for the country.. its was somewhere in the low 40s(percent) because the people understood the election was rigged, and it was in turn thrown out(results). They are to hold another election soon, but it still is highly unsupported, the people want their previous ousted president to be returned to power.
The regime is currently failing as they are destroying their economy via the airports being shut down and with the curfew. In the process creating a food shortage. In the vacuum of power the Brazilian government has stepped in... not exactly sure what part they are playing.
The US has created an agreement, or a protocol, but the name is alluding me... er they are supporting it, can't remember specifics. Anyways, there was a meeting of the nations leaders, central american nations. ...can't remember name of group... (includes islands etc area, Bermuda, Jamaica, Caribbean, etc) I think it was the Jamaican president, he was like why are we wasting time with this, why haven't we met sooner, why aren't we talking about the protocol, why are we wasting time on mindless banter.... Meeting was ajourned with nothing accomplished..
Pretty much where that is right now i think.
Anti-Trend
Nonconformist Geek
OK, here's the reader's digest for you lazy, uncultured bastards who can't be bothered with unimportant things like current events. :rolleyes: Basically, the big business interested in exploiting Honduras for its resources are a major player in the coup. Zelaya had been a bit of a typical self-serving politician, playing to the oligarchy and generally being somebody big business could be happy with. When he actually started showing interest in political reform (he merely suggested the idea of maybe listening to what the people want rather than just the small circles of power), the Honduran military literally kidnapped him at gunpoint in the middle of the night and flew him out of the country.
No South American nation has accepted the legitimacy of this coup regime. In fact, the only regional power that has not condemned the coup is the US. To date the US has done absolutely nothing to support Zelaya, nor the Honduran people who elected him, during this crisis. Further, we are in a very strong position of potential leverage over the coup plotters. I would be forced to infer from this that internal political interests have made us complicit in the coup and, indirectly, partners to the illegitimate and repressive defacto regime.
Since the US' interests apparently have no desire to see a democratic resolution, and it is in the interests of all South America to bring stability to the region, Brazil has stepped in. They gave Zelaya political assylum, and are putting pressure on the corporate / military coup regime to allow him to resume the presidency.
Presently, ousted president Zelaya is camped out in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa. It's worth noting an embassy is considered to be an extension of the sovereign territory of the country in question, in this case Brazil. Therefore, an act of aggression towards an embassy is considered an act of war against that country. Right now the Honduran military has reportedly cut power and water to the building, and have also been rumored to have attacked it with chemical weapons that have made some people sick.
It seems like the Honduran oligarchy has put themselves into a corner. They've lost the support and partnership of neighboring countries, the common people are in revolt, and even exploitative foreign business interests are getting cold feet over the instability and untenable nature of the situation. Unless the US intervenes on their behalf, I don't see a way out for them. Unfortuantely, it's the poor who suffer through this --- Honduras doesn't have much of a middle class, but very rich, and very poor. This whole thing was started to keep the very rich holding the reigns, and the very poor holding their coats at the door. Instead, it seems they're holding protests.
"When fine society sits down to dine, remember that someone is pissing in the wine" - Chumbawamba
No South American nation has accepted the legitimacy of this coup regime. In fact, the only regional power that has not condemned the coup is the US. To date the US has done absolutely nothing to support Zelaya, nor the Honduran people who elected him, during this crisis. Further, we are in a very strong position of potential leverage over the coup plotters. I would be forced to infer from this that internal political interests have made us complicit in the coup and, indirectly, partners to the illegitimate and repressive defacto regime.
Since the US' interests apparently have no desire to see a democratic resolution, and it is in the interests of all South America to bring stability to the region, Brazil has stepped in. They gave Zelaya political assylum, and are putting pressure on the corporate / military coup regime to allow him to resume the presidency.
Presently, ousted president Zelaya is camped out in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa. It's worth noting an embassy is considered to be an extension of the sovereign territory of the country in question, in this case Brazil. Therefore, an act of aggression towards an embassy is considered an act of war against that country. Right now the Honduran military has reportedly cut power and water to the building, and have also been rumored to have attacked it with chemical weapons that have made some people sick.
It seems like the Honduran oligarchy has put themselves into a corner. They've lost the support and partnership of neighboring countries, the common people are in revolt, and even exploitative foreign business interests are getting cold feet over the instability and untenable nature of the situation. Unless the US intervenes on their behalf, I don't see a way out for them. Unfortuantely, it's the poor who suffer through this --- Honduras doesn't have much of a middle class, but very rich, and very poor. This whole thing was started to keep the very rich holding the reigns, and the very poor holding their coats at the door. Instead, it seems they're holding protests.
"When fine society sits down to dine, remember that someone is pissing in the wine" - Chumbawamba
sabashuali
Ani Ma'amin
I am a bastard! I have my head so far up my arse, I hardly know what is happening in the UK, let alone Honduras. So thanks Swansen and AT for the chilling digest... but same old same old... sad as it may be.... so sad to see colonialism still alive an kicking even if not physically...
One thing - I thought Zelaya was flown out of Honduras to Costa Rica...... how come they let him back in?
Priceless..... :chk:
Anti-Trend
Nonconformist Geek
They didn't actually, he was smuggled back in; something I would imagine Brazilian officials helped to achieve.
DaRuSsIaMaN
Geek Comrade
Wow, thanks Swansen and AT. Oddly, I have not read nor heard anything about this coup in the news here, nor from friends, or anything... maybe that's a big factor in why the US is doing absolutely nothing about it? If no one cares, then i guess they don't want to bother since there's already so much on the plate. (Not that I'm defending that) I always use my iGoogle page for my news, with a news gadget from Google News, and another one from CNN. And I didn't see anything about this situation ever. (Although my Google News window is set to the US tab, rather than the World tab.)