Update 1:
Honduran Foreign Minister, Enrique Ortez Colindres, admonishes socialist OAS General Secretary, Jose Miguel Insulza, not to come to Honduras if his goal is to re-install Mel Zelaya.
TEGUCIGALPA.- El canciller de Honduras, Enrique Ortez Colindres, dijo hoy que si el secretario general de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA), José Miguel Insulza, viene a exigir la restitución del presidente Manuel Zelaya, “mejor que no venga”.
Insulza llegará hoy a nuestro paÃs para pedir a las autoridades “que cambien lo que han estado haciendo ahora y encuentren maneras de retomar a la normalidad”, según expresó ayer el secretario general de la OEA.
En declaraciones, Ortez dijo que hoy recibirá a Insulza en Tegucigalpa y le dirá que “el regreso de Manuel Zelaya como presidente de Honduras no es negociable”, y que “si el señor Insulza viene a eso, mejor que no venga”.
Agregó que “ningún organismo internacional puede intervenir en un paÃs para quitar o poner un presidente, porque esa es una atribución de los pueblos”.
Ortez subrayó que si a Honduras se le separa de la OEA por no restituir a Zelaya como presidente, “no pasará nada, ya lo hicieron con Cuba y no pasó nada, Fidel Castro enfrentó esa situación”.
“Ahora vamos a jugar derecho internacional, tenemos las leyes, la Constitución, vamos a hacer que se nos respete, la soberanÃa no se negocia, se defiende”, añadió el diplomático hondureño, que ha sido embajador de su paÃs en las Naciones Unidas y Francia, y presidente del Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica (BCIE).
En su opinión, algunos paÃses y organismos internacionales “están juzgando a Honduras a la carrera e injustamente”, pero “ahora el gobierno (que preside Micheletti) ha comenzado a explicar y a darle a la comunidad internacional todos los expedientes de defensa para evitar una soberanÃa de izquierda en el paÃs”.
El canciller dijo además que el gobierno que preside Roberto Micheletti, luego de la sustitución de Manuel Zelaya, “tiene a su favor el pueblo y la ley”.
Sobre la advertencia que hizo ayer el presidente de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, de que en Honduras se puede producir “un baño de sangre” por el golpe de Estado contra Zelaya, expresó que “eso no ocurrirá”.
Además, restó importancia al anuncio que Chávez hizo anoche en el sentido de que ha ordenado la suspensión del suministro de combustibles venezolanos a Honduras a través del programa de Petrocaribe.
A través de Petrocaribe Honduras puede recibir hasta 20.000 barriles diarios de combustibles. “Hemos tomado las medidas y tenemos quién nos suministre combustibles”, enfatizo Ortez. ACAN-EFE
Related Links:
US Senators DeMint, Cornyn, Hatch, Martinez, Sessions all back ouster
New government cancels Zelaya's official credit card, spent $80, 000 USD in 5 days
New government suspends mobile phones and bank accounts of Zelaya cronies
Zelaya splent last night in El Salvador under the auspices of his fellow comrade Pres. Funes
Zelaya exhorts his devotees to stage a violent rebellion against Micheletti
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen lays down the gauntlet: The Honorable Barack H. Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
I would like to take this opportunity to raise growing concerns about the U.S. approach to human rights, democratic principles, rule of law, and constitutional institutions in the Western Hemisphere, focusing on your Administration’s response to the constitutional crisis in Honduras and the U.S. role at the Organization of American States and the United Nations with respect to this situation.
I expected the Administration to adopt a deliberative, responsible approach to developments in Honduras. However, the U.S. stance from the onset appears to have been focused on supporting one individual, President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, irrespective of the Honduran constitution, rule of law, and democratic institutions. This myopic, Zelaya-centric approach has intensified in the last 72 hours since reports surfaced that the Honduran military had taken Mr. Zelaya into custody and that Mr. Zelaya had departed Honduras.
There are numerous conflicting reports about the events that have transpired in Honduras in the last few days. Facts are in dispute. Yet, there has been no apparent attempt by the U.S to discern the truth about the status of democratic and constitutional order in this Central American country, before making summary conclusions and issuing condemnations based on incomplete information.
However, Mr. President, the constitutional crisis in Honduras did not commence on Sunday, June 28th but, at least, three months earlier, when Mr. Zelaya issued his Executive Decree on March 23rd of this year calling for a referendum to extend his presidential term to be held before July.
Despite the clear limitations established in Article 5, Article 374, and other articles of the Honduran constitution concerning the presidential term and parameters for a referendum, the United States appeared to unconditionally embrace Mr. Zelaya’s plans. The Honduran Supreme Court, the Administrative courts, the Attorney General, the Commissioner for Human Rights, the Electoral Tribunal, and the National Congress all declared the referendum to be illegal.
Additional legislative action was taken by the Honduran National Congress on June 23rd to prevent Mr. Zelaya’s violations of Honduran rule of law and constitutional precepts. The U.S. failed to take effective steps, bilaterally or through the Organization of American States, to support these legitimate efforts by the other co-equal branches of Honduras’ democratic government to enforce Honduran law.
On Friday, June 26th, Mr. Zelaya issued another decree ordering government employees to participate in the “Public Opinion Poll to convene a National Constitutional Assembly,” which would have reportedly triggered Article 239 of the Honduran constitution requiring he be relieved of his duties and office. The U.S. failed to respond. This marked a serious failure in U.S. diplomacy and democracy advocacy. As such, many would argue, that the U.S. is complicit in the escalation of the constitutional crisis in Honduras.
At the OAS and the UN General Assembly this week, the U.S. accepted resolution texts drafted by Mr. Zelaya and his immediate advisors and agreed to proposals put forth by the leaders of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia—all for the sake of consensus. Joining the “race to the bottom” or serving as an echo chamber is not helpful to our political, economic, or security interests in the region.
Looking forward, it is my hope, Mr. President, that your Administration will not have the U.S. response hinge on unconfirmed reports and accusations by sources with a vested interest in ensuring a particular outcome that may, or may not, be in the interest of the United States. Instead, we must work together to advance core U.S. principles and achieve the stated goal of consolidating and strengthening the rule of law and democratic institutions in our Hemisphere.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN
Coup? Don't believe the hype:
Tegucigalpa, Honduras - Sometimes, the whole world prefers a lie to the truth. The White House, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and much of the media have condemned the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya this past weekend as a coup d'état.
That is nonsense.
In fact, what happened here is nothing short of the triumph of the rule of law.
These are the facts: On June 26, President Zelaya issued a decree ordering all government employees to take part in the "Public Opinion Poll to convene a National Constitutional Assembly." In doing so, Zelaya triggered a constitutional provision that automatically removed him from office.
Constitutional assemblies are convened to write new constitutions. When Zelaya published that decree to initiate an "opinion poll" about the possibility of convening a national assembly, he contravened the unchangeable articles of the Constitution that deal with the prohibition of reelecting a president and of extending his term. His actions showed intent.
Our Constitution takes such intent seriously. According to Article 239: "No citizen who has already served as head of the Executive Branch can be President or Vice-President. Whoever violates this law or proposes its reform [emphasis added], as well as those that support such violation directly or indirectly, will immediately cease in their functions and will be unable to hold any public office for a period of 10 years."
Notice that the article speaks about intent and that it also says "immediately" – as in "instant," as in "no trial required," as in "no impeachment needed."
The Supreme Court and the attorney general ordered Zelaya's arrest for disobeying several court orders compelling him to obey the Constitution. He was detained and taken to Costa Rica. Why? Congress needed time to convene and remove him from office. With him inside the country that would have been impossible. This decision was taken by the 123 (of the 128) members of Congress present that day.
Don't believe the coup myth. The Honduran military acted entirely within the bounds of the Constitution. The military gained nothing but the respect of the nation by its actions.
I am extremely proud of my compatriots. Finally, we have decided to stand up and become a country of laws, not men.
From now on, here in Honduras, no one will be above the law. (Read entire commentary)
Related Links:
Mixed signals regarding Obama's foreign policy, stands with dictators
Excellent time line of events as they recently evolved in Honduras
Zelaya's friends are very telling
Pres. Micheletti offers to hold early elections, which by the way he is NOT and NEVER was a candidate for (Former VP Elvin Santos vs. Porfirio Pepe Lobo)
Hat Tip: Natalie Kafie
Hat Tip: Henry de la Noval
Hat Tip: Christopher Yochum
Photo courtesy of Daylife-AP
Picture montage courtesy of La Prensa 
La Tribuna reports: 
Hat Tip: Tundra Tabloids
