Thousands of protesters again blocked roads across Honduras to demand the return of ousted President Mel Zelaya, as Costa Rica’s Oscar Arias is proposing a “national reconciliation government.”
Honduras’ de facto President Micheletti is attempting to woo striking teachers back to work, while the ousted Zelaya said from exile that his backers have “the right to insurrection.”
The Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras has filed a legal case against the coup plotters and perpetrators, while indigenous and campesino groups warn of deadly repression.
Two local leaders of the Popular Bloc of grassroots groups demanding the return of President Zelaya were killed by unknown gunmen in Honduras—one in San Pedro Sula, the other in the countryside.
The appearance of unity within the Honduran military and the de facto government is deceptive, according to statements by Argentine deputy defense minister Alfredo Forti published in the Buenos Aires daily Clarín on July 11. “People with the rank of… Read moreHonduras: army and business owners wavering?
Lucía Pinochet Hiriart, daughter of late Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, expressed her support for the Honduran coup, saying Zelaya left the military no choice but to do “something unconstitutional.”
Seven US trade associations sent a letter to President Obama, calling on the US to assure “predictability and stability” in Honduras—but said nothing about democracy or constitutional order.
An LA Times op-ed by Miguel A. Estrada, “Honduras’ non-coup,” is the latest in a barrage of legalistic sophistries in defense of the Honduran putsch being assembled by the political right.
4,000 supporters of ousted President Mel Zelaya blocked the main road through Honduras—while in Venezuela, Hugo Chávez warned the dialogue underway in Costa Rica is a “trap for democracy.”
Both Mel Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti, arriving in Costa Rica for talks on the Honduran impasse, denied there is anything to discuss—as more repression of pro-Zelaya protesters is reported.
Hillary Clinton announced that Costa Rican President Oscar Arias will mediate in the Honduran crisis—while Zelaya-loyal chancellor Patricia Rodas told TeleSur the US has withdrawn recognition.
Father José Andrés Tamayo, recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize for his work defending the forests of Honduras, has been forced into hiding after leading protests against the coup d’etat.
