Correspondent: Obama and Clinton Denounced Legal Action
Obama and Clinton Denounced Legal Action
Editor, Times-Dispatch: The Honduran constitution includes strict term limits for the presidency. It says that "whoever violates this law or proposes its reform, [and] 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."
The exiled former president of Honduras, Mel Zelaya, was elected with the help of Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez. He then imitated his benefactor by calling for a plebiscite to eliminate constitutional term limits. When the Honduran Supreme Court properly declared this unconstitutional, Zelaya just renamed it a "poll" and pushed ahead. When his own government refused to hold the illegal poll, Zelaya fired noncompliant officers and had illegal ballots flown in from Venezuela. When the supreme court ordered those ballots confiscated, Zelaya supporters broke into military grounds to steal them back. Even when his own party sought to impeach him, Zelaya pushed on.
At last, given no other option, the supreme court soberly issued a unanimous order for the arrest of Zelaya. The military conducted the arrest, which to this day is supported by the unanimous supreme court and a majority of the Honduran legislature, including members of Zelaya's own party.
President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton needed not a single day to denounce this vindication of Honduran democracy as a coup. Now they are punishing Honduras for standing up to tactics that have already led, in Venezuela, to partisan control of public schools and government take over of the formerly free media. If their lack of moral compass leads to bloodshed or a radical takeover of Honduras, November 2012 cannot get here soon enough.
Tim S. Fite.
Richmond.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
interesting letter. I hadn’t heard any of this before. Where did you get this information? Maybe it’s freely available somewhere, but I have not seen such detail before. Meanwhile, what is really happening now? This has fallen off the radar screen.
Reading this information does put things in a different light.
I am not sure I agree with your assessment of Obama and Clinton. Maybe they made these decissions without the kind of information you have?
I didn’t know that Zelaya went to such lengths to get a “vote”. But then again, maybe he looks on this as a “fight” against the status quo that wants to keep the people in poverty?
Maybe he feels he needs to go to such lengths to break the chains? In fact, I am sure that’s how he feels.
It is strange how a vote from the people can be seen as dangerous?
So, I suspect any and all news and opinions from both sides of the issue. Obama and Clinton should also, and so should you. You seem so certain of the information you are giving, and I am not sure who you are, where you got this information and what your interests are, so I must say I suspect your information also. But don’t take it personally, it’s just we have been so wrong in South America for so long, and now it appears that we can’t even support a democractically elected leader who has been ousted in a military coup. Things are not always as they seem. Thanks for the informative letter.
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.
Advertisement