Monday, August 31, 2009

De facto government closes Garifuna Hospital

To whom it may concern,

 Over the last few days  the threat of transformation of the  Ciriboya Community Hospital into a single health center has been  effective, disqualifying   the tremendous work and support done by doctors graduated from ELAM Garifuna and the Cuban brigades.

The reasons for the de facto regime to decide to destroy the work done by Ciriboya Community Hospital, is rooted in the racism of the state officials who have joined the nightmare orchestrated by Micheletti, and disregard for social vision of doctors trained in Cuba, versus the capitalist mentality of most medical graduates from local schools.

The work carried out by both the Cuban brigades as Garifuna doctors, has served the paradigm  as well as its own resources to build a hospital model, only in Honduras and model for other indigenous peoples.
Dr. Luther Castillo has been strong  in the fight against the coup, a situation that has led to persecution and identified by the henchmen of the day.  In the persistent and heroic repudiation marches against the Coup d'ètat in Honduras, Dr. Castillo in the company of members of OFRANEH Garifuna have been at the forefront of protests, opening the way to ancient ceremonies to neutralize the bad intentions of the coup leaders.

 The Garifuna participation in the rejection of the coup has exacerbated the latent racism in some Honduran security forces remain the most likely to commit abuses against our brothers and sisters, particularly against those who live or are in Tegucigalpa, they become immediately associated with the resistance against the coup.

 The closure of the hospital disguised as a health transformation involves the loss of  Garifuna doctors covering the area in addition to an appropriation by the Ministry of Health of the Garifuna initiative to hold a hospital, where the culture of our people is respected resulting in the gradual destruction and abandonment of the center, as with most health posts of the country.

There exists a total rejection of communitive initiatives by the politicians and businessmen, which   are linked with an anti-capitalist vision, and thus seek to destroy. The evidence is shown by the stubborn attitude of the last government to dilute the community property titles, which are viewed with a great deal of animosity and become private property.

 The project Luágu Hátuadi Wadúheñu (For the health of our people) goes back to 2005, and in this short time have it offered not only a health alternative to the Garifuna people but at the same time managed the construction of the hospital model . The enormous effort appears to have irritated the entrepeneur of scrap buses (Micheletti) and his retinues of servants.

OFRANEH calls for the restoration of constitutional order demand as well as saving the project Luágu Hátuadi Wadúheñu, which represents for the Garifuna people, especially to the inhabitants of the area Iriona, a promise of life and a better future our posterity.

La Ceiba, Atlántida August 31, 2009.

Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña,  OFRANEH Honduran Black Fraternal Organization, OFRANEH

Please contact us and help us:
ofraneh@yahoo.com
garifuna@ofraneh.org
cierre del Hospital Comunitario garífuna  de Ciriboya.


En los útlimos días se viene haciendo efectiva la amenaza de la conversión del Hospital Comunitario de Ciriboya en un simple centro de salud, descalificando la enorme labor de apoyo efectuada por los médicos garífunas graduado en la ELAM y las brigadas cubanas.

Las razones que motivan al régimen de facto a tomar la determinación de destruir el  trabajo efectuado por el Hospital Comunitario de Ciriboya, radica en el racismo de los funcionarios estatales que se han incorporado a la pesadilla orquestada por Micheletti, y al desprecio por la visión social de los médicos educados en Cuba, versus a la mentalidad capitalista de la mayoría de los médicos egresados de las escuelas locales.

La labor efectuada tanto por las brigadas cubanas como por los médicos garífunas, ha servido de paradigma al igual que la construcción con recursos propios de un hospital modelo, único en Honduras y ejemplo para los demás pueblos indígenas.

El Dr. Luther Castillo ha sido uno de los abanderados en la lucha en contra del golpe de estado, situación que lo ha conllevado a ser perseguido y señalado por los esbirros de turno. En las persistentes y heroicas marchas de repudio del pueblo hondureño al golpe, el Doctor Castillo en compañía de Garífunas miembros de la OFRANEH han estado en la cabeza de las movilizaciones, abriendo paso con ceremonias ancestrales para neutralizar la mala fe de los golpistas.

La participación garífuna en el repudio al golpe ha exacerbado el racismo latente en algunos hondureños, siendo las fuerzas de seguridad las más propensas a cometer abusos en contra de nuestros herman@s, en particular en contra de aquellos que viven o se encuentran en Tegucigalpa, pues de inmediato los asocian con la resistencia al golpe.

El cierre del hospital disfrazado de una transformación a puesto de salud, implica la perdida de plazas de doctores garifunas que viene cubriendo la zona, además de una apropiación por parte del Ministerio de Salud de la iniciativa garífuna de poseer un hospital donde se respeta la visión cultural de nuestro pueblo; teniendo como resultado la paulatina destrucción y abandono del centro, tal como sucede con la mayoría de los puestos de salud del país.


Existe por parte de los políticos-empresarios un total rechazo a las iniciativas comunitarias, las que vinculan con una visión anti capitalista, y por ende tratan de destruir. Como muestra se encuentra la empecinada actitud por parte de las últimas administraciones para diluir los títulos de propiedad comunitaria, que son vistos con una enorme animosidad y tratan de convertir en propiedad privada.

El proyecto Luágu Hátuadi Wadúheñu, (Por la salud de nuestros pueblos) se remonta al año 2005,  y en este corto lapso de tiempo  han ofrecido no solamente una alternativa de salud para el pueblo garífuna sino que al mismo tiempo lograron la construcción del hospital modelo. El enorme esfuerzo parece ser que ha irritado al empresario de buses chatarra (Micheletti) y sus séquitos de servidores.

La OFRANEH hace un llamado a la restitución del orden constitucional al mismo tiempo que exigimos salvar el proyecto Luágu Hátuadi Wadúheñu, el que representa para el pueblo garífuna, en especial para los habitantes de la zona de Iriona, una promesa de vida y un futuro mejor para nuestros descendientes.


La Ceiba, Atlántida 31 de Agosto del 2009.


Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña,  OFRANEH


Golpistas quieren cerrar hospital comunitario de costa caribeña - ABN


Por: Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias (ABN)
Fecha de publicación: 29/08/09

Tegucigalpa, 29 Ago. ABN.- Médicos hondureños denunciaron este sábado la intención del gobierno de facto de cerrar un hospital de las comunidades de la costa caribeña, construido con el esfuerzo voluntario de la población.

El doctor Luther Castillo informó a Prensa Latina que desde el pasado día 1 de agosto las autoridades surgidas con el golpe militar del 28 de junio les cortaron la asignación presupuestaria entregada por el gobierno derrocado.

Explicó que cambiaron los parámetros del anterior convenio, mediante el cual recibían los salarios para cuatro médicos, fondos que eran repartidos solidariamente entre todo el personal de la instalación.

En el centro se aplica una nueva concepción de atención de salud, más allá de la puramente asistencial, totalmente gratuita, que resaltó las deficiencias del modelo sanitario de la nación, añadió.

Dijo: 'En nuestro hospital rige una filosofía de valores humanos, con un alto nivel científico, que excluye por completo la visión de la medicina como un negocio', reseña Prensa Latina.

El hospital fue construido por iniciativa de Castillo, graduado en la Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina, de Cuba, mediante el esfuerzo y donaciones de la población y fue inaugurado en diciembre de 2007 en su primera etapa.

El centro médico se ubica en la aislada comunidad de Ciriboya, municipio Iriona, en el caribeño departamento de Colón, donde la mayoría de la población es de la etnia garifuna, población negra entre las más excluidas del país.

En la zona no existen servicios de electricidad y para poder funcionar las 24 horas, dependen de paneles solares, indicó Castillo.

Señaló que desde su creación ha brindado 236 mil consultas gratuitas y 152 mil en brigadas que recorren zonas de difícil acceso, es el único hospital en la zona.

Hemos rechazado el nuevo convenio propuesto por los golpistas, que intenta reducir el hospital a un centro de salud, con salario sólo para dos médicos, e iniciado una campaña nacional e internacional para recuperarlo, afirmó.

El psicólogo Alfonso Lacayo, de origen garífuna y uno de los coordinadores de la brigada médica del Frente Nacional contra el golpe de Estado, apuntó que está en marcha un movimiento para rescatar el hospital.

Precisó que las organizaciones del Frente emprendieron un esfuerzo para recolectar donaciones de medicamentos, otros recursos y fondos para mantener en funcionamiento el hospital.


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Sunday, August 30, 2009

More Sanctions to Honduras from Washington, but to the People, not the Coup Plotters

US Prepares Further Sanctions Against Honduras Coup Leaders
27 August 2009

The State Department signaled Thursday the Obama administration is ready to take tougher action against the defacto leadership in Honduras because of the political impasse over President Manuel Zelaya's ouster in June. An Organization of American States diplomatic mission to Tegucigalpa this week returned empty-handed.

Officials here say Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to make a formal determination as early as Friday that the ouster of Mr. Zelaya was an extra-legal coup, action that would set in motion deep cuts in U.S. aid, and other steps against the interim government.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-27-voa43.cfm

U.S. Decides Not to Impose Sanctions on Honduras

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124952525314809919.html

The U.S., in an apparent softening of its support for ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, won't impose economic sanctions on Honduras and has yet to decide whether Mr. Zelaya's removal from office constitutes a coup.

A letter from the State Department to Sen. Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, states that the U.S. "energetically" opposes Mr. Zelaya's June 28 ouster. But the letter also expresses the harshest criticism yet of Mr. Zelaya's own actions that preceded his removal from office, including trying to change Honduras's constitution to potentially stay in power.

The World Bank suspended financial aid.

What about the reaction from Washington?

The role of the US is key, as it is Honduras's biggest trading partner.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8124154.stm Crumbs from Washington: Cutting aid to the peoples of Honduras, no the Coup plotters, cutting visas to the Honduran Population, but the coup regime remains untouched. The Big Stick on the people, not on the dictatorship leaders. HOW ABOUT FREEZING MULTIMILLIONAIRE ACCOUNTS, Washington? Keep stuttering and earningtime!!!
US ready to cut off millions to coup-hit Honduras

WASHINGTON — The United States piled pressure Thursday on Honduras coup leaders after they rejected a settlement, with plans in the works to cut off nearly 150 million dollars in US assistance.

Foreign ministers from seven nations and the head of the Organization of American States returned empty-handed after failing to persuade Honduras' de facto leader Roberto Micheletti to step aside.

The US State Department said it was ready to take further measures after already halting most visa services in Honduras, revoking visas for the interm regime and suspending 35 million dollars in military aid.

"We obviously have other steps that we can take," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. "I think we'll make some decisions in the next couple of days."

A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was looking at suspending assistance through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which rewards nations with free economies and political systems.

Honduras in 2005 signed a five-year, 215 million-dollar deal with the US government-funded corporation to boost agriculture and transportation.

The funds are helping to widen and upgrade the Central American nation's principal highway, the CA-5, a project the corporation says will benefit hundreds of thousands of Hondurans.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h9wHTznaqkLnVrku5v6a8qk7gzmA Just who's coup was this? Call/write/boycott Chiquita and Dole http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commen... Image... Here is John Perkins' "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" take on this story: Earlier in the year Chiquita Brands International Inc. (formerly United Fruit) and Dole Food Co had severely criticized Zelaya for advocating an increase of 60% in Honduras’s minimum wage, claiming that the policy would cut into corporate profits. They were joined by a coalition of textile manufacturers and exporters, companies that rely on cheap labor to work in their sweatshops. Memories are short in the US, but not in Central America. I kept hearing people who claimed that it was a matter of record that Chiquita (United Fruit) and the CIA had toppled Guatemala’s democratically-elected president Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 and that International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT), Henry Kissinger, and the CIA had brought down Chile’s Salvador Allende in 1973. These people were certain that Haiti’s president Jean-Bertrand Aristide had been ousted by the CIA in 2004 because he proposed a minimum wage increase, like Zelaya’s. ...... The Los Angeles Times went to the heart of this matter when it concluded: What happened in Honduras is a classic Latin American coup in another sense: Gen. Romeo Vasquez, who led it, is an alumnus of the United States' School of the Americas (renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation). The school is best known for producing Latin American officers who have committed major human rights abuses, including military coups. (5) All of this leads us once again to the inevitable conclusion: you and I must change the system. The president – whether Democrat or Republican – needs us to speak out. Chiquita, Dole and all your representatives need to hear from you. Zelaya must be reinstated. Footnotes (1) “Who's in charge of US foreign policy? The coup in Honduras has exposed divisions between Barack Obama and his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton” by Mark Weisbrot http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jul/16/honduras-coup-oba... (July 23, 2009) (2) http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/21/from_arbenz_to_zelaya_chiquita_in (July 23, 2009) (3) “Chiquita admits to paying Colombia terrorists: Banana company agrees to $25 million fine for paying AUC for protection” MSNBC March 15, 2007 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17615143/ (July 24, 2009) (4) Fore more information: http://aconstantineblacklist.blogspot.com/2009/07/eric-holder-and-chaquita-covin... (July 23, 2009) (5) “The high-powered hidden support for Honduras' coup: The country's rightful president was ousted by a military leadership that takes many of its cues from Washington insiders.” by Mark Weisbrot, Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2009 http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-weisbrot23-2009jul23,0,7566... (July 23, 2009)

Retomando el llamamiento del Frente Nacional contra el Golpe de Estado en Honduras, en el sentido de rechazar y boicotear a las empresas que sabemos que han financiado el golpe de estado, les pedimos todo su apoyo para llevar a cabo un BOICOT MUNDIAL INDEFINIDO contra la compañía bananera CHIQUITA que, tras bambalinas, está apoyando a los golpistas. ¿Cómo adherirse a la iniciativa: 1) No comprar productos Chiquita; 2) Difundir el boicot entre sus amigos, familiares y conocidos; 3) Imprimir en calcomanías, camisetas, posters, flyer el logo del boicot en su respectivo idioma; 4) Publicar el link de este blog en los espacios web pertinentes; 5) Entrar a la página de la matriz de Chiquita en Cincinnati, OH (USA) http://www.chiquita.com/CompanyInfo/ContactUs.aspx y mandarle el siguiente mensaje: I DON’T BUY CHIQUITA BECAUSE IT SUPPORTS COUP DE ETAT IN HONDURAS

(Editorial by the daily El Libertador of Honduras)

These are the coup leaders: 1) Carlos Flores Facussé; 2) Rafael Leonardo Callejas; 3) Cardenal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez; 4) Adolfo Facussé; 5) Armida de López Contreras; 6) Schucry Kafie; 7) Elvin Santos; 8) Emilio Larach; 9) Enrique Ortez Colindres; 10) Pastor Evelio Reyes; 11) Felícito Ávila; 12) José Alfredo Saavedra; 13) Jorge Canahuati; 14) Jorge Yllescas; 15) Juan Ferrera; 16) Juan Ramón Martínez; 17) Carlos López Contreras; 18) Billy Joya; 19) Ana Abarca; 20) Rafael Ferrari; 21) Juan José Pineda; 22) Vilma Morales; 23) Marcia Villeda; 24) Renato Álvarez; 25) Ramón Custodio; 26) Rafael Pineda Ponce; 27) Olban Valladares; 28) Pastor Oswaldo Canales; 29) Ricardo Maduro; 30) Romeo Vásquez Velásquez; 31) Porfirio Lobo Sosa; 32) Ricardo Álvarez; 33) Antonio Rivera; 34) Guillermo Pérez Cadalso; 35) Mauricio Villeda; 36) María Martha Díaz; 37) Antonio Tavel Otero; 38) Luis Rubí; 39) Toribio Aguilera; 40) Ramón Velásquez Nassar; 41) Elán Reyes Pineda; 42) Luz Ernestina Mejía; 43) Martha Lorena Casco; 44) Rodolfo Irías Navas; 45) Rigoberto Chang Castillo; 46) Mirna Castro; 47) Gabriela Núñez; 48) Hugo Llorens. 1. All of these people used their positions to plot, cause, or finance the breakdown of constitutional order with the kidnapping and extradition of President Zelaya, which culminated in the coup. 2. They are directly responsible for the deaths, injuries, imprisonment, and the unease imposed upon Honduran society; they have destroyed democracy and ruined Honduras' image nationally and internationally. 3. The coup leaders reactivated the anti-terrorist and anti-communist organization called the Alliance for Honduras' Progress (APROH), which operated in the 1980s. Their greed and lack of culture prevented them from understanding that the people are free to choose the political and ideological system that will offer them security and well-being. Tegucigapla. This time their names and faces will go down in history, and Hondurans and citizens of the world will remember them. They will be judged by society and by national and international courts. The coup plotters utilized variations on the mechanisms that the Alliance for Honduras' Progress (APROH) used in the 1980s. Under the guise of a business organization, it hid clear political doctrine of "low-intensity war against those who opposed the repression of the Sandinista government and against social discontent in Honduras. United States intelligence financed the organization through the Moon sect." "Industrious Businessmen" Nothing particularly "suspicious" is written in the APROH's statutes. A group of businessmen got together to study their problems, with a project to assist other sectors. The economic model that the associates defended was clear: they advocated laissez faire policies with few mechanisms of control and with many mechanisms to maximize profits. The associates were required to "guard the confidentiality of the documents and information that they acquired through their participation in APROH activities and that divulging this information could cause harm to its members. [sic] In the beginning of 1983, soon after its founding, APROH didn't draw attention to itself. It was seen as a new attempt to bring together Honduras' most conservative sectors. In November of that year, the newspaper "Tiempo" published one of those confidential "documents:" APROH was recommending to the Kissinger Commission, through a personal friend and aid to Kissinger, a military solution for Central America. Yesterday and Today's Truth Military fascism found its place in APROH--then in Gen. Alvarez, the president of that organization, and now [Gen.] Romeo Vasquez. As now, it was comprised of the country's far-right business class, although in reality more than being ideological they are corrupt businessmen who have gotten rich because they determine what happens or not in the country. They are the eternal scroungers who live off financial subsidies, they are the ones who obtain concessions and million-dollar debt forgiveness from the state. They are the ones who finance and control the political parties and use their influence to have power in the National Congress and in the courts. In short, they are the ones who have the country trapped and don't allow the advancement of other businessmen and marginalize the people because for them it's business as usual that they remain ignorant and hungry. It's easy for them to manipulate them with the corporate media, as they are doing with this coup. At the end of 1983, [there was] a rumor that the United States embassy was concerned about what it saw as the consolidation of a pressure group within the country that was very conservative and very vulnerable to criticism, as is the case now. The coup leaders are once again a problem for the United States. Then, the APROH was dormant for many years, but it awoke on the morning of June 28, 2009, to carry out its work: overthrow the President, manipulate through the corporate media, extra-judicial executions that no one will know about, repression, and psychological war in order to confuse people. Who Were the Members? Gen. Gustavo Alvares was the boss, the man in charge of APROH. Rafael Leonardo Callejas admitted that when he was the APROH's Secretary of Student and Worker Affairs--which hoists the flag of anti-communism--he worked so that Osawlado Ramos Soto would be the rector of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). The Moon Sect, a well-known religious organization, collaborated with this organization. The APROH was created by Álvarez Martínez during the Roberto Suazo Córdova administration as the precursor to the Security Doctrine and responsible for dozens of political assassinations and disappearances in the country. José Rafael Ferrari, Miguel Facussé, Fernando Casanova, Rigoberto Espinal Irías, Benjamín Villanueva and ex-union leaders Andrés Víctor Artiles and Mariano González were also members. Osmond Maduro, brother of the ex-president and coup leader Ricardo Maduro Joest, was also a member, [as well as] national and international bankers; textile and chemical industry, agribusiness, and television barons; and the technocrats. All of them were represented in the APROH. Now look on this page at the coup leaders; they are members of the new APROH. There is no difference between them and those of the past. Some of them are even the same: Miguel Facussé, Rafael Leonardo Callejas y José Rafael Ferrari.

_________________________________________

Know the "Brainwashing Codewords" the Coup Leaders Use to Manipulate Hondurans The coup leaders' fierce psychological war waged through their corporate media, which are the driving force behind media in this country, reproduces codes of mass manipulation of the population's mind. For example, it is legal to kidnap the President, because he is Chavez's friend. Micheletti is good, because he hates Fidel and Daniel and Chavez. by El Libertador Tegucigalpa. The brainwashing the coup leaders use as its prototype of Honduran democracy can be decoded as seeing what's bad as good, illegal as legal, and the usurper as necessary because he loves the country. The coup as a "constitutional succession" and the hatred of Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega, and Fidel Castro justifies a breakdown of the rule of law and the soldiers' savagery against protesters who demand a return to constitutional order. Those who seek the path of a country where the law is respected are rabble-rousers and vandals, and those who support the dictatorship dress in white because they are pure. They are patriots because they sing the national anthem and demand democracy, which is the same as defending Micheletti because he shares the desire for peace and harmony in Honduras. Many are incapable of understanding that this is how the masses are manipulated by means of the method known as "fool catchers." Others who have weak minds belong to families that have gotten rich off of the misery of the majority of the population. The Democracy Code According to the Coup Leaders: Democracy = no Chavez-no Fidel-no Ortega; Democracy = the rich are innocent, the poor are guilty; Democracy = Yes to he who breaks the law for our own good, no to Mel who breaks the law for the good. [sic] Democracy = I support Micheletti and I am a peacemaker, you support Mel and you break windows; Democracy = I love the Cardinal, you forget our father (and you offend the cardinal); Democracy = corrupt, more or Zelaya [sic], but hate Chavez and hate Fidel [sic] Democracy = Kidnapping Mel is good, opposition's bloodshed is good and repression is good, communism is bad. Mel is a communist. The coup leaders don't respect life nor the law because the protect us from bad. Democracy = Mel is dangerous because of Chavez, Daniel, and Fidel. Micheletti only seeks the good for everyone. Micheletti is good, Mel is bad. Democracy = Chavez and Fidel want to impose strange ideologies on Hondurans. Mel is Chavez and Fidel's friend, to loathe Mel, Chavez, and Fidel is good because we are Hondurans. Source: Popol Nah Foundation for Local Development

Honduras: Military Is Accused of Abuses

Published: August 18, 2009

Amnesty International, in a report to be released Wednesday, accuses the Honduran military and police of using beatings and mass arrests to punish protesters for opposing the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya in June. “Mass arbitrary arrests and ill treatment of protesters are a serious and growing concern in Honduras today,” Esther Major, Amnesty’s Central American researcher, said in a statement. The government of Roberto Micheletti, the country’s de facto leader, accuses demonstrators of engaging in violent acts and provoking the authorities.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/world/americas/19briefs-Honduras2.html

Oh, Zelaya needs Amnesty(Good to know he's the genocide)!! Gospels of Neocolonialism: "The Crisis Plan" or "Arias Plan reloaded(to Micheletti's will)

Honduras interim govt proposes new leader: report

Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya holds a press conference at the Honduran Embassy in Managua. Honduras' interim leader Roberto Micheletti has proposed that a third leader take over in a bid to solve the crisis that has crippled the country since a coup two months ago, local media reported.

TEGUCIGALPA (AFP) - – Honduras' interim leader Roberto Micheletti has proposed that a third leader take over in a bid to solve the crisis that has crippled the country since a coup two months ago, local media reported.

The solution suggested by Michelleti, whose de facto government is not recognized by the international community since the June ouster of President Manuel Zelaya, said Zelaya should return to the country next year to face a trial for constitutional crimes, said Radio America here.

The proposal also provides amnesty for Congress and other officials for their involvement in the coup, the radio said, quoting official documents.

According to reports, the third man would be Supreme Court President Jorge Rivera Aviles, who supported the coup.

Zelaya has maintained that any proposal to solve the political crisis in the country, that would be acceptable to him and the international community, should include his return to the presidency.

Thousands of Zelaya supporters took to the streets of the Honduran capital on Friday as US pressure intensified on the defiant interim leaders behind the coup exactly two months ago.

The Organization of American States (OAS), which suspended Honduras in July, has said it will not recognize the result of the November 29 elections for a new president, lawmakers and almost 300 mayors.

Foreign ministers from seven nations and the head of the OAS last week returned empty-handed from Honduras after failing to persuade Micheletti to step aside.

The US State Department now says it is ready to take more measures after halting most visa services in Honduras, revoking visas for the interim regime and suspending 35 million dollars in military aid.

International pressure and increasing frustration in the polarized nation provided a backdrop to the electoral campaign.

Micheletti's supporters claim the vote is legitimate because it was called by the country's electoral body on May 29, one month before the coup.

The United States piled pressure Thursday on the coup leaders after they rejected a settlement -- including the return of Zelaya and early elections -- with plans in the works to cut off nearly 150 million dollars in US assistance.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20090830/tpl-honduras-interim-govt-proposes-new-l-dd08238.html Micheletti Defacto Government proposed Zelaya to return in 2010
: Tegucigalpa : Tegucigalpa
alt The government suggests that José Manuel Zelaya returns to the country until next year to face justice and that for the next Congress - and not the incumbent - to approve an amnesty. Those are two of the three proposals that President Roberto Micheletti referred to the ruler of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, a mediator in the conflict, and required that the third party is made based on the presidential replacement under the Constitution. . Those are the three approaches - by Radio America - that this administration sent the previous Friday Arias to continue the dialogue under the San Jose Accord. The Foreign Ministry sent the document to the Costa Rican president, but at that time was not revealed the contents the same, but the station yesterday announced the three cases approaches that are already in the hands of the mediator. Also, the commission proposed government dialogue in Washington, United States, similar solutions to the crisis by suggesting that both Micheletti as Zelaya resign to allow a third person takes office as a capital city newspaper. Once confirmed the resignation of both the third person in line of succession, according to the Constitution assume the office. . Also on that occasion was proposed Zelaya's return to the country, but as a simple citizen, according to the newspaper. However, since Zelaya rejected in Nicaragua last Friday the third party and accused it as illegal, noting that "we only accept the proposal of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Arias Plan. Similarly, the proposal said Micheletti only reflects a third party that is desperate and that is not how he left office, "to go and give me the power that legitimately handed me the people." OSCAR HERNANDEZ OSCAR HERNANDEZ Foto: TIEMPO

Micheletti Reiterates

: Willing to deliver power if Zelaya comes to court

Posted 27 Ago 2009 - 19:39 by Redacción EP Posted 27 Aug 2009 - 19:39 by Editorial EP

Two months of exile of President Manuel Zelaya Rosales, the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti, reiterates its readiness to leave office only if Zelaya Honduras again until in 2010 for trial.
"I said it before and I repeat: If there is a need for me to resign so that Zelaya did not return to the country and if he comes (to) when a new government comes, but that people should come to refer to the justice, "said on Friday the de facto president in an interview with Channel 10 on local television.

Supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya rallied outside the U.S. embassy to ask for more pressure to de facto president as well as strategists, financiers and perpetrators of the coup.

Micheletti's statements contrast with the proposal unveiled on Thursday Arturo Corrales, one of the mediators of the de facto government, from Washington yesterday.

He said the proposal was presented to the delegation of foreign ministers of the Organization of American States (OAS) which visited the country earlier in the week. . It was proposed Micheletti resigned to take office for a third person and also the government's support for Congress to approve an amnesty for political crimes.

Lorena Alvarado Deputy Foreign Minister said Friday that "my impression is that it's not a formal proposal is just a statement (Corrales) in an interview on some points that have been put on the table."

. Micheletti said in an interview with Channel 10 that he intends to stay in power, to give the new president and that "if we have free elections, the people of the world have an obligation to recognize us."

The delegation of foreign ministers in the country to urge the de facto government and the sectors that support him to accept the so-called San Jose Accord, which stipulates the return of Zelaya to power, an amnesty and that he desist from his attempt to change the constitution .

This proposal was rejected by businessmen, politicians linked to de facto government and himself Micheletti.

WHO IS JORGE RIVERA AVILES?
El nuevo presidente de la Corte Suprema de Justicia, Jorge Alberto Rivera Aviles.
El nuevo presidente de la Corte Suprema de Justicia, Jorge Alberto Rivera Aviles.
Jorge Rivera Avilés

Honduras: Sworn new Supreme Court

Porfirio Lobo Sosa said that pressure from President Manuel Zelaya were strong calls for non-trusted, since the possibility of breaking the constitutional order is latent

Honduras Honduras

The new president of the Supreme Court, Jorge Alberto Rivera Aviles.

"When we heard the war drums I prepared my striped pajamas (smiles)-but-not afraid to coups, and none of you I was afraid to say that the Constitution of the Republic must be respected," said Roberto Micheletti

After intense negotiations over two weeks, Congress was sworn in Monday to the 15 judges of the new Supreme Court, amid rumors that President Manuel Zelaya attempted to break the constitutional order in Honduras.

Yesterday missing 15 minutes to twelve o'clock when the deputies, following the law, elected the 15 judges of the new Supreme Court.

At that point it had dissipated the possibility of breaking the constitutional order and the threat of a coup and sent tanks into the streets, held several hours before, remained as a black mole on the choice of the new authorities of Power Judiciary.

Pressures

The presidential candidate Porfirio Lobo Sosa admitted that President Manuel Zelaya was pushing for the re-elected to the now former Judge Sonia Marlina Dubon breaking the law.

"It was very hard, very hard, Zelaya pressures were intense, but our people are first and had to resist these pressures."

Referring to Lobo if the possibility existed that Zelaya in what remains of government attempts to destroy constitutional order, he replied: "Do not be complacent, I hope good sense of the president, the people elected to govern the nation wisely.

Lobo congratulated Roberto Micheletti. "If I say that we must thank Micheletti is that we do, it's performance was excellent in defense of democracy.

If we had pressure I can imagine that he also had them . Micheletti remained calm, firmly resisted and led the Congress to conduct the election according to law.

I am happy that democracy has triumphed, the threats they were serious, even spoke of breaking the constitutional order, but he managed to conjure, " said Lobo.

Micheletti Talks

Micheletti, after approval by qualified majority is the new 15 judges, said: "When we heard the war drums I prepared my striped pajamas (smiles)-but-not afraid to coups, and none of you I was afraid to say that the Constitution of the Republic must be respected. "

The new judges

The new judges dispensed justice for a period of seven years.

The National Congress began last night on the edge of the 1030 session to elect these judges to check the quorum.

The motion with the lawyers payroll was filed by Roberto Micheletti, who announced them at about 11.12 pm.

That list is headed by lawyer and former judge of the Court of Appeal of La Ceiba, Jorge Alberto Rivera Aviles. La misma la integran ocho abogados liberales y siete nacionalistas. It is composed eight lawyers and seven liberal nationalist.

The list was repeated by Secretary of the Legislature, Jose Saavedra and consensus was made of the Chamber.

In the chamber were the Defense Minister Aristides Mejia, Minister of the Presidency, Enrique Flores Lanza, and the president of the National Commission of Banking and Insurance, Milton Jimenez, negotiators from the executive branch in the process, who came to persuade Members re-elected for a Marlina Dubon, wife of the Minister Flores Lanza.

Mrs Silvia Ayala Michelleti told him that the agreed list should be made known to all banks to avoid go with the political partisanship that has so far hampered the decision-making in the country and announced that Members of Democratic Unification refrained from vote. El Pinu también se abstuvo, pero reconoció la actuación de Roberto Micheletti en la defensa de la democracia. The Pinu also abstained, but acknowledged the performance of Roberto Micheletti in the defense of democracy.

. At 11.45 pm, the House approved by a majority gave the list announced by Micheletti, who heads the attorney Jorge Alberto Rivera Aviles.

Then they sang the national anthem with patriotism.

Arita Valle Talks

The first new judge who gave statements to the media after being named was Jose Tomas Arita Valle, who said he gets the job "with a degree of concern about the moments in the country and its end will strive for excellence and administration of law to benefit the country.

I always look to the welfare of the Honduran people, "he said.

Statement by Cardinal helped

Tegucigalpa. The intervention of Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez was instrumental in the imposition of democracy and respect the law by choosing the 15 judges of the list of 45 that sent the Appointments Board last Friday to Congress.

En la homilía, el sacerdote calificó como "un disparate histórico" la posibilidad de que se rompiera el orden constitucional. In his homily, the priest called it "a historic blunder" the possibility of breaking the constitutional order.

Upon learning through independent media that the government intended to re-elect judges who did not pass through the sieve of the Appointments Board, the cardinal made in the political consciousness that would decline in its intentions to break the law and communicated with the main authorities of the country so that you do not harm the country.

The priest noted that coups are a thing of the past and their involvement was key to calm the waters and not on talking of sending tanks into the street.

  • In the 2001 legislative session, with the National Congress President Professor Rafael Pineda Ponce, approved the creation of a nominating committee that would "only function the preparation of a list made up at least 45 candidates who qualify.
http://www.laprensa.hn/layout/set/print/content/view/print/117057

New Plan to End Honduran Standoff Resembles Failed Ones of Past

Published: August 27, 2009

MEXICO CITY — The leader of the de facto government of Honduras, Roberto Micheletti, came to the phone on Thursday to discuss what aides had billed as a bold new plan to resolve the political standoff in his country, including his immediate resignation from office.

Ulises Rodriguez/E.P.A.

Roberto Micheletti is offering to resign as the de facto leader of Honduras, with conditions.

“I’m ready to present my resignation,” he said in a brief telephone interview organized by aides.

But then he got around to his conditions, many of which had a familiar ring to them because they had been proposed before and had failed to bridge the huge political divide that has left Mr. Micheletti and the man he helped oust from the presidency, Manuel Zelaya, both claiming to lead Honduras.

It turns out his plan — which aides said would be sent Thursday to President Óscar Arias of Costa Rica, who is overseeing negotiations — is probably neither bold enough nor new enough to bring Honduras back together.

Mr. Micheletti has resisted signing on to a plan proposed by Mr. Arias, known as the San José Accord, which would allow Mr. Zelaya to return as president for the remaining three months of his term but with limited powers. President Obama and other leaders in the hemisphere have insisted that Mr. Zelaya be returned to office, contending that he was removed on June 28 in an illegal coup by the Honduran military, with the backing of the Congress and the courts.

But Mr. Micheletti, in his latest plan, said he would resign only if Mr. Zelaya agreed to resign as well, leaving the presidency to the next in line. That would be Jorge Rivera, the president of the Supreme Court, which supported Mr. Zelaya’s ouster. Mr. Micheletti made an identical offer last month, and it went nowhere.

But Mr. Micheletti did offer a few sweeteners on Thursday. He said international observers would be welcome to monitor the next presidential election, which is scheduled for the end of November. He also said that he would support a congressional amnesty plan, which would free both Mr. Zelaya and those who ousted him from any criminal liability for their political acts.

The Obama administration, meanwhile, showed clear frustration with Mr. Micheletti’s government on Thursday, holding out the possibility of additional sanctions after a visit by members of the Organization of American States to Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, failed to produce a breakthrough earlier in the week.

“Given the de facto regime’s refusal this week to meet the demands of the O.A.S. delegation, we will make some judgments based on that, and we’ll announce them very shortly,” Philip J. Crowley, the State Department spokesman, told reporters.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/28/world/americas/28honduras.html

The government coup in Honduras could inspire other armies in Latin America to follow suit, causing a domino effect, warns Óscar Arias Sánchez, Nobel Prize Winner and President of Costa Rica.

On Sunday the deposed Honduran president Manuel Zelaya may return to his country, where a week ago he was driven from power by the army.

Mr Arias issued his warning in an exlusive interview with RNW's José Zepeda. His position on Honduras is clear: Latin America cannot tolerate the military coup, since it could encourage other countries on the continent to try the same:

"It is an unacceptable setback and if we don't take action it could create a domino effect. Military forces in other countries in the region may want to follow the example. The law governs democracies, not individuals, and in this case a few men deposed Manuel Zelaya with brute force."

  • In June and July,

U.S. Condemns Honduran Coup

Still, Administration Steps Lightly

After meeting with Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, President Obama decried the "terrible precedent" being set by the coup in Honduras.
After meeting with Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, President Obama decried the "terrible precedent" being set by the coup in Honduras. (By Marvin Joseph -- The Washington Post) Buy Photo
Washington Post Staff Writer http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062904239.html

So basically, Washington says all the time, while people in Honduras get killed, extrajudicially arrested, beaten up brutally by the army(HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH report):

"Let's stick to the Arias Plan, which is to return Zelaya and give amnesty to both sides"

Micheletti says "Hell no" ," I will quit but if Zelaya quits."

*US, Europe, the world sanctions Hondurans citizens with cutting aid, when this affects the population per se, not the Micheletti regime, which has admitted they only breathe through US exports and don't give a damn about the rest of the world.*

*US cuts visas to coup plotters(Europe didn't), though cuts aid to the third poorest country in America, but NO freezing multimillionaire accounts nor doing anything that affects directly coup plotters in Honduras*

  • JULY,
* Micheletti asks for special envoy to promote dialogue

"I've clearly said it before and I say it again, if there is a solution where I have to step down I will do it willingly, but I cannot allow Zelaya to return as president," Micheletti told reporters.

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN30359951

  • In August
* HISTORY REPEATING. Deja Vu. Time goes by. same things as before happen:the killings, US sanctions affecting only Honduran population and not the defacto government, Micheletti again starts saying he will resign, but if Zelaya doesn't return and if Micheletti's own constitutional staff continue ruling in his name.

after the HRW reported serious human rights violations and political persecutions, Washington says something finally different though of no different effect, no freezing accounts of defacto staff, only more against Hondurans as a whole,

"We'll probably call it a coup"

U.S. moves toward formal cut off of aid to Honduras

Thu Aug 27, 2009 3:23pm EDT
WASHINGTON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - U.S. State Department staff have recommended that the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya be declared a "military coup," a U.S. official said on Thursday, a step that could cut off as much as $150 million in U.S. funding to the impoverished Central American nation. The official, who spoke on condition he not be named, said State Department staff had made such a recommendation to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has yet to make a decision on the matter although one was likely soon. Washington has already suspended about $18 million aid to Honduras following the June 28 coup and this would be formally cut if the determination is made because of a U.S. law barring aid "to the government of any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup or decree." The official said that $215 million in grant funding from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation to Honduras would also have to end should Clinton make the determination that a military coup took place. http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed1/idUSN27328207 Micheletti says his government can resist any extra pressure. "We can perfectly survive the current situation," he said this week.

The World Bank suspended financial aid.

What about the reaction from Washington?

The role of the US is key, as it is Honduras's biggest trading partner.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8124154.stm "We are not afraid of anyone's embargo," Micheletti told the ministers. "This country can get by without your support." Exporters say they do not fear a trade blockade, however, because of the country's strategic position in the middle of Central America. Helped by a free trade pact, Honduras exports cloth to the region's textile industry and freight trucks run cargo up through the country to the major Atlantic port of Cortes that ships to the United States. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN03525204
US ready to cut off millions to coup-hit Honduras

WASHINGTON — The United States piled pressure Thursday on Honduras coup leaders after they rejected a settlement, with plans in the works to cut off nearly 150 million dollars in US assistance.

Foreign ministers from seven nations and the head of the Organization of American States returned empty-handed after failing to persuade Honduras' de facto leader Roberto Micheletti to step aside.

The US State Department said it was ready to take further measures after already halting most visa services in Honduras, revoking visas for the interm regime and suspending 35 million dollars in military aid.

"We obviously have other steps that we can take," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. "I think we'll make some decisions in the next couple of days."

A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was looking at suspending assistance through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which rewards nations with free economies and political systems.

Honduras in 2005 signed a five-year, 215 million-dollar deal with the US government-funded corporation to boost agriculture and transportation.

The funds are helping to widen and upgrade the Central American nation's principal highway, the CA-5, a project the corporation says will benefit hundreds of thousands of Hondurans.

How about all the sanctions affecting the most vulnerable Honduran population, not the Coup Plotters? Magnificent. Bravo Washington. Micheletti SAYS "let's change the Arias Plan my way":

Honduras' interim government offers crisis plan

People demonstrate in front of the Health Ministry building during a march in support of Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya in Tegucigalpa, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009. Central America's development bank says it is freezing credits to Honduras following the June 28 coup that ousted Zelaya. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
People demonstrate in front of the Health Ministry building during a march in support of Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya in Tegucigalpa, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009. Central America's development bank says it is freezing credits to Honduras following the June 28 coup that ousted Zelaya. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) (Esteban Felix - AP)
A vehicle, carrying a flag with an image of the Honduran national hero Francisco Morazan, is seen during a march in support of Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya in Tegucigalpa, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009. Central America's development bank says it is freezing credits to Honduras following the June 28 coup that ousted Zelaya. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
A vehicle, carrying a flag with an image of the Honduran national hero Francisco Morazan, is seen during a march in support of Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya in Tegucigalpa, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009. Central America's development bank says it is freezing credits to Honduras following the June 28 coup that ousted Zelaya. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) (Esteban Felix - AP)
The Associated Press Friday, August 28, 2009; 1:19 AM

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Honduras' interim leader offered to resign and back exiled President Manuel Zelaya's return home, provided the ousted leader gives up his claim to the presidency, according to a plan made public Thursday.

The offer appears to contain little new, other than an implicit offer by interim President Roberto Micheletti to back a limited amnesty for Zelaya, who was charged with several counts after he was ousted and flown into exile by soldiers in a June 28 coup.

Arturo Corrales, a negotiator for Micheletti, said Congress would still have to approve the amnesty, but he stressed that allowing Zelaya to return - listed as point number four in the five-point offer - was new.

"There is a point which is new, that is point number four, which had not been mentioned before," Corrales said.

Zelaya - as well as the international community - has insisted his ouster was illegal and that he must be restored to office to fill out the remainder of his term, which ends in January.

Micheletti has offered to resign before, passing the presidency to a third party to be determined by the constitution. That would apparently be Supreme Court President Jorge Rivera, whose court issued an arrest warrant for Zelaya at the time of the coup.

Corrales said Micheletti presented the plan to a delegation of foreign ministers from the Organization of American States in Tegucigalpa on Tuesday.

"They didn't say anything at that time," Corrales said of the ministers, who were accompanied by OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza.

Corrales added that "I have information ... that Mr. Insulza sees little possibility it (the offer) will be accepted."

Congress would still have to approve the amnesty, but a copy of the proposal sent to The Associated Press said Micheletti "will support the Congress' decision to enact a law granting political amnesty not involving common crimes."

Zelaya has been charged with falsification of public records, fraud and abuse of authority related to the alleged misappropriation of $2 million in government funds to pay for ads by Zelaya's administration in January.

Such charges would apparently not be covered in the amnesty, unlike charges of treason, usurping the powers of other branches of government, abuse of authority and trying to undermine Honduras' system of government, which Zelaya also faces.

The plan also offer to invite "international observers, such as OAS, the Carter Center, and the European Union to monitor the (Nov. 29) presidential elections to ensure full transparency and participation."

The election to select Zelaya's successor was scheduled before the coup.

The offer comes as the United States, Honduras' largest investor and trading partner, weighs possible tougher measures to ensure Zelaya's reinstatement.

Zelaya was ousted as he pressed for a referendum on changing the constitition that was opposed by Honduras' top court, Congress and military.

"Micheletti, stick to the Arias Plan or else..."

Micheletti then tells Washington,

"OK, I'll do it, but we have to change the Arias Plan my way, i.e. - Hell NO Zelaya back, but I'll renounce too, the one who takes charge now is one of my buddies"

Honduras Offers Deal on Zelaya

Interim President Would Resign if Ousted Leader Gave Up Claim

Supporters of ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya protested this week outside the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa.
Supporters of ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya protested this week outside the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa. (By Esteban Felix -- Associated Press)
Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, August 28, 2009

Two months after the president of Honduras was removed in a coup, the country's interim ruler offered Thursday to resign and accept the ousted leader back into the country -- as long as the exiled politician gives up his claim to the presidency, officials involved in the negotiations said.

The offer, made privately at a meeting in Washington, was immediately rejected by the secretary general of the Organization of American States, which has been helping to broker the discussions, according to one of the interim government's top negotiators.

But the negotiator, Arturo Corrales, said he was hopeful the proposal would nonetheless break a deadlock in the talks. "It's the starting point for the conversations," he said.

Ousted president Manuel Zelaya's ambassador to the OAS, Carlos Sosa, said late Thursday: "We don't accept this. . . . This is an effort to keep winning time and make it seem like they're talking."

The surprise offer came as the Obama administration was examining stiffening penalties against Honduras's de facto government, which has resisted diplomatic efforts to restore the leftist president to power.

Zelaya was detained by the military on June 28 and whisked out of the country. The coup was denounced by all countries in the hemisphere, which are grouped in the OAS, and by the OAS secretary general, Jose Miguel Insulza. However, many Hondurans, particularly from the upper and middle classes and the powerful political parties, have opposed Zelaya's return.

So have some Republicans in the U.S. Congress, who note that Zelaya was removed after the Honduran Supreme Court ruled that he had broken the law by organizing a referendum that could have allowed him to evade the one-term presidential limit. Zelaya is a close ally of leftist President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, who has tried to create an anti-U.S. bloc in Latin America.

President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica led OAS-backed negotiations on a deal that would allow Zelaya to return with reduced powers.

According to the new proposal, interim leader Roberto Micheletti would resign, as would Zelaya, and the person next in line in the constitutional order would take over the presidency. Zelaya could return home, but would not be permitted to finish his term, which ends in January. Micheletti would support amnesty for anyone involved in political crimes related to the coup, including Zelaya.

Until now, Micheletti has said Zelaya would face potential prosecution if he returned.

"We regard this as a significant change in Mr. Micheletti's policy, and his willingness to immediately resign shows that this is not about his power, but it is about the rule of law," said Lanny Davis, a former White House official in the administration of President Bill Clinton who now represents a group of Honduran businessmen seeking a negotiated solution to the crisis.

Since the coup, the United States has cut off about $35 million in assistance to the country. In addition, it has revoked the U.S. visas of several top officials and this week halted the issuance of most temporary visas, including those for Honduran tourists and business travelers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/27/AR2009082704483.html

*USA eliminates the possibility of Visa to all Hondurans but the De Facto Regime can still breathe relief. Not that US foreign policy is happy about Latin American immigrants anywayyyyy......*

In the meantime, the de facto dictator:

La "Operación rescate al Viejo Orden" sigue en marcha.

Ahora se trata de repasar a la comunidad Garifuna en la costa Atlántica a la oscuridad a la epoca cuando no tenía acceso a la salud. En el articulo abajo de la agencia ABN (Ven) relata Luther Harry Castillo que el régimen intenta de apagar a los paneles solares del primer hospital garifuna en el mundo y convertirlo en un centro de salud. Es un hospital cuyos médicos han "brindado 236 mil consultas gratuitas y 152 mil en brigadas que recorren zonas de difícil acceso", como cuenta Luther. Tuve la oportunidad de hacer un reportaje antes y después la inauguración del hospital en noviembre y diciembre 2007 y pude ver los enormes esfuerzos que ha hecho el pueblo garifuna para levantar esa hermosa obra que ilustra, que cuando un pueblo esta decidido de salir de la oscuridad, es capaz de levantar montanas. Todavía no se ha dicho la última palabra en el derecho humano de salud para el pueblo garifuna y el pueblo hondureño. De eso se trata la resistencia. NO? Dick Emanuelsson

-----------------------

http://aporrea.org/tiburon/n141430.html

Doctors in Honduras reported attempt to close community hospital BY THE DEFACTO GOVERNMENT
Tegucigalpa, 29 Ago. ABN.- Honduran doctors reported Saturday the de facto government's intention to close a community hospital on the Caribbean coast, built with volunteer effort of the population. Dr. Luther Castillo told Prensa Latina that since August 1 authorities encountered with the military coup of June 28 cut their budget allocation provided by the government overthrown. He explained that they changed the parameters of the previous agreement, whereby they received wages for four doctors, funds were distributed to all staff jointly installation. At the core applies a new conception of health care, beyond the purely care, totally free, which highlighted the shortcomings of the nation's health care model, he added. He said: "In our hospital governing philosophy of human values, with a high scientific level, that completely excludes the vision of medicine as a business', review Prensa Latina. The hospital was built at the initiative of Castillo, a graduate of the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba, through the efforts and donations from people and was opened in December 2007 in its first stage. The medical center is located in the isolated community of Ciriboya, Iriona municipality in the Caribbean department of Colon, where the majority of the population are ethnic Garifuna, among the black population outside the country. In the area there is no electricity and services to operate 24 hours, depending on solar panels, said Castillo. He noted that since its inception has provided 236 thousand free consultations and 152 thousand in brigades that travel remote areas, is the only hospital in the area. We have rejected the new agreement proposed by the de facto government, which attempts to reduce the hospital to a health center, who earns only two doctors, and initiated a national and international campaign to recover, he said. The psychologist Alfonso Lacayo, Garifuna origin and one of the coordinators of the medical brigade of the National Front against the coup, said that a movement is underway to rescue the hospital. He said that the Front organizations launched an effort to collect donations of medicines, other resources and funds to continue operating the hospital.

Fake Deadlock Unlocked: Suddenly EVERYONE Has an Answer

2009 August 28
by magbana

The meeting between Roberto “Hell No” Micheletti and members of the OAS “We knew you would say that — can we go home now?” Mission was like a starter gun for a race. As soon as it was over, it seems like EVERYONE had an idea about how to fix the mess.

First, the State Department’s issues a curious restriction on new visas that will not hamper Honduras’ elite, golpista class because most of them already have multiple entry business visas. As is the case most often, I bet the US has another reason for this move: to prevent a flood of people coming to the US if things go to hell in a handbasket in Honduras. In addition to visas, an “unnamed spokesperson” at the State Department says that the coup may be declared a “military” coup. Sounds like a nice thing to do after 62 days, but the events unfolding this very minute will make this move unnecesary.

Then, Micheletti offers to resign again if President Zelaya will promise not to try to return to his post as president. With the offer of amnesty, President Zelaya is welcome to come back to Honduras and live in a house instead of a jail cell.

And, who becomes president, if Micheletti resigns? The President of the Honduran Supreme Court, Jorge Rivera Aviles — yes, the guy who gave the authority to the Honduran military to kidnap Zelaya and take him out of the country.

As they say on the soaps, stay tuned.

President Zelaya Says “Hell No” to “Crisis Plan”

2009 August 29
by magbana

HondResistanciaFUERA!!

After two months of Robert Micheletti’s “hell no” responses made repeatedly in an effort to run out the clock, Zelaya is saying ‘hell no” to a plan that would allow him to return to Honduras, but does not include a return to the presidency. Zelaya’s ambassador to the OAS says the so-called “crisis plan” is nothing but an effort “to stall for time and make it appear as though they were talking.”

Actually, the real “crisis plan” was hatched on June 28 when a US-backed gang of golpistas, civilian and military, kidnapped a democratically-elected president, leaving the people of Honduras to pay for it — some with their lives.

Hell no, indeed!

Zelaya rejects crisis plan of Honduras’ interim government www.chinaview.cn 2009-08-29 17:19:31

TEGUCIGALPA, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) — Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said Friday in Nicaragua’s capital Managua he would reject any crisis plan offered by the Honduran interim government that demands that he give up his presidential claim.

The Honduran negotiation delegation presented Honduras’ Interim president Roberto Micheletti’s proposal to the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS) on Wednesday. The proposal states that both Micheletti and Zelaya resign to enable a third person to serve out the remainder of Zelaya’s constitutional term, which ends January.

Zelaya insisted he would reject any crisis plan that trampled on people’s rights. He added that only the people had the right to choose the president who would serve them.

He reiterated his position in the San Jose Agreement, emphasizing that the election organized by the interim government was illegal and would never get international support.

Zelaya’s ambassador to the OAS, Carlos Sosa, said they did not accept the crisis plan because it was an effort to stall for time and make it appear as if they were talking, according to the Washington Post.

OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza believed there would be no agreement to end the Honduran crisis unless Zelaya returns to the presidency.

The San Jose agreement, proposed by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, demands that Zelaya be allowed to return to power. The proposal, recognized by the OAS and the United States as the best solution to the Honduran crisis, also includes a reconciliatory government, a general election and political amnesty.

Zelaya, who was removed from the Honduran presidency by a political-military coup on June 28, was replaced by Micheletti.

Despite enjoying strong international support during his two-month expulsion, Zelaya has been unsuccessful at returning to power. “ http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/29/content_11963345.htm

Amnesty deal offered to former Honduras leader

(CNN) -- Honduras' de facto president said Thursday that he is willing to resign and let ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya back into the country, as long as Zelaya gives up his quest for leadership. Ousted Honduras leader Jose Manuel Zelaya may be allowed to return to his country under certain conditions. Ousted Honduras leader Jose Manuel Zelaya may be allowed to return to his country under certain conditions. Ousted Honduras leader Jose Manuel Zelaya may be allowed to return to his country under certain conditions.Ousted Honduras leader Jose Manuel Zelaya may be allowed to return to his country under certain conditions. The new proposal calls for the person next in line, as required by the constitution, to succeed de facto President Roberto Micheletti. Under terms of the proposal, Zelaya could return as a private citizen, but not be allowed to resume his post. Presidential elections held after both resigned would be monitored by international observers such as the Organization of American States and the European Union, according to the proposal. Zelaya did not immediately issue a response to the offer. Until now, Micheletti has made clear that Zelaya would be arrested if he returned. The offer comes two months after Zelaya was seized by the military in his pajamas and forced to leave the country. Micheletti has insisted that Zelaya was not overthrown and was replaced through constitutional means. The political crisis stemmed from Zelaya's plan to hold a referendum that could have changed the constitution and allowed longer term limits. The country's congress had outlawed the vote and the supreme court had ruled it illegal. The Organization of American States sent a delegation to Honduras on Tuesday to promote the so-called San Jose Accord, which seeks an end to the political turmoil and the return of Zelaya to office. Micheletti's government declined to sign the agreement. On Thursday, the United States said it was considering cutting off all aid to Honduras. Washington froze its assistance to Honduras after Zelaya was removed from office and stopped issuing visas in the Central American country earlier this week. Further steps could choke off as much $200 million in additional aid dispensed by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, funded by the U.S. government. The United Nations and the European Union also have said that they do not recognize Micheletti's provisional government.

Transcript of State Dept. Press Briefing: Visas, Military Coups and Recognizing the Winner of Next Honduran Election

by magbana

Yesterday, the State Department held a telephone conference with reporters to give them an opportunity to ask questions about the US decision not to offer any new visas to Hondurans other than those in the immigrant and emergency categories. The visa issue was a minor aspect of the briefing and a few of the reporters decided to put the screws to the State Dept. representative on two issues in particular: Was it or was it not a military coup ? and If Zelaya is not returned to the presidency by the time the elections are held, will the US recognize the winner regardless?

The star of the show was Jose Cordoba of the Wall Street Journal who is not at all confused about what is going on in Honduras.

Following is a transcript of the conference call. Oh, the twists and turns and the weaving of the wicked web. It’s fairly long, so get yourself a beer or a cup of coffee and get comfy.

Senior State Department Officials on Honduras

Via Conference Call

Washington, DC

August 25, 2009

OPERATOR: Welcome, and thank you all for standing by. At this time, all participants are on listen-only mode and for the question and answer session. At that time, you may press *1 to ask a question. I’d also like to inform parties that the call is now being recorded. If you have any objections, you may disconnect at this time.

And I’d now like to turn the call over to Mr. Fred Lash. Thank you, sir, you may begin.

MR. LASH: Thank you all for joining us today. We have with us a Senior State Department Official for a on background briefing concerning the situation in Honduras with the recent OAS mission there. I will turn it over to our Senior State Department Official for an opening remark – opening remarks and then we will begin taking calls after that. Please begin.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for calling in. As you know, since yesterday, there has been an OAS delegation in Honduras. They – this is the delegation that the United States was very supportive of and we were happy to see them get started. Their mission was to talk to all sectors in Honduras to try to urge the two relevant parties to come to closure on this crisis and to find the San – what we’re calling the San Jose Accord, that was worked out with President Arias.

The delegation – we’ve been keeping – we’ve been tracking the delegation very closely, have received intermittent reports from them, and we understand that they have spoken with – they’re currently in meetings with president – the de facto president Mr. Micheletti. We know that they spoke with supporters of President Zelaya, that they spoke with businesspersons and church groups in the country.

What we’ve also learned over the course of these two days is that there still seems to be very strong resistance or reluctance among some members in the de facto government to signing the San Jose Accord. And the United States continues to believe that that accord was very painstakingly worked out, that it is the best way forward for a negotiated solution to this crisis. And because we feel so strongly about that, today the United States did decide to take an additional measure in support – in hoping that this would help advance the process. And the measure, as you read probably on our announcement, is to temporarily suspend the non-immigrant visa services in Honduras, that will be non-emergency, non-immigrant visa services. That will be effective as of tomorrow.

We really believe that this will help and signal how seriously we’re watching the situation there. We believe that this will help advance coming to closure, and we thought it was important to take this step – to take this step – to take this step at this time.

I’m open for – ready for questions.

MR. LASH: Coordinator, can you begin with the first question, please?

OPERATOR: Yes, thank you. We’ll now begin the question and answer session. To ask a question, you may press *1. It is required for you to record your name when prompted so that your name may be introduced for a question. Once again, it is *1 to ask a question. One moment, please.

Our first question will come from Arshad Mohammed. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Hi, it’s Arshad Mohammed of Reuters. Why – you said that this was a signal of how the decision to suspend visa services, except for emergency and immigrant or potential immigrants, why – of how closely you’re watching the situation, what does this – beyond that you’re watching the situation, which we’ve known since June 28th, does this presage or hint at the possibility of greater U.S. sanctions against the de facto government if it fails to accept the San Jose Accords?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Thank you for your question. As you know, we are looking at this situation as it evolves. At this point, we felt like this was an appropriate measure to take. As you know earlier, we supported when the OAS – we voted with the OAS when they voted to suspend Honduras’ participation in the OAS. We have suspended some of our bilateral – direct bilateral assistance. We suspended certain diplomatic visas of the regime. This is just another measure, one more measure.

Does that mean that there might be other measures that we will consider? Yes. That means that there are others, but we – but what’s in that menu or what those will be yet, it would be premature for me to say.

QUESTION: And is it fair to say that you would consider those other measures, whatever they might be, if the de facto government fails to accept the Arias plan?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I think what I’m trying to say is that we really think that both sides need to accept the plan. And we will consider – we will continue to try to work with both sides that they will reach that same conclusion, and we will do what we think we can to help them move in that direction.

OPERATOR: Our next question will come from Sergio Davila. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Hi. It’s Sergio Davila from Folha de Sao Paulo. I have two questions, actually. Does the State Department consider what happened in Honduras a coup d’état? If not, why not? And also, is there any other country that is under the same visa suspension as Honduras is now?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Thank you also for you question. We have already stated that we do believe that this was a coup against the genuinely elected president. I can’t comment about what’s going on in other parts of the world. Right now, we’re focused right here, right on Honduras.

QUESTION: And so – sorry, just a follow-up. If this is a coup – the State Department considers this a coup, what’s the next step? And I mean, there is a legal framework on the U.S. laws dealing with countries that are under coup d’état? I mean, what’s holding you guys to take other measures according – the law?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I think what you’re referring to, Mr. Davila, is whether or not this is – has been determined to be a military coup. And you’re correct that there are provisions in our law that have to be applied if it is determined that this is a military coup. And frankly, our lawyers are looking at that exact question. And when we get the answer to that, you are right, there will be things that – if it is determined that this was a military coup, there will be things that will kick in.

As you know, on the ground, there’s a lot of discussion about who did what to whom and what things were constitutional or not, which is why our lawyers are really looking at the event as we understand them in order to come out with the accurate determination.

QUESTION: Thank you.

OPERATOR: Our next question will come from Jordi Zamora. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Jordi Zamora from AFP. Thank you. I have a couple of questions. First of all, I’d like to know whether this measure of today about visa, have you taken this measure, as you say that you were in close contact with the delegation in Tegucigalpa, have you taken these measures then – I don’t know, today or tomorrow, according at what you have known from those meetings? Have you taken the decision – I don’t know, today – because of what you have been told by this delegation? And second question, had you warned the regime in Honduras that you were about to take this decision, this measure if nothing happen at – during this meeting?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Thank you, Mr. Zamora. It’s more in regard to – I think I need to clarify a couple of things. While we are aware and have been trying to track very closely exactly what the delegation in Honduras, I don’t want to give you the impression that we’ve been getting a full debrief from them, because we have not. But if – rather than what we’ve been told by them, it’s what we haven’t been told by them that is leading us to this conclusion. In other words, there has still been no indication, and that much is pretty clear, that the de facto regime is really prepared to embrace the Arias accord. And we do think it was important for the delegation to finish all of its work and to come – and come back to Washington and make some proposals to us perhaps, if they can’t get – I guess, people to sign.

But we think that taking this measure now is very important to signal – we have certain expectations of the two, the two main parties, i.e., the Zelaya – President Zelaya and the de facto regime. So this is our way to say yes, there’s an OAS process that is ongoing, but also we are trying to frame this in such a way to help advance that process.

And you asked something – did we warn the regime. As I think I mentioned earlier, we have had contact with both President Zelaya and his supporters as well as persons who are affiliated with the de facto regime, and they are well aware of our thinking about what’s going on there.

OPERATOR: Our next question will come from Jose. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Yeah, hi. This is Jose De Cordoba from The Wall Street Journal in Mexico City. A couple questions. I’m not quite sure as to what visas are affected. Is it basically tourist visas that are being affected?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: Yes.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: We’re talking about non-immigrant visas, so that would be tourist visas – non-emergency, non-immigrant visas.

QUESTION: So it’s basically tourist visas. And what – how many would you be putting out? I mean, the tourism season is over, but school is about to begin. So I don’t think that it’s a big impact. I think it’s a minor action to make a lot of noise, but really very little, it seems to me.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Are you asking me how many non-immigrant visas we issue in a year?

QUESTION: Will, you’ll be issuing, say, in the next per month or something.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Well, in a year, I guess you can do the math, but in a year, we issue about 45,000 roughly.

QUESTION: Tourist season?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Well, we do – we interview about 45,000 persons who want to come either as – well, whatever their – in a non-immigrant way. And we issue about 30,000 a year.

QUESTION: Yeah.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: Now, this could be business visas. It could be people coming on temporary work visas. There’s lots of different categories –

QUESTION: Yeah.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: — besides tourist visas.

QUESTION: Yeah, but I guess most businessmen would probably have multiple entry visas, which I assume would not be affected by this.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: That’s correct.

QUESTION: So we’re talking basically about tourist season, so about 45 – or rather, 30,000 tourist visas a year that you’re talking about. That doesn’t seem very – like a big deal.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: What we have said is that we are temporarily suspending services because we want to do a review.

QUESTION: Yeah.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: And once we do that review, then we’ll see what kinds of changes, if any, we need to make. And therefore, I think it’s a little premature to talk about exactly how many people this is going to affect and how it’s going to affect them.

QUESTION: Okay. And another question, if I may. It seems to me that the Arias agreement is dead. I mean, all Honduras’s institutions – you know, supreme court, the congress, the attorney general’s office – have said that the central tenet of the Arias plan, the return of Zelaya, is nonnegotiable because it’s illegal. So it seems to me, you know, you’ve got to rethink things. Where do you go – where are you going to go from there?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: We don’t have that same reading, actually. We don’t think the Arias – we think the Arias plan is the only viable plan at this point. And I think that we are seeing – we are hearing enough even in the various institutions that you mentioned, if you talk to two or three persons from each institution, you get a nuance.

What we’re really looking for is some leadership or people to say, all right, it’s time to bring this to closure, and we can work out the differences. We will agree all on the basic premises that are in the plan and work out the details of the solution and verification as we go forward.

QUESTION: Is the return of Zelaya still the basic fundamental part of the plan, I mean –

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: The return of Zelaya as the elected president, and to finish out his term is still a core tenet in the plan.

QUESTION: Is still what?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Core tenet in the plan, yes.

QUESTION: If — will you recognize the winner of the November election if Zelaya is not allowed to come back as elected president?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I think it –

QUESTION: And if not, why not?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: – that is premature for us to talk about that.

QUESTION: Mm-hmm. Do you have any idea when the – whether – when you will determine whether Zelaya’s coup is a military coup, and is there any other type of coup? Is there a –

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Sure, there are – there have been other types of coups, but –

QUESTION: Like what?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Well, over a decade ago, I was in Panama when they basically had a legislative coup. There are different kinds of coups that you can have. But we are hoping very, very soon to have a readout from our lawyers to get back to today – get back to –

QUESTION: Yeah. Can I have – ask one more question or –

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Sure. Yes, you may.

QUESTION: Yeah, okay. What have been the cutoffs in aid? I mean, I know about the $16 million military aid cutoffs. But I – what I understand, the World Bank, the IMF and the IADB had not been able to give any money, any aid to Honduras because Zelaya has not – had not submitted a national budget for a year. So when all these institutions said that they were suspending their aid it was basically an empty gesture. Isn’t it – is that the case?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Well, I’m speaking for the United States Government today.

QUESTION: Mm-hmm.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: And our gestures are quite meaningful and quite full.

QUESTION: I’m sorry?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Our gestures were the suspension of all direct assistance to the government and all military assistance.

QUESTION: And the direct assistance to the government, how much did that come to?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I have a chart, but it’s on my computer. Roughly, about $35 million.

QUESTION: Mm-hmm. And that goes to –

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: If you don’t mind, we can take the question and get you a figure if – I don’t have it right at my fingertips. I apologize.

QUESTION: The $35 million, that includes the military aid?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Yes, it does.

QUESTION: And so roughly $16 million for military and the rest going to what?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I’m – you know what, I don’t want to – can I just get like a fax number from you or something, because I can get –

QUESTION: Yeah, sure.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I can pull it out of my machine, but I can’t do it while I’m talking on the phone.

QUESTION: Sure, no problem.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: So do you want to give me your number or you’re going to give it to the –

QUESTION: Well, I don’t know, it’s – let me see –

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Oh, well, people will have it. Our press people say they can take care of it. Okay?

QUESTION: Okay, fine.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: We’ll get this to you, okay?

QUESTION: Sure, thanks.

OPERATOR: Our next question will come from Monica Showalter. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Hi, it’s Monica at Investor’s Business Daily. My question is this: Is there any potential for flexibility or for modification of the San Jose Accords in the things it’s stipulating? It seems to me that if the OAS made an early mistake by marching into Honduras and saying my way or the highway, wouldn’t there be potential to repeat that if the San Jose Accords stay equally inflexible? I just wanted to ask if – you know, is there any potential at all for changing any aspects of that?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Our view is that President Arias has done a tremendous job in trying to pull out – pull together what are the core tenets for a possible agreement. The entire purpose, however, of a negotiation is just that, to have an negotiated agreement. If President Zelaya and de facto – and Mr. Micheletti were to get together with President Arias and work out something that all three of them thought that they could agree with and they thought that represented the best way forward that also held on to the underpinnings of the democratic and constitutional rule, then, of course, the United States would have to look at that. What we are trying to do is help Hondurans forward and move out of this impasse. So I think that would be something that the leaders would have to take to Arias.

QUESTION: Thank you.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Yes.

QUESTION: Can I ask one more?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Sure.

QUESTION: Okay. I found it interesting. There was a letter sent to – sent to the Senate that said that it was unlikely that big trade sanctions would be made on Honduras. I wanted to ask, and this is sort of a technical question, is that due to the structure of CAFTA, which is a six nation treaty? Like for instance, if you cut one off, you’d have to cut all six off? Does it have to do with that or does it have to do with perhaps the interconnectedness of industries through Central America, and if you disrupted one you might disrupt them all?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: It has to do with the provisions in CAFTA.

QUESTION: It does have to do with CAFTA, okay – how it’s structured?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Right.

QUESTION: Okay, thank you.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: The binding agreement with CAFTA.

QUESTION: Exactly. Okay, thanks.

OPERATOR: Our next question comes from Patricia Campos Mello. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Hi. I would like you elaborate why – because some analysts have been saying that the most effective way to pressure the de facto regime would be to suspend trade preferences. And so I wanted to know why exactly that’s not a possibility? And also, the OAS has indicated that they are not going to recognize the new president, even if it’s democratically elected, if Zelaya has not returned to power before that election, so –

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what organization you represented.

QUESTION: It’s Folha de Sao Paulo, Brazilian newspaper.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Okay, thank you. I didn’t hear that, I’m sorry.

QUESTION: Okay.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Maybe – or someone else just asked about the trade preferences question –

QUESTION: Yeah. I just wanted you to elaborate why that’s not a possibility.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: We have an agreement called the CAFTA agreement, and apparently provisions in that make it impossible – very difficult, if not impossible, for us to do that, so we can’t – it looks like we cannot go down that route.

We have not made a determination yet. You said the OAS has said that the United States –

QUESTION: They have indicated, not said on the record, but they have signaled to that.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Okay, we’ll we certainly haven’t signaled that.

QUESTION: You have not?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: We haven’t made it – we haven’t – we’re not even looking at that point yet, because we are – we are really hoping to get this agreement signed.

QUESTION: Okay. Thank you.

OPERATOR: Our next question comes from Juan Vasquez. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Hi. I just wanted to get a clarification on – I’m Juan Vasquez with the Miami Herald – just on a couple of points. On the visas, you are still interviewing people, if you think there’s an emergency, but you are not issuing any new visas at all. Is that correct?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: No that wouldn’t be correct. We’d be interviewing and, if they were eligible, issuing to emergency cases.

QUESTION: Right. Well, obviously, you’re saying non-emergency, so emergency cases. And secondly, are any visas being revoked at all, on the part of those who do have multiple entry visas and who might be connected in some way to the de facto government?

QUESTION: Hello? Hello?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Hello. I didn’t know which one. As part – we were going to be looking – as part of our review, will help us to look at that question.

QUESTION: At the possible revocation of visas?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Correct.

QUESTION: Okay. Now, on the question – I just need a clarification on what it is that the lawyers are looking at involving a military coup. Maybe I missed something there.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: When events evolved about a month ago, we had very conflicting stories as to what exactly occurred. And we have tried very hard to get to the bottom of what has occurred. And we have, to our best ability, put together what we understand to have been the chronology of events — the sequence of events, I should say. And judging from that, our lawyers are looking to say, well, are we going to call — is this a military coup, or was this in fact something that was done by the judiciary, was it done by the legislature, et cetera? There’s a difference.

QUESTION: Okay, but — still just trying to get a clarification. As I recall, earlier in this same briefing, you said that it — you have called it a military coup.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: No, we’ve called it a coup. He said, “Is this a coup d’état?” I said, “Yeah.”

QUESTION: Oh, I see.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: We have said from the very beginning, what we do know is that the legitimate government, the legitimate president, was taken out of office in a way that was not prescribed, in a way that was unexpected and forced. And we call that a coup, a coup to the head of the government.

There are specific – we have laws – there’s a – I forget the exact section of the law that deals with our – the way we can handle assistance and the way we can handle our relationship with a country if there is a military coup, if the person in charge of, leading, and then taking over the government after the coup are the military. And we are examining to determine whether or not that’s the case here.

QUESTION: Thank you. One last question. Just when would you expect to finish that inquiry?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Immediately.

QUESTION: Thank you.

OPERATOR: Our next question comes from Gilberto Scofield. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Hi, I’m Gilberto Scofield from Globo, Brazil. I just would like to know, can you please tell us at which point inside Mr. Oscar Arias’s plan are facing more resistance from the Honduras de facto government, because you listen to –

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: Our understanding is – the main point that is facing all the resistance from the de facto government is a sentence that says: The return of President Zelaya to finish out his term.

QUESTION: Okay. And do — and did they propose anything? I mean, did the de facto government say, okay –

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: They proposed that he not return. But the – I don’t know currently if they’re proposing anything to the delegation that’s down there now.

QUESTION: Yeah.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: We do understand that the delegation had tried to make earlier appointments in their arrival in Honduras, and those things were put off. But apparently, Mr. Micheletti wanted to say something to them, so I really don’t know what’s going on, what he’s saying now. But that had been the only sticking point.

QUESTION: Yeah, because now we have listened to interpretations of people saying that, for example, that Zelaya could come back, but without any power at all. So that would be unacceptable for the de facto government – and, you know, a lot of suggestions like this. But now you said that the core of the discussions is this – the coming back with full power.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I said that the main sticking point – I don’t know if it’s the core of all their discussions, because as I said, I don’t know the realm of all of their discussions – but the main sticking point had been Zelaya’s return, and return as president to finish his term.

There isn’t any discussion, really, if you look at the Arias accord, that talks about how well he’s endowed upon coming back. I mean, he comes back as president, he comes back to finish out his term. But part of the verification commission and the ideas of the truth commission had to do with how both sides were going to feel comfortable in this small interim period before they got to elections.

So I – had there been some creativity or had there been an ability for both sides to understand that, we might have already had a signature to this accord already and be working on those kinds of details. But right now, the sticking point is Zelaya’s return as president just for the remainder of his term. Other conditions, it would seem to me, would be with Arias and the group to work out.

QUESTION: And – okay. And since the elections are just around the corner, do you work – you, United States – work with a reasonable deadline, you know, for a result or, I don’t know, any kind of signal from an agreement or whatever? Do you think that it’s reasonable – say, okay, in one month, if that’s not decided, then –

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I’ll be honest with you. Yes, we love timelines, but the beauty of them ends when the ink dries up off the page. So we are looking to try to find this – to bring this to closure as quickly as possible, the sooner the better, but we have not put a date certain on – we have not drawn a line in the sand as to – well, okay, that’s all – do you understand what I’m saying? Sorry.

QUESTION: Yeah. (Inaudible.)

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I’m kind of mumbling. I’m sorry.

QUESTION: Yeah. Okay, thank you.

OPERATOR: Our next question comes from Celine. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Yes, hi, Celine Aemisegger with EFE News Service. Actually, the other colleagues have already asked for – a few of my questions. It’s just that it seems that this could go forever on, because today, Roberto Micheletti said to the OAS delegation that he will hold the elections on November 29th, either way, if the world recognizes them or not. So actually I don’t see any other possibility the OAS or the international community could have, other than step up with other measures, more sanctions. Or I don’t know – how do you see that?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I’m pausing because I – you’re right. These things look difficult, but the job of the diplomat is to never say that things look impossible. And we have a very good group of diplomats from the OAS who are – and from the various countries of the OAS – who are in country now.

Mr. Micheletti has said a number of things. So we are hoping that we will be able to induce him and his supporters to come to a more reasonable conclusion than the one you just suggested. But I will tell you this: The United States will not think that this thing will go on forever.

QUESTION: Yeah. Thank you.

OPERATOR: Our next question comes from Tim Padgett. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Hi. Tim Padgett from Time Magazine. I just wanted to follow up on Jose de Cordoba’s question regarding whether or not we would recognize the winner of the election in November, if this were – situation were still going on. Wouldn’t that, in and of itself, become a mechanism of pressure, to get the Micheletti government to agree to the San Jose accord? That threat of not recognizing the winner of that election and the subsequent government, wouldn’t that, in and of itself, be a useful form of leverage?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: We are looking at all these questions. I’m not – clearly you’re – we’re thinking about the same questions that you’re thinking about. We haven’t made a determination about that. There are – it’s possible that it would be perceived that way. It’s possible that it wouldn’t be. I mean, certainly, we’ve told the Micheletti organization that we don’t recognize them now, and that doesn’t seem to have much of an effect.

QUESTION: Right.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: So we’re – we are – we understand that the elections loom in the not-distant future. We certainly want this resolved before then. But you’re right; we are looking at all facets of the prism to figure out the clearest light.

QUESTION: And then just one other quick question, following up on Juan Vasquez’s* question about what constitutes a military coup. Are we to understand, then, that when civilian institutions use the military to perform a coup, that then is not designated a military coup?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: No, we’re not necessarily to understand that. We’re waiting for our lawyers to help us to understand what we’re supposed to understand.

QUESTION: Okay. Okay. Thank you.

MR. LASH: We have time for one more question.

OPERATOR: Thank you. Our next question will come from Celia. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Hi. Good afternoon. My name is Celia (inaudible) from the German Press Agency, the Spanish wire. My question would be, apparently Roberto Micheletti is proposing an alternative way – a third way, let’s say – that would be neither him nor Zelaya taking power. It would be a third person that would assume the presidency until Zelaya’s time runs out. And my question would be, would the U.S., if nothing else works, be comfortable with this solution? Thank you.

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I suspect not. You’re making news now, because I haven’t really heard this. So – well, we haven’t really looked at this, and I don’t –

QUESTION: Apparently –

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: I mean, I don’t see the difference at this point. Now I’m really just speaking from my own perspective. I don’t see what changing the body in the chair does if there isn’t any acknowledgment that the legitimately elected president has still not returned. But it would be premature for me to make any kind of comment about this, because it really hasn’t been assessed. I haven’t looked at it.

MR. LASH: I’d like to close the session here today. Thank you very much for the Senior State Department Officials. This is, again, a reminder, an on-background briefing today on the situation in Honduras. We thank you for your questions and hope it’s been useful for you. Again, thank you for the participants as well. Thank you all very much.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/aug/128373.htm

UN calls for human rights special rapporteur in Honduras

Posted 29 Ago 2009 - 17:20 by Redacción EP Posted 29 Aug 2009 - 17:20 by Editorial EP

La Paz, Bolivia .- The President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Miguel D'Escoto announced today in Bolivia requested to appoint a special rapporteur to follow the human rights situation in Honduras after coup in that country.

''I have asked the Human Rights Council in Geneva to appoint a special rapporteur on human rights in Honduras and how the de facto government is running over to that brotherly people demand respect for the Constitution,''said D'Escoto in hosted a press conference in La Paz.

Manuel Zelaya was overthrown on 28 June, when the Armed Forces of his country he was captured and he was deported to Costa Rica, after which, the Honduran Congress approved his dismissal and appointed president Roberto Micheletti, until then head of the legislature.

The chairman of the Assembly of the UN, who was foreign minister of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990 during the first Sandinista Government said today that makes it "difficult to understand that soldiers who have always been as employees of the empire (referring to EE . UU.) dare to do anything without the support of the empire.''

''From the beginning, when given the blow, I perceive the hairy hand of the empire and thought that this could be hairy hand (John) Negroponte (former assistant U.S. secretary of state),''he said.

However, since the time of the coup, the administration of Barack Obama Zelaya recognized as the only "constitutional president''of Honduras.

In this regard, Miguel D'Escoto said today that "not everything that is done in the U.S. through the President's approval, except when he has little time in government.''