Wednesday, June 9, 2010

More alleged "coup threats" against Porfirio Lobo Sosa

More Coup Talk

by RNS,  from the blog Honduras Culture and Politics:    http://hondurasculturepolitics.blogspot.com/2010/06/more-coup-talk.html
More stories have been printed in Honduras today about a coup being planned against Porfirio Lobo Sosa, with articles in all the daily newspapers. Here's a summary of what's new. During the Cabinet meeting yesterday Lobo Sosa issued a directive that La Tribuna specified was directed at the military and police, suggesting where a threat may be coming from. Proceso Digitalreported the directive was to all ministries.

What both sources agree is that the order was not to align themselves with either the far right or the far left, represented by the Unión Cívica Democratica on the right and the Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular for the left:

"Minister of Security, Minister of Defense, I don't want members of the National Police or the Armed Forces participating with either of the two sectors; our mandate is with the Honduran people,"
Lobo is quoted as saying.
"It isn't possible that one is elected with a clear mandate and takes another route; I ask you to absent yourselves, and we greatly restrict participation in meetings or praise for either side; our function is not to be part of the confrontation for either side, rather part of the process of reconciliation,"
Proceso Digital reports him continuing. La Prensa reported that Lobo Sosa flashed the number "3" with his hands, interpreting it as indicating that it was 3 highly placed individuals in the Nationalist Party that were plotting against him.

With unfortunate timing, yesterday the US military resumed military aid to the Honduran Armed Forces. Lieutenant General Ken Kleen presented the Minister of Defense, Marlon Pascua, and head of the Joint Chiefs, General Carlos Cuéllar, with the keys to 25 all-terrain vehicles in a public ceremony in Tegucigalpa. The vehicles will be assigned to the Special Forces units in Francisco Morazán and Colon.

The US Military Commander in Honduras, Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence Ott, said the presentation completed military aid promised last year. Then he added,

"The government of the United States has come to realize training missions as a key initiative to identifying the potential problems in the region."
In return, General Carlos Cuéllar spoke of how the gift from the US government would help them carry out "the established constitutional mission."

In light of the press reports implying that the military may not be entirely under the control of Lobo Sosa, we can't be blamed for hearing echoes of last year's Armed Forces statements that equated their role in the coup with their constitutional role.


Lobo Sosa: I know who wants to throw me out

by RNS, from the blog Honduras Culture and Politics:
 http://hondurasculturepolitics.blogspot.com/2010/06/lobo-sosa-i-know-who-wants-to-throw-me.html

We previously mentioned rumors from Honduras of a possible coup against Porfirio Lobo Sosa, referred to in an editorial published inTiempo advising Lobo Sosa to "pack his pijamas". El Heraldo reported a bit ago that today Porfirio Lobo Sosa hinted that he knows who is interested in ousting him. This came to light after the meeting of the Council of Ministers this morning in the city of Guaimaca, in Francisco Morazan.

Lobo Sosa responded to a press question about rumors going through the National Congress that he intended to fire the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Jorge Rivera Avilés.

"No, whoever they want to mess with, they say it is the President of the Republic,"
Lobo Sosa answered, and added that he has already identified all the people who seek his ouster.

Asked if he had any fear he replied,

"fear, please no; better yet, they'll get tangled up with me, they don't know... I'll tell you something, never forget that for every action there's a reaction.... and I'll tell you that we have everything well ordered. I have them all pinpointed, I know who they are.... I have all the information."
Interesting source for this news: both El Heraldo and La Prensaare owned by Jorge Canahuati Larach, one of the principal forces behind the coup. Canahuati Larach financed the Washington, D.C. campaign of Lanny Davis to legitimate the coup, and was frequently visited last fall by the generals who carried out Zelaya's expatriation.

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