Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Brian Bilbray sets us straight

From The Hill.com:

Brian Bilbray has made some important conclusions regarding Honduras. He met with members of the coup government and reports that a majority of them don't want Zelaya back as president. He also learned that the coup government does not like people using the word "coup."

Lastly, Hondurans should be "congratulated for what they have done" and that the State Department loves Hugo Chávez. A majority of Hondurans he talked to in the coup government agree.

8 comments:

Slave Revolt,  2:52 PM  

Of course it wasn't a coup--Zelaya was asked by the military if he wanted to attend a slumber party in Costa Rica, the pilots got drunk and forgot him there.

On a serios note: now State is revoking the diplomatic visas of four in the coup...I mean 'the defacto' government.

If I were the Zelayas I wouldnuse this moment to develop a peoples party, and run Mrs. Zelaya as a candidate in the next election. Do they have the fire and temerity--are they willing to face assasination?

Perhaps a member of the military is what is required?

RAJ 3:25 PM  

This is of course laughable, except that even such lightweight members of the US government provide propaganda fodder for the authoritarian regime.

And they are corrosive to any belief by Honduran, Costa Rican, and I assume other intellectuals in the region that the US is really opposed to the coup. Add this to State reprimanding Zelaya for his performative efforts at keeping press attention -- which have actually been effective, when you look at it as publicity, and that may have pushed State into today's long delayed revocation of visas for regime members. Plus the tendency of State to talk about the need for "mutual" agreement, seen by regime advocates and opponents alike as oblique recognition for the regime.

One lasting legacy will be a loss of illusions anyone in the region had about the Obama administration being different. No wonder a Honduran colleague asked me in Costa Rica whether Obama was in trouble-- the contradiction of rhetoric and action is obvious.

And not being able to counter the Brian Bilbrays with someone going to talk to the actual President of Honduras or actually inviting him to DC just reinforces the impression that the US wishes he would disappear.

Greg Weeks 9:57 PM  

I will say that running Mrs. Zelaya is one of the more original ideas I've heard recently. Not likely, but original.

Doug Zylstra 10:28 PM  

Greg -

If I read the Hill article right, Elvin Santos is proposing that Micheletti steps down and Alfredo Saavedra becomes President. Is that right? If so, that sounds even crazier than the current situation..

Doug Zylstra 10:30 PM  

The other option, that Zelaya comes back, faces charges and if he is found innocent, he can then finish his term of what, one week?

Doug Zylstra 11:28 PM  

Sorry;

Reread the article. Said "a presidential candidate from the liberal party". Theoretically, could be Micheletti himself proposing this, which would be both zany and considering the trajectory of the last month, not at all unlikely.

Nell 4:16 PM  

@Doug: You read it right the first time; the person being referenced by "a presidential candidate from the Liberal Party" can only be Elvin Santos, who is the Liberal Party candidate for president in the November elections.

For the names of the other candidates, here's an account of the recent event at which the ballot order for November was announced.

(I wouldn't spend too much time on parsing the phrasing of someone as unburdened with actual knowledge of the Honduran political situation as Hill reporter Bridget Johnson, stenographically conveying Rep. Bilbray's account.)

Unknown 1:56 AM  

Thanks thats great ....
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