The siege of Tegucigalpa

Posted on September 27, 2009 by Sabina Becker

Once more, The Real News nails it:

Al Giordano’s analysis of the situation is bang-on. It looks to me like Gorilletti and his thugs are trying to wear Zelaya out–either to kill or take him prisoner, or if that be impossible, simply kill the clock on his mandate. The fact remains, however, that there is NO constitutional basis for their overthrowing him, so the term-limit issue is essentially meaningless. Zelaya is the elected president, not Gorilletti. Free and fair elections can only happen if he is fully back at the helm. There can be no democratic hand-over from putschists to another leader, no matter who it might be. And in fact, knowing the putschists, they will probably prefer to rig any election that does happen, in favor of their chosen candidate. Which makes a sham and a mockery of the “democratic” veneer they are trying so hard (and failing) to cultivate.

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4 Responses to The siege of Tegucigalpa

  1. RickB says:
    September 27, 2009 at 5:28 PM

    Hello Bina, I think they might be hoping, with better tech, a Noriega style end can be achieved. Brazil has been incredibly tolerant imagine this was a US embassy under attack.

  2. Sabina Becker says:
    September 27, 2009 at 5:48 PM

    No kidding, Rick. I’m just wondering what’s taking them so long to respond to the attack on their embassy. That’s equal to a literal attack on Brazil itself, under international law–is it not? And we know Brazil has good military technology–Venezuela would have bought their Tucano planes if not for the US embargo (the planes have US-made components.) If Lula said the word, an aircraft carrier from Rio would be parked off the coast of Honduras right now, delivering holy hell. Lula is no doubt hoping it won’t come to that, but by the looks of things, it just might.
    And I’m pretty sure there’s a CIA connection behind all this, which may be why the US has been so slow to act, and has acted inappropriately when it did act. Of course, their big problem is that Zelaya is not a Noriega. He’s not a military dictator. He wasn’t trained at the School of the Assassins, nor was he in the CIA’s employ as a drug-runner and human rights abuser. He was never tame to US interests in the first place. That’s why he enjoys real popularity (probably more now than when he was still behind his desk, ironically), and why any attack on him will be perceived, rightly, as an attack on the people of Honduras.
    Right now, I’m pretty sure someone in the State Dept. is triangulating away, trying to figure out how to take out Zelaya without the streets of Tegucigalpa going berserk. And since I know they read this blog, I can tell them right now that they’re wasting their time. Zelaya’s not going to be taken, and this will not end peacefully and in Gorilletti’s favor at the same time.

  3. RickB says:
    September 27, 2009 at 8:13 PM

    Have you seen this
    http://rawstory.com/2009/09/ousted-honduran-leader-calls-for-final-offensive-against-government/
    I think there is disagreement in Washington over this, State wanted to let it quietly go on the Right are all for the coup and only the Whitehouse have qualms. I hope Monday sees the people get the respect they deserve from their security forces who should realise they serve them not the usurpers. However, Lula might need to impress upon the regime this is not the 1980’s.
    (as for the CIA they are an unaccountable para government force by now and imperialism trumps government of the day, no doubt they prefer the coup mob culturally and in actual support)

  4. Sabina Becker says:
    September 27, 2009 at 8:28 PM

    Oh nice! Gorilletti now thinks he can order Brazil around? This is just getting more bizarre by the hour.
    I don’t think the pro-Zelaya and pro-democracy faction need much encouragement from Mel, though–they’ll be fighting this to the end anyway.
    But yeah, the White House’s silence is worrisome. Come on, Hawaiian dude, don’t let Honduras down…

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