Ousted Honduras leader gives talks until midnight

[rabs]

Source: Associated Press









By FREDDY CUEVAS and FILADELFO ALEMAN, Associated Press Writers – 39 mins ago
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – An ultimatum from ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya left little room for compromise in U.S.-backed talks Saturday aimed at resolving a crisis that has become the latest test for democracy in Latin America.

Zelaya, who was forced into exile in a June 28 military coup, gave negotiators meeting in Costa Rica until midnight to restore him to office, threatening to return to Honduras in secret and attempt to retake power on his own if no agreement is reached. He indicated he would reject any power-sharing agreement, a proposal to be discussed at the talks.

"If at that time, there is no resolution to that end, I will consider the negotiations in Costa Rica a failure," Zelaya said at a news conference Friday night at the Honduran embassy in Nicaragua. "I am going back to Honduras, but I am not going to give you the date, hour or place, or say if I'm going to enter through land, air or sea."


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090718/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_honduras_coup

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The outlook for a mediated solution by Costa Rican President Arias is bleak, barring a major concession on part of the golpistas in Tegucigalpa.

If the talks fail completely, it will be the second major diplomatic humiliation for Hillary, who set up the mediation talks in Costa Rica. The first was six weeks ago when the OAS, going against the wishes of Washington, lifted the suspension of Cuba from the hemispheric organization after nearly half a century.

[Judi Lynn]

1. Honduran interim government sacks 16 diplomats

Honduran interim government sacks 16 diplomats
www.chinaview.cn 2009-07-18 13:08:51

TEGUCIGALPA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Honduran interim Foreign Ministry on Friday sacked 16 diplomats amid an ongoing political crisis in the Central American country.

In a statement, the foreign ministry accused these diplomats of engaging in malpractice and embezzlement of state wealth and said will probe into the case together with the judiciary.

Local media reported that all the sacked diplomats have expressed their support for ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

On June 28, soldiers seized president Zelaya at the presidential palace and forced him to board a plane to Costa Rica. Roberto Micheletti was appointed as interim president by the congress several hours after the coup.

Since sworn in as interim president, Micheletti has replaced several ministers and government officials, including Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/18/content_11728212.htm

[subsuelo]

4. And the U.S. just stands by and watches it happen

[excess_3]

6. the last US invasion was when? n/t

[The abyss]

2. Thanks for this update.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Great LTTE from Canada: "New era for Latin America or same old?"

New era for Latin America or same old?

Jul 18, 2009 04:30 AM
Re:The slow boil of Honduran coup, July 13

It is a shame that the media coverage of the military coup d'état in Honduras is degenerating into referencing the usual red herring, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Even ignoring the well-known fact that Chavez has been democratically re-elected and that his government is promoting grassroots democracy throughout Venezuela, recurring to the "authoritarian leftist wave" myth in discussing the context of the Honduran coup is shoddy journalism.

In fact, such coverage sadly reflects the current illegal Honduran government's official line, which makes no mention of the Honduran elite's staunch opposition to the Zelaya government's redistributive policies.

Fortunately, all nations in Latin America, the European Union, the UN General Assembly, and many others around the world steadfastly refuse to legitimate the coup and continue to insist on the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of Honduras' constitutional president and cabinet.

http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/668145

[peacetalksforall]

5. I don't think it Hillary failed. There is movement for independence that is

growing and it could have happened if McCain had won.

There won't be business as usual (which is the U.S. and Europe running the rest of the Hemisphere south of the U.S.). Washington, led by corporations, can't get their head around that. They want continuity of control. It's not going that way.

It's a war of a certain kind. The corporations have had their way for nearly the entire 20th Century in Central and South America and they haven't bled those countries that are rich in earh resources dry (yet) - the $$$$ interest is still there - but they have left those people poor and kicked around while the leaders who were installed and groomed by the corporations are living in comfortable retirement and most in exile in nice locations - mostly around the U.S. and Europe.

It is the contingent of rich people who were aligned with the citizens of those countries work with the corporations who are still in the country and helping to orchestrate coups and business as usual. They are the ones working with the Otto Reich's - The Reich types who Obama needs to respond to. Did Reich and others propel this move in Honduras and are they CIA employees or agents.

There are hints of statements made by Obama and Clinton regarding Venezuela dn Bolivia that tells us what their stand is towards those leaders, thus certain countries. I have been apalled at the way they are using the same words against some of the leaders as the Cheney=Bush people did. I don't understand it except to stay that the corporations must still be in charge. We cannot have another President and Secretary of State and CIA working for the corporations. It is a reality.

[timeforpeace]

7. Giving negotiators in Costa Rica until midnight to install him? Want fries with that?

Costa Rican negotiators can install a Honduran president? How quaint.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Zelaya and his perception of what has happened cannot be described as "quaint."

Spend some time getting in touch the facts.

Flippancy is misplaced here. Nothing clever about trying to sound slick about a deeply serious situation in which Zelaya supporters have already been murdered by the fascist coup leaders in a bloodsoaked region still bearing the deep scars of years of filthy exploitation, mass murder, and meddling from US politicians and their corporate interests.