Honduras meets the new boss; struggle continues

[Judi Lynn]

Honduras meets the new boss; struggle continues

Submitted by WW4 Report on Sun, 01/31/2010 - 23:55. As incoming Honduran president Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo was inaugurated with a celebration at a Tegucigalpa stadium Jan. 27, some 250,000 marched to the city's airport to see off ousted President Manuel Zelaya, who was flying to the Dominican Republic under terms of an agreement reached with the new administration. Zelaya was escorted from the
Brazilian embassy by Dominican President Leonel Fernández. The resistance movement pledges to carry on the struggle, now for "refounding" the country with a new constitution. (Los Necios, Jan. 31; Rights Action Jan. 27)

The Lobo administration began its term by announcing that the nation is bankrupt and will likely need international financial assistance to recover from months of diplomatic isolation over the June coup d'etat that ousted Zelaya. New Finance Minister William Chong said the outgoing administration of Roberto Micheletti left office with only about $50 million in government coffers. The first day of the new administration also saw early morning police raids that resulted in 41 people being detained and several weapons seized in the capital. (AP, Jan. 28)

In neighboring Nicaragua, President Daniel Ortega said his government will not recognize that of Lobo in Honduras, although Managua will maintain trade relations with Tegucigalpa. "We feel threatened," he said. (AP, Feb. 1)

Across the Americas, only the United States, Peru, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica have recognized the elections that brought Lobo to power as legitimate. Mexican columnist Angel Guerra Cabrera decried the process as "an image-washing operation patronized by Washington and the international right." (La Jornada, Jan. 28)

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