The Honduran Congress and the Supreme Court ruled the non-binding poll, unconstitutional and present this as the legal grounds for the coup.   They also manufactured a letter of resignation of President Zelaya to try to build their legal backing.  The Congress voted almost unanimously (123 of 128 legislators) to elect Deputy and President of the Legislative Congress Roberto Micheletti, from Zelaya’s own Liberal Party the president, and act with questionable legal backing, since they did not respect the procedures established by their own laws. 

Internationally, the military coup has been condemned and to date no country has recognized Roberto Micheletti as president (only CNN calls him “president”).  The countries condemning the military coup and demand the re-instatement of the constitutionally elected president Zelaya include:

Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela, Perú, Mexico, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, United States, among Others.  The 34 member states of the Organization of American States condemned the coup against the constitutional government of Honduras and declared the coup an unconstitutional alteration of democratic order.  The Council of Foreign Ministers of the System of Central American Integration (SICA) also condemned the act.   The European Union condemned the detention of President Zelaya and called for an immediate return to Constitutional order in the country.   Today (June 29) the Presidents of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) decided to withdraw their ambassadors from Honduras. The OAS is contemplating suspending Honduras membership to that organization.   There is an emergency session of the United Nations meeting today, June 29th.   

IMPLICATIONS FOR HONDURAS

The military coup threatens the democratic process in Honduras.  It pits the popularly elected Presidency of Manuel Zelaya against the other institutional powers of the Congress and Supreme Court.   The Congress has provoked a confrontation between the citizens and institutional powers, which could lead to a violent confrontation or civil war.  

Currently, Roberto Micheletti and the congress have imposed a 24 hour curfew, cut off electricity and access to internet and alternative communication media. Chanel 8, 36, Telesur and CNN have been removed from the television airwaves.  Reports from inside Honduras say that only cartoons and soap operas are being aired and nothing of news related to the situation.  In addition to Zelaya’s cabinet members, members of the social movement are being threatened.  Protesters are being violently broken up and sprayed with tear gas.   Two deaths have been reported thus far and the kidnapping of the mayor of San Pedro Sula. 

IMPLICATIONS FOR EL SALVADOR AND THE REGION

Obviously, the return of military coups as a way to Presidential power sets a dangerous precedent for the region.   The recent attempt to destabilize the government of Alvaro Colom in Guatemala does not go unnoticed. 

There is a clear transition of power happening in Latin America.  There has been a widespread rejection the elites’ monopoly of power, which was inherited from Spanish Colonialism and was unconditionally backed by the United States Governments for the past century.  This rejection has resulted in the replacement of military dictatorships with democratic processes over the past two decades.   Given that the economic elite largely maintained political power at the beginning of the transition from military dictatorship to democracy, the elite thought their monopoly was invincible and that their economic domination and privileges would be enough to maintain a monopoly on political power.  However, the strengthening and consolidation of these democratic processes has opened the doors for a transition of power.   The people of Latin America have elected left and progressive governments over the past decade in the majority of Latin American countries.  The economic elite will not respect the people’s will when they can get away with it.  These progressive governments are just taking root and are fragile in some cases – Guatemala and Honduras for example.  It is a clear confrontation between the poor majorities and the economic elite has only recently begun.   The economic elite are making their last stands to try to hold onto there once unconditional privileges, impunity and power.

It should be noted that popularly elected President Mauricio Funes does not have a majority backing in the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador.  Furthermore, the extreme right controls the Supreme Court, which has led to an institutional crisis in El Salvador with the right wing blocking of the naming of new Supreme Court Justices and the Attorney General.  

In an interview with former ARENA deputy Rolando Alvarenga on a Salvadoran radio station June 28th justified the coup and additionally said that popular referendums are not constitutional in El Salvador and as long as the FMLN and Mauricio Funes do not attempt a referendum, they will not have problems.  On June 29th, Deputies of neither right wing parties ARENA nor PCN condemned the coup and called on other countries to not intervene or take a position on the situation in Honduras.

URGENT ACTION

Public statements from all democratic sectors directed to communication media, Presidents, OAS, United Nations, Congresses, and other governmental bodies are needed:

• Denunciation of the military coup.
•  Re-installation of President Manuel Zelaya
• Respect for the Human Rights and Civil Liberties of the popular movement and all sectors of the Honduran population.
• Support the process of democratization in the Americas.

CIS
June 29, 2009