The "President" of Honduras, Roberto Micheletti, threatened this Sunday to revoke the diplomatic status of the Brazilian Embassy in Honduras if the deposed president Manuel Zelaya, has not been resolved through diplomatic means. This according to the Folha Online, the online version of the Folha de Sao Paolo.
En response, Brazilian President Lula said that they do not accept the ultimatum. "Zelaya was expelled in the most shameful manner possible." "For me, the solution is simple", stated Lula, "the Golpistas should leave the presidential palace, Zelaya should be returned to power, and elections should be held".
Zelaya
Supporter of Zelaya seen from Brazilian embassy
Honduras issues Decree to suspend Civil Liberties
The Honduran government has prohibited public protests and suspended freedom of the press. This decree authorizes the police and armed forces to close whatever radio and television station "that does not conform it's programing to actual circumstances". The decree also authorizes imprisonment without charges.
Honduran strong man, Michelleti has joined the ranks of trash dictatorships in Latin America, arresting and expelling a democratically elected president and forcefully assuming the presidency. The United States stands helplessly by, hoping that the problem will go away, or be forgotten by an American public that does not even know it's own history, much less the bloody history of Central America. How do we crow to the world that Iraq and Afganistan must have democracy, and then do nothing when Honduras stages a flagrant coup. How do we hold ourselves up as the leader of the Free World when Honduras is threatening an act of war on Brazil, our friend and neighbor? Where is Hillary Clinton tonight? It has been three months since this outrage was accomplished. Are we just goint to poo poo that it happened and say, that is too bad it happenend in a backwater Central American country?
Imagine if the president of Kuwait was overthrown by an usuper that wanted power by force. Oh wait....
We cannot sit by and say that we love democracy, and then pretend this did not happen. I am not saying that Zelaya is a saint. Just that he is holed up in the Brazilain embassy, and Honduras is threatening war. Do we really think this will not affect us if we ignore it?