Last night the Organization of American States voted overwhelmingly to expel Honduras in reaction to last week's military coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Of the 34 nations 33 voted in Favor with only one abstention, Honduras itself.
Following up on that comes today's expected arrival to Tegucigalpa with Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, President of Argentina and Rafael Correa, of Ecuador. He spoke on regional TV channel Telesur, saying that "I am organising my return to Honduras. This is the return of the president elected by the sovereign will of the people. I ask all farmers, residents, Indians, young people and all workers' groups, businessmen and friends... to accompany me on my return to Honduras.Do not bring weapons. Practice what I have always preached, which is non-violence. Let them be the ones who use violence, weapons and repression."
He is expected to arrive between 2:00 and 3:00 CST
Is this going to happen? Will there be violence? I am nervous for Honduras, in that it could all go horribly bad, or it could turn out to be a very maturing, turn the corner event. Please feel free to use this diary for updates and comment.
Update - According to the Clarin, Zelaya will be travelling accompanied only by OAS Secretary General Insulza.
Update 2 - Foreign Minister Enrique Ortez said that any plane carrying Mr Zelaya would not be allowed to land. Not sure how they are actually going to stop the plane from physically landing, but
Note - As much as I've been trying to de-link Honduras from Iran this past week, the whole "don't come back, because if there is bloodshed, it will be on your hands" vibe put out by Cardinal Rodriguez yesterday is very reminiscent of the call put out to Mousavi in the aftermath there.
Update - Al points out, according the Diariocolatino, that both Taca and American have cancelled their flights into Toncontin. I was wondering about that, especially as American's once daily lands about that time. The roads leading to the airport are also supposedly blocked, and no one is being permitted with 2 kilometers of Toncontin Airport.
Note - As long as we're talking about illegality/unconstitutional of actions, if the De facto government does indeed impede Zelaya from returning, that would also be probited by the constitution, which permits free transit of all Honduran citizens.
Update - Via Al's Twitter feed: "Zelaya Doesn't Blink - Two Planes Head South from Washington Today" Evidently, Zelaya is Travelling with Miguel d'Escoto. The Second will carry Kirchner, Correa, Lugo of Paraguay and Insulza and will travel to San Salvador. Not quite sure what that's about.
Update - Watching Telesur, seems as if the military is present near the landing strip, but not actually on it, so as to impede landing. But arrival is still a ways off..
One thought - In my opinion, the best Plan B would seem to land at Soto Cano AFB. It would offer protection from the Honduran Army, if necessary. Don't know if it's the best idea to get that involved, but it would definitely be a strong message. Doesn't seem that Obama-like, though.
Update - Telesur has images of a march toward Toncontin, hard to see how many people but looks like they're relatively close to the Airport.
Update - Channel 10 Honduras is reporting that Zelaya is in El Salvador, and is seeking a meeting with the Department of Justice of Honduras to negotiate his return. Supposedly, he arrived on a Venezuelan plane. Not sure what to make of this. Al's Twitter feed says not true, though. And Telesur says he's still in Washington. If so, he's definitely NOT on schedule. Btw, Sunset is 6:21, so if he's leaving now from Washington, that's 5:00 something that's he's landing, Just an hour or before dark.
Update - Maybe this clears it up. Director of Civil Aeronautics, Alfredo San Martín, says that that he will land in El Salvador, because he does not have permission to land in Honduras.
Update - Supposedly Micheletti himself is going to speak in a second. They're rounding up all the TV and radio stations to transmit it. He's speaking Now. Talking about Nicaraguan troops supposedly getting ready to enter from the southern border and Venezuelan elements. Canciller Colindres up now. Same stuff. Lopez Contreras now. Crying about Honduras having been expelled from OAS. Pobre Nosotros.. But in the end, states they are ready to negotiate in good faith with the OAS. Press questions. Nicaragua, Really? Ok, well, psychologically there amassing troops.. New question: Supposedly certain Big Businessmen want to negociate. What's up? Answer: Nobody pressures me. I negociate with the people only. Press conference over.
Update - The crowd seems to be fairly close to Toncontin, and the riot police seems to be backing up a bit. Kristin at the Field reports that the march was help up for at a time at one of the Military checkpoints near the airport. They seem to moving be well now.
Update - From what I can see, the march reached the airport, and the police have in certain cases backed up all the way to the entrance and and in others allowed them to pass.
Update - Following up on Lopez Contreara's comments during the Press Conference, Reuters is reporting that a senior US Official reaffirms Honduras would like to start talks with the OAS.
Update - Twitterer Rensilvio is reporting a crowd of 500,000 gathering at Toncontin in Support of Zelaya. Don't know where he's getting that number from though.
Update 3:12 - Chavez is on Telesur talking about the Venezuelan Pilots flying Zelaya's plane. I get it, and was thinking how much you gotta hand it to the guys flying that plane. But doesn't Chavez realize he's not helping with his speeches?
Note - Greg Weeks makes a good point a few minutes ago. When have we ever seen a coup where the deposed even wants to come back, much less does so, as Zelaya is doing so? In Latin American History, the deposed barely escape with their lives, and have to seek refuge in other countries. They just don't come back, at least not within the a week. I think a lot of that has to do with the Honduran national character, which is soft and conciliatory, as well as the very thin rationale originally put forward for the coup by the interim government.
Note 3:43 - Honduran Blogger Figgy makes an interesting point that if Micheletti had held to the point that Zelaya would simply be arrested were he to return, Mel would look bad were he to land in El Salvador. But the fact that Micheletti specifically prohibited landing gives Zelaya an out if he doesn't land as well as looking incredibly thuggish. And Zelaya gets to call him out from El Salvador, as well as calling for the peaceful dispersion of the marchers, which will make him the peace-seeker.
Update 3:56 - Telesur just had an interview with Zelaya in his plane. States that they are entering Honduran airspace and have asked permission to land from the control tower.
Update 3:58 - Reports of shots and two dead. Unconfirmed.
Update 4:25 - Luis Galdámez of Radio Globo Honduras is reporting that big businessmen Ricardo Maduro, Rafael Ferrari and Carlos Flores Facussémet met until 5 a.m. this morning with Interim government representatives and have decided to back off in their support and would like to find a solution so that Zelaya can some back.
Update - 4:53 Still no confirmation of the 2 deaths. The scrum between a few protesters and the military which brought out tear-gas bombs seems to have subsided.
Update - 5:06 Zelaya is set to land "ina few minutes" according to Telesur. The landing strip looks fairly clear, from the images.
Update 5:26 - Mel's plane is arriving. Military is putting vehicles in the landing strip. Pilot is speaking. Going to pass twice. Mel is speaking.. "they are impeding our arrival". "there is total impediment. I am with the two pilots in the cockpit." "we have to find a way to enter the country.." They are continuing to circle the airport, but it continues to be blocked. Mel is talking about "tomorrow or the next day when I can arrive.." He continues to talk about justice and the people of Honduras.. The interim government gave him this platform, and he's using it very well.
Update 5:40 - Connection with Mel's plane lost. Telesur puts Chavez on the line. Praises the Venezuelan Pilots who made three low passes (In Tegucigalpa, that is tough, for the geography ie mountains.) "Cowardly government.. Great Moral victory.. We are backing Honduras until they retake the path.." Ok, sheesh.
Note 5:46- Again, the Interim Government set themselves up so poorly for this. They didn't even have the landing strip blocked until the very last minute.
Update 5:48 - Two deaths seemingly verified by AP. Unconfirmed Photo. Slightly Gruesome.
Al is saying that, according to the control tower, the plane is headed to Managua. But El Salvador is logically the better option. We'll see.. Managua now confirmed. Not sure why. D'escoto is Nicaraguan.. Al says it's better than having everyone in San Salvador, make more international noise, that way. Okay.. sure..
I'm taking off now. Nell, thanks again for your comment. Made my afternoon.
Final Update 10:48pm
My final thoughts on today:
- Micheletti put himself in a bad position by first saying Zelaya was welcome to Honduras, but that he would be arrested upon arrival and then, later on, categorically denying him entry. That was clearly unconstitutional and moreover, highly thuggish. The fact that his forces apparently were responsible for 2 deaths, one a ten year old child, will not play out well. That they apparently had real bullets in their guns was insane.
- That stupid press conference was silly and a waste of time. These guys looked and sounded bad. Then they let out that they were willing to sit down with the OAS, even before Zelaya had arrived. The "Nicaragua is psychologally invading us" line was simply loopy.
- Zelaya still seems to me a bit of a freak show, and today was definitely a stunt, but he played it well, conversing with and updating news outlets during the flight, and getting in the cockpit and speaking to Telesur during the attempt at landing was shrewd and showed strength. His words during those five minutes were smart and to an extent, eloquent.