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Latin America Condemns Honduras
Military Coup
By Alexander Manda
Latin American
governments on Sunday condemned the military coup in
Honduras that ousted President Manuel Zelaya and
forced him to go in exile in Costa Rica.
The Organization of America States (OAS) criticized
the coup and called for the immediate restoration of
Zelaya during an extraordinary session on Sunday.
OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza described
the events as "a serious upset to the continent's
democratic process."
The regional bloc of the Bolivarian Alternative for
the Americas (ALBA) condemned the coup and called an
extraordinary meeting in Nicaragua to discuss the
issue. Besides Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega,
the presidents of Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador --
Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales and Rafael Correa --
confirmed their attendance, and Cuba's Raul Castro
may participate.
"Ecuador expresses its complete rejection of the
infamous brutality of these oligarchys of old and
some armed forces which have never been with their
people," Correa said, adding that he would never
recognize any government but Zelaya's.
Ortega said on Sunday that "Honduras' oligarchy" had
condemned themselves to the "scrapheap of history"
and said that all of Central America's presidents
would meet in Nicaraguan capital Managua later on
Sunday to discuss the crisis in Honduras that
follows the early Sunday coup d'etat.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called the coup
"troglodyte," saying his nation would not recognize
anyone other than Zelaya. He also urged soldiers
involved in the coup not to harass the civilians and
called for public demonstrations against the coup
plotters.
In a statement published by the presidents' office,
Bolivian President Evo Morales described the events
as "an escapade by a group of soldiers who are
attacking democracy and the people." He also
described the military participation in the coup as
an offence to all soldiers.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of the Central
American Integration System (SICA) on Sunday
rejected the naming of Roberto Micheletti, the
former Congress leader, as the interim president of
Honduras.
"We do not recognize any person, or group of people,
who illegitimately seek to install themselves in
Honduras' presidency as a result of the rupture in
constitutional order," Nicaragua's vice foreign
minister Manuel Coronel told the media, reading from
a statement agreed by all SICA colleagues, except
Honduras' Patricia Rodas, who is still held in
Honduras.
"We energetically condemn the attitude of Honduras'
armed forces against the democratically elected
government of Manuel Zelaya," the statement said.
Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim described the
coup as "an attack on democracy" and "inappropriate
for the political development in the region". He
added that Brazil's President Luis Inacio da Silva
is following the developments closely.
"There is no room for hesitation faced with the
interruption of democratic order in a brother
nation," Panama's Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis
Navarro said in a statement.
Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez told
reporters that Cuba considered Zelaya "the only
legitimate president" and described the coup as
"criminal and brutal."
Colombia's Foreign Ministry called for the
reestablishment of what it called "full legal and
constitutional order" and expressed its "deep
consternation" over the event.
Chile, Guatemala, Paraguay, Uruguay, Mexico and
Argentina also issued statements condemning the
coup.
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