Obama Sanctions Hondurans, Consoles Zelaya, and Props Up Chavez

Pajamas Media
Sept. 5, 2009
Dan Miller

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times on September 4, the United States has announced a major cutoff in aid to Honduras, saying that it had terminated “more than $30 million” which had previously been suspended. The announcement added that:
"It may eliminate as much as $200 million more if Honduras does not restore democratic rule and reinstate President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a coup."

In addition, the United States also threatened on September 3 to “withhold recognition of the new president who emerges from elections scheduled in November” unless Zelaya is reinstated prior to the election. Mr. Zelaya understood Secretary Clinton to have been more emphatic. He said that he "appreciated that Mrs. Clinton had “made it clear” the U.S. wouldn’t recognize any government arising from elections held by the interim government."

The United States had earlier started revoking visas “of members and supporters of the de facto regime. It had previously canceled four officials’ visas and stopped issuing new tourist and business visas to Hondurans.”

The situation is confusing. The “more than $30 million” termination of aid announced on September 3 probably refers to a further but undefined step with regard to the earlier “suspension” of aid noted on the same day by a State Department spokesman as “about $35 million in aid,” which “had been temporarily suspended after the coup.”

The earlier aid “suspension” apparently occurred on July 2. The difference between “suspension” and “termination” of aid is less than crystal clear. It is also unclear when, and even whether, the “about $35 million” aid termination will be followed by the threatened additional $200 million aid cut-off...

(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...

COMMENTS: What part of the fact this was not a coup which the rest of the world is waking up to does this Administration not understand? The former President went against the Honduran Constitution and was lawfully removed. What does Obama and Hillary do? They side with the legally ousted President Zelaya against the legitimate Government. What part of Impeachment do they not understand? Wait Hillary was against her husband being removed from office when he lied. Is that what is driving her? Failure to acknowledge a Constitution of another Country whose Congress and Supreme Court actually removed Zelaya after finding him guilty makes no sense except if you are socialist aka Communist leaning.

This President supports dictators over legitimate Governments which should get him impeached before this is all over especially if he thinks he can stay in office forever like the other dictators in the hemisphere. Time to cut of monetary support to ACORN voter fraud people and put an end the voter fraud of the Democrats to ensure we have legitimate people elected.

UPDATE:
Honduras targets deposed leader over expenses (Obama/Hillary on the wrong side against Honduras and refuse to recognize this is not a coup)

(AFP) – 2 hours ago

TEGUCIGALPA — Honduras' de facto government attacked deposed President Manual Zelaya on Saturday for wasting six million dollars of public funds on horses, vacations and Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Government officials distributed a lengthy list of what they claimed were Zelaya's pet luxury items, including cash for the upkeep of his horses as well as airline tickets, jewelry, the use of a private helicopter, and his own top-of-the-range motorbike, local media reported.

In an audit of Zelaya's expenses by judicial authorities, the mustachioed leader -- who was ushered out of the country on June 28 in a military-backed coup -- also spent money on expensive wines renting high-end real estate.

"By next week the High Court of Auditors will provide a report on each part of the investigation, and whether a criminal prosecution is appropriate," said Renan Sagastume, the presiding judge for Honduras' Superior Court of Auditors.

Meanwhile Honduras' interim government said it would suspend visa-free travel with Brazil for diplomats and other officials.

(Excerpt) Click here for Full Article

UPDATE:

The Honduran Constitution may be amended in any way except three. No amendment can ever change (1) the country's borders, (2) the rules that limit a president to a single four-year term and (3) the requirement that presidential administrations must "succeed one another" in a "republican form of government."

Article 239 of the Constitution specifically states that any president who so much as proposes the permissibility of reelection "shall cease forthwith" in his duties, and Article 4 provides that any "infraction" of the succession rules constitutes treason. The rules are so tight because these are terribly serious issues for Honduras, which lived under decades of military rule. The U.S. State Department terminated a broad range of assistance to the government of Honduras, charging the de facto regime and continuing failure to restore democratic, constitutional rule to Honduras (remember- they DID follow their constitution).

The State Dept. goes on to say that they will restore the terminated assistance upon a return to democratic, constitutional governance in Honduras. Their normally scheduled presidential election will be in November. But, the State Department says "we would not be able to support the outcome of the scheduled elections." I don't understand WHY people are not up in arms over this. Make sure that people are aware...

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/sept/128608.htm