Thanks to a reader for calling my attention to the ongoing spasms of vindictiveness in the U.S. policy towards Honduras.
As noted in numerous posts here, the U.S. tried to force the return to power of Chavista and wannabe President-for-Life Manuel Zelaya. Only through the resoluteness of the Honduran people and government were Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama kept from achieving Zelaya’s return.
I thought that it was over, as far at the U.S. was concerned, when it was reported that Clinton was seeking to convince other Latin American nations, which had followed the U.S. lead in refusing to recognize the government of Honduras, to reverse course.
But apparently when it comes to the hurt egos of this administration, it never really is over (sound familiar, Mr. Netanyahu?).
As reported by the Wall Street Journal a few days ago, the tenacity of the Obama administration’s vendetta against Honduras was driven by the fact that Republicans had sided with those who removed Zelaya at the behest of the Honduran Supreme Court. (The Obama administration denies this, per the article.)
Four months after a presidential election, reports from Honduras suggest the Obama administration remains obsessed with repairing its foreign-policy image by regaining the upper hand. The display of raw colonialist hubris is so pronounced that locals now refer to U.S. ambassador Hugo Llorens as “the proconsul.”
Washington’s bullying is two-pronged. First is a maniacal determination to punish those involved in removing Mr. Zelaya. Second is an attempt to force Honduras to allow Mr. Zelaya, who now lives in the Dominican Republic, to return without facing any repercussions for the illegal actions that provoked his removal. Both goals are damaging the bilateral relationship, polarizing the nation and raising the risk of a resurgence of political violence.
La Gringa’s Blogicito has more on internal turmoil in Honduras resulting from the continued push to assure that Zelaya can return to Honduras without fear of prosecution, even for non-political offenses.
What really is going on with U.S. policy towards Honduras?
It appears that the institutional vendetta is not over, and that the Obama administration still wants to make an example of Honduras.
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Related Posts:
Honduras Follows The Law
I Hope Obama Fails In Honduras
We Are All Bibi Netanyahu Now
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Comments
I think it's a feather in Honduras cap to be given the cold shoulder by Comrade Zero. Good for them!
Point of order… i thought he was going all Honduras on Netanyahu, not the other way around.
Well, its shmucky, either way.
@A.W. – Point well taken.
Is there going to be anything left once this guy is gone?
Sounds like the Honduras people are getting more than their share of 'The Chicago Way', too? This current administration is truly despicable.
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I say we make an example of Mr. Obama . . .
I think next time we elect a President we should require that the person be tested by a team of psychiatrists first.
From the definition online, I come up with the use of smart (as in diplomacy) by Obama as causing pain.
Where are the grown ups in the Democrat party?
Supposedly Elizabeth the first did not want Mary, Queen of Scots killed because it would set a precedent of executing a royal. As stated before, it is quite possible what is happening in Honduras has more to do with Obama's future plans for himself rather than a vendetta against Republicans. When he's done with his first and only term of being that big impact player, it may be he won't be welcome here either.
Obama won't mind being a one term president. After pretending to work for four years (something he is very experienced at doing), Obama gets to travel the world in style (with his entourage), make millions speaking, and generally enjoy life. I see little evidence that Obama plans on attempting to subvert our constitutional republic–after all, that would ruin his free lunch for the rest of his life.
This is like 1950's Guatemala all over again! Only then the fear was Communism, what is the fear here? Democracy?
The last time I saw something like this is it was 1950's Guatemala. Then, we were afraid of Communism, what are we afraid of now? Democracy? Republicanism?
MikeT, you can only hope that Obama Mugabe.
I can't say how proud I was of the Honduran people who remember what it was like to be under a dictator's thumb. Something we never experienced but may soon. I was ashamed of the way Obama/Clinton handled it. It is THEIR nation. We don't have a say unless we are supporting the Chavez takeover of South and Central America.
That said, at this point, after offering Zelaya numerous opportunities to just get the heck out of Dodge, not something offered fifty years ago to disposed dictators, and having him come back attempting to incite a civil war which would have harmed or killed thousands, I'm about to the point of saying the army should have shot him the first time around for treason and been done with it.
See what being nice gets you?
The difference between our presidents and rulers such as Mugabe (or Chavez) is that we don't try and execute past presidents (though Democrats certainly thirst for such an outcome, stupidly believing that it will only happen to Republican POTUS). Chavez has a tiger by the tail and he can never let go. Obama…not so much.
Thank you for continuing to cover Honduras and for the link to my blog. I almost sent you my article, in case you were interested, but…I don't know, I feel funny about doing that.
All I can say is that here in Honduras, we definitely get a different perspective than the mainstream media is putting out in the US. Thank goodness for Mary O'Grady and bloggers like you!