Obama the Statesman – uh, How’s That Again?

The Obama Administration has taken further steps to try to “resolve” the Honduran presidential situation.

As reported by Patrick Goodenough of CNS News:
“In a new effort to prod Honduras’ interim government into returning the country’s ousted president to office, the Obama administration as of Wednesday stopped issuing visas to Hondurans except in emergency cases….

“Earlier the U.S. said it would suspend $50 million worth of aid, freeze military relations and revoke visas for officials in the interim government.” [1]

In reality, the “crisis” had already been satisfactorily resolved, except that Marxists Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, and Daniel Ortega (not to mention ousted Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales) as well as good buddy Barack Obama were not satisfied. It seems they didn’t want to lose an opportunity to push Honduras into Marxist hands.

Chavez had engineered the attempted return of Zelaya to Honduras on July 5.
“Chavez remarked afterwards to Telesur that at one stage he had Cuba’s Fidel Castro on one telephone line, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on another, and Zelaya – in the plane trying to land – on a third.” [2] In other words, the entire little circle except for Obama.

Zelaya was removed as required by the Honduran Constitution for trying to force a referendum that would allow him to continue serving as president after the expiration of his term. His removal (by the military), under authority of the Supreme Court of Honduras, as well as the legislature, in fact represented a triumph of the rule of law. None of the other countries mentioned above (including the U.S.) had any justification for their subsequent actions attempting to return Zelaya to power.

“(Article 239 of Honduras’ constitution limits the presidency to a single term, and adds: ‘Anyone who violates this provision or who proposes its reform, as well as those who support that violation directly or indirectly, will immediately cease to hold their respective positions, and will be disqualified from any public post for 10 years.’)” [3]

Fairly clear, I think. Yet Obama is doing his best to put Honduras under Marxist leadership, like the countries of his good friends and mentors. In the process, he is cutting off aid suddenly, and otherwise harming their economy. And, he seems to be defending the untruth that what took place was an illegal military coup.

Looks like Mr. Obama can be counted on, when it comes to supporting his Marxist allies in Latin America. I’m sure he can expect the same kind of solid support from them, as long as he plays by their rules.

[1] Patrick Goodenough, “U.S. Applies New Pressure in Attempt to Resolve Honduras Crisis,” 08/27/09, at http://cnsnews.com/news/article/53145.
[2] Patrick Goodenough, “Hugo Chavez Coordinated Ousted Honduran President’s Failed Attempt to Return Home,” 07/08/09, at http://cnsnews.com/news/article/50710.
[3] Ibid.

Photo: Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales, found at http://www2.un.int/public/Honduras/4/English/.