As per early turn out results, it looks like Zelaya’s old competitor, Mr. Lobo (AKA The Wolf), is the likely winner. It makes sense after Zelaya’s party, which was the same as Micheletti’s, has emerged with a broken image, a little like the Republican party here in the states. However, at least Mr. Micheletti of the same party tried to rectify Zelaya’s screw up. But given what had only happened five months ago, it makes sense people are going to trust the blue and white flag party and run away from anything with red in it. After all, it is well known that Chavist ideology is associated with red, AKA the red Wave spreading throughout Latin America. I call it the political ideology cancer spreading through Latin America.
In the end, beyond the victory of Zelaya’s opposition party, the more important victory is that of the great and brave people of Honduras. Contrary to Zelaya and supporters calls for boycotting the elections and asking people to stay home and abstain from voting, they came out en masse, as if to do the exact opposite of what the man who claimed to be the legitimate leader of the Honduras people asked them to do. By having come out in huge numbers to vote, and doing the very opposite of what Zelaya asked, Hondurans spoke loud and clear, so the rest of the world could hear their message. Zelaya is not their leader. They don’t want him back and he and his supporters are minute little irrelevant people who only move with Chavez’ grease money and who scream the loudest.
Many of us Latin Americans, living there or elsewhere, who had been following the situation closely and were very concerned, are thrilled to see the little country of Honduras having taken a stand against the bullying of Hugo Chavez and his dictator friends.
Bravo Hondurans! You showed the world you follow and respect your constitution, that you treasure it, and that you treasure your democracy. It inspires the rest of us Latin Americans to also show the world that Hugo Chavez’ diseased polittics, handicapping and choking the thriving, resource-rich countries in the region are irrelevant, wrong, and don’t represent the majority of us. Just like Zelaya claimed to represent his people, while selfishly calling for sanctions against them, just so he returns to power, the likes of Chavez, Morales, Ortega, Correa, et al, do not represent us and it’s time we hand them their pink slip.
Congratulations Honduras. Not only have you earned your place in the World Cup, but also you have earned your place as the first country to stop Hugo Chavez dead on his tracks and show him who’s boss, the citizens, not the people in office. After such a difficult time and your brave standing in the face of world-wide rebuke, you have earned your place in the hall of inspiring people.
As a tweep said earlier in the #Honduras tweetstream, “Can we borrow your president Micheletti?” Many of us could use him.
Congratulations on your new beginning and God Bless you all.
Picture credits: http://www.laprensahn.com/
P.S. It is extremely worthy of mention that CNN en Español has redeemed itself with its coverage of the Honduras elections. Patricia Janiot saw the truth of Hondurans and her usually fantastic work came through when she interviewed Zelaya, asking him the tough questions. I am hoping to write my next post and highlight that great interview. I’m delighted that CNN had the vision to send Patricia Janiot, one of their best, and kept Sandinista Krupskaia Alis, away from Honduras.
I share your view and believe the following quote in the Wall Street Journal sums it up best, “the big regional story for 2009 will be how tiny Honduras managed to beat back the colonial aspirations of its most powerful neighbors and preserve its constitution”.
Unfortunately, all the nay sayers are still at it, exaggerating isolated incidents and accusing the transitional government of intimidation. What they do not mention is their hero, Zelaya was indicted in the OAS’s 2008 accusation of censorship. In 2007, the United Nations criticized the Zelaya regime for threats to journalists in Honduras. They also neglect to mention that when Zelaya declared his referendum on his own, he had Chavez ship the ballots from Venezuela.
Another big issue I have is the hypocrisy of Mr. Lula of Brazil. He refuses to accept a democratically elected government but embraces and engages the leader of one of the most repressive, anti-democratic regimes in the world, Iran. Does this not imply that according to Mr. Lula: It is ok to murder, torture, rape and suppress your population but not to remove a leader who has violated the constitution of his country, ignored the Supreme Court of his country and attempted to move forward on an illegal vote in partnership with a foreign country? Please!
Maria, I look forward to your continued coverage of this event and others in Latin America, good job!
Thank you for your great feedback World Affairs Guy.
My goal is to keep the English-speaking world (North Americans, Europeans, etc.) updated on the dangerous developments and alliances between the Chavez gang, and the enemies of our beloved nations. What’s more, it’s important that the world sees the struggle, tragedies and non-stop fight of millions of Latin American citizens as they defend their democracies against these thugs in power, who no longer represent them, even as the dangerous Chavez/Castro/ALBA alliance, grows stronger and stronger.
That’s why I focus on Honduras so much, because they showed they could. Thank you so much for understanding and for your wise and insightful words. I may quote you, if you don’t mind, in my tweets this week. Your words were right on.
Maria, thank you for your feedback. I am not of Latin background but have spent a lot of time in Central and South America. I have developed a strong affinity for the people and culture there. I was in Managua in November of 2008 during Ortega’s fraudulent civic elections and experienced the “thuggery” you refer to above first hand. My car was chased by a group of Ortega’s thugs with firecracker bazookas and clubs at an intersection in Managua. We were only going from one place to another, nothing more. I heard first hand from the people how Ortega hired gangs of criminals at $5 / day (big $ in Nicaragua) to pose as Sandinistas and intimidate the Liberal PLC supporters from demonstrating. This of course was funded by good old Hugo.
You are most welcome to quote me and follow me on twitter or at my blog. I am going to be adding a link to your blog on mine.
World Affairs Guy