The Political Saga Involving Honduras Continues
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August 23, 2009
Honduran Supreme Court warned in Tegucigalpa on August 22 that if ousted President Manuel Zelaya returns to Honduras, he will face trial on charges of treason and abuse of power. The court said August 22 that Manuel Zelaya must keep in mind pending charges against him. It has charged him with treason and abuse of power.
Last June 28 soldiers arrested Manuel Zelaya and flew him into exile in Costa Rica after he ignored a Supreme Court order to cancel a referendum asking Hondurans if they wanted a special assembly to rewrite the Constitution. He has tried several times to return to Honduras, but so far without success.
In a statement, the Honduran top court clearly indicates that Manuel Zelaya must abide by the existing Honduran law and accept the court’s verdict. Rulings to pardon the ousted president and his followers should be made according to the rule of law. The court expressed support to an item contained in the San Jose Accord, which required Manuel Zelaya drop the non-binding referendum that could have led to a lifting of presidential term limits.
The accord, issued on July 22, was part of the mediation efforts by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias to help break the current political impasse in Honduras. However, the involved parties failed to reach consensus on the accord as they remained far apart on key issues such as Manuel Zelaya’s return to power and the holding of early elections. In fact, the Arias plan called for Zelaya to retur and serve out his term, which ends in January 2010, and for a political amnesty that would protect both the current Honduran government and the ousted Zelaya, accused of various offenses by the Roberto Micheletti administration.
In Honduras’ first official response to the accord on July 28, the Supreme Court described as “unpractical” the accord’s proposal of advancing the general elections scheduled for Nov. 29 to Oct. 28. The interim leader Roberto Micheletti also warned of a trial of Zelaya if he returns to Honduras.
On August 21, eighteen followers of Manuel Zelaya, who had been imprisoned for making riots in the capital,were released. Two dozens of Zelaya’s supporters were accused of rebellion, robbery, arson and damages to private property during the August 12 protest. The six people who remain in custody face some extra indictment concerning jeopardizing national security and will face a 60-day hearing in court.
The riot happened when Zelaya’s followers organized to reject the so called “post-coup government” led by Roberto Micheletti and demand Zelaya’s immediate restoration to presidency. Police chief, Danilo Orellana said that the trial had not finished and that they would present more evidence to make sure those who were responsible for the crimes would be punished. “We have proofs, we will present them, we will continue working because that is the reason of living in democracy,” Orellana said.
Now, “Amnesty International”, in a report to be released August 26, accuses the Honduran military and police of using beatings and mass arrests to punish protesters for opposing the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya in June. “Mass arbitrary arrests and ill treatment of protesters are a serious and growing concern in Honduras today,” Esther Major, Amnesty’s Central American researcher, said in a statement. The government of Roberto Micheletti, the country’s de facto leader, accuses demonstrators of engaging in violent acts and provoking the authorities.
All this comes after the interim Honduras government confined Venezuelan and Argentine diplomats to their embassies in the country and threatened to expel them once they stepped out the gate. The restriction is a result of the diplomats’ refusal to leave Honduras before the August 21 deadline set by the interim government. The expulsion order issued on Aug. 18 by the interim government to demand the departure of Argentine diplomats was a response to Argentina’s expulsion of Honduran ambassador. The ministry said in a statement that police would arrest the diplomats once they left the embassies and deport them afterwards. Mario Fortin, adviser with the Honduran Foreign Ministry, urged the diplomats to leave the country immediately.
The Americano / AP / Reuters
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