Thursday, June 10, 2010
Whispers of a Coup
We’re just 18 days shy of the one year anniversary of the 2009 coup d’etat carried out against the government of Manuel Zelaya in Honduras. And, as various reports over the last week indicate, coup rumors are swirling once again. This time, however, President Porfirio Lobo Sosa is the target and a small cadre of unnamed National Party leaders (possibly in collaboration with sectors of the military) is the group under presidential suspicion.
The AP has the first English language report I’ve seen on the matter thus far. It’s short but quotes Lobo who Wednesday told potential golpistas in somewhat cryptic of terms that “I’m warning you that I know who you all are. I have information, and you were wrong about me.” Lobo said the words were directed toward three leaders within his own party, but names he did not provide. The head of the party, Fernando Anduray, did respond, however, calling Lobo’s warning “imprudent.” Nevertheless, the AP continues, security for Lobo, his family, and his closest advisers was doubled Wednesday.
Honduras Culture and Politics has a wrap-up of coup rumor stories which found their way into all the Honduran papers yesterday. Proceso Digital, for one, highlights a directive Lobo issued to all governmental ministries Tuesday demanding that they neither align themselves with the far right (Unión Cívica Democrática) or the left (Frente Nacional). In this morning’s papers, stories on the matter highlight a speech given yesterday by the head of the Honduran Congress, Juan Orlando Hernández. Tiempo says Hernández promised that the body would not lend its support to any plot seeking the removal of Lobo Sosa from office. Hernández also rejected charges from other members of the Honduran Congress, accusing him of meeting with the military to discuss the possible removal of Supreme Court chief justice, Jorge Rivera Avilez.
Many congressmen are also now calling on President Lobo to reveal the names of alleged coup plotters.
Perhaps the strongest words of the day come from Celín Discua, head of the nacionalistas in Congress, quoted in Tiempo as saying: “There are extremist groups here [in Honduras] that look like Hamas, never changing their positions.”
haiti-cuba-venezuela 
Posted on June 10, 2010
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