The Truth About The Honduran Situation

...from expert Ryan Mauro at FrontPage. He tells us what the Old Media won't.

Although the coup may not have been the best course of action, in removing Zelaya the Honduran military was acting to preserve the checks and balances required for a democracy to function. Moreover, if Zelaya were allowed to return to power, as some now urge, there is reason to believe that it would be a blow for the country’s democracy and a victory for Hugo Chavez, who sees Honduras as a key piece in his plan to create a socialist bloc opposed to the United States in Latin America.

Zelaya was democratically elected in 2006, but that does not necessarily mean he is a democrat. Indeed, Zelaya gave every indication that he intended to hold on to power beyond the one term that he is allowed under the Honduran constitution. To that end, Zelaya had called for a national referendum on whether a vote should be held in November to establish an assembly to rewrite the country’s constitution to allow for presidents to run for re-election. This referendum was opposed by the Congress, Zelaya’s own political party, and most important, by the Supreme Court, which ruled it illegal, as did the other legal authorities in the country. Zelaya ordered the military to distribute the ballots anyway. When they refused, he fired the head of the armed forces, military chief Gen. Romeo Vasquez.

See? Zelaya was behaving irrationally, illegally, undemocratically and unconstitutionally and had to be removed before he could seize absolute power and turn into a hard-leftwing dictator. He was behaving as if above the law, as if the Constitution didn't matter. He was ignoring democracy and trying to do whatever he wanted no matter what.

So he was properly removed from power.

This firing was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court, which required that Vasquez be reinstated. Zelaya refused to comply. The Attorney General then asked Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against Zelaya due to his blatant disregard for the country’s democratic laws. Undeterred, Zelaya assembled his supporters, who marched on the military base where the ballots were being stored. The military handed them over rather than risk a violent confrontation. Zelaya and his supporters then distributed the ballots, and local authorities were ordered to assemble polling stations nationwide. Against this background, there was every reason to think that Zelaya intended to install himself as a president-for-life in the mold of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez.

It was to avert that possibility that the coup took place. But even if strategically unwise, the coup cannot be called undemocratic – as it has been by many so world leaders, including President Obama. It was ordered by Congress and the Supreme Court, who felt Zelaya had to be removed for unconstitutionally acting in defiance of the other branches of power. In deposing Zelaya and exiling him to Costa Rica, the military merely enforced the law. Rather than form an undemocratic military regime, the President of the National Congress, Roberto Micheletti, was sworn in as the country’s leader, as constitutionally required, and the presidential elections for November 29 are still planned to be held. In contrast to the country’s political direction under Zelaya, Honduras has not become a dictatorship.

So the so-called "International Community" is wrong to oppose the "coup". Honduras has acted correctly, constitutionally, legally and democratically and we must respect this, not condemn it.

Besides, if we're not going to interfere with Iran's, Russia's and China's internal matters, we shouldn't interfere with Honduras's internal matters, either. Who are we to impose our ways on Honduras? If they want to preserve their democracy, constitution and rule of law by forcibly removing an emergent Latin American Hitler before he can seize absolute power, then we must mind our own business.

It's a mistake for Canada to join the far-left dictatorships of Latin America in condemning a nation who is simply saving herself from tyranny. I hope Ottawa will, once properly informed of the true facts, change her position, as warranted.

To condemn the removal of an emergent tyrant in Honduras or any nation is to condone tyranny.

Let Honduras take care of her own internal affairs legally and according to her constitution and democratic will.