Posted on 01/22/2010 7:00:19 AM PST by La Lydia
Oh, where do I start without writing a book? Rather than me giving the details of yesterday's Pepe Lobo/Mel Zelaya/Dominican Republic deal, let me direct you to these articles for the background: Zelaya Will Travel to Dominican Republic as "Distinguished Guest"
First of all: Dominican Republic? Why? The Dominican Republic, or at least its president Leonel Fernández, has been one of the major and rudest critics of Honduras (next to Chávez and Arias), not to mention the DR's strong connection with Chávez. The DR doesn't have exactly a stellar reputation in the field of diplomacy, and in fact has a reputation for corruption, much like Honduras. Not only that, but Fernández has been working on his constitution to increase his powers as well. The DR does not recognize Honduras and up until yesterday, did not recognize our election or our president elect, Pepe Lobo!
For those of you who keep up with these things, please make a note of the amount of foreign aid that the US and UN have given the Dominican Republic in the past couple of years and then please compare that with what they get this year or next year. I have no doubt you will see a huge increase. Maybe it will be funneled in some indirect way to try to cover it up and maybe there will be assistance from Chávez as well. But, there will be payment. Watch and see.
The US pretends to be the good guy: The US once again is hiding behind yet another country or organization while they intervene to force their will on Honduras. It's as simple as that. President Obama and the US State Department are every bit as much or more interventionists in the internal sovereign matters of Honduras as any previous administration. He just tries to hide it while the State Department claims that they are only following the will the "international community". Bull. Sorry if this is a surprise to anyone, but it's true.
Does anyone really believe that Leo Fernández just felt so confident of his abilities and compelled to get personally involved in this disastrous situation after Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias failed, the OAS (representing the force of the entire hemisphere) failed, and the US (representing a huge chunk of Honduras' economy) failed? Come on! Get real. The US must really think that we are gullible to swallow that.
The last thing that President Obama needs right now is another loss, but Honduras is a no win situation for the Obama administration. They can:
a) show that they are still a power who can force its misguided will on small countries ignoring the harm done in the process (and angering some of the world),
b) stick to Obama's non-interventionist claims (angering many of the world's presidents), or,
c) admit that they made a mistake in calling this a coup to start with.
No wins there.
The US solution appears to be:
a) force their will on a poor, small country, b) pretend that they are not intervening, and, c) use amnesty and exile to prevent the truth from coming out.
Again I have to point out that Barack Obama's pledge to treat Latin American countries "as equal partners ....[and with] mutual respect" sounded good but was a false and empty promise. I've been continually shocked at the rude, insulting, and demeaning public comments issued by the US State Department as well as the blatant interference in internal matters of Honduras....
Ping again
That’s because it wasn’t an opportunity he wanted to take. It’s not a good thing for the socialists that the people rose up against one of their own.
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