WikiLeaks on Latin America: Honduras coup 'illegal'

The June 2009 coup that ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was rooted in an "illegal and unconstitutional" military and civilian plan, says one of the secret U.S. diplomatic cables published online by WikiLeaks.

The cable, dated July 24, 2009, and signed by the U.S. ambassador to Honduras, Hugo Llorens, is directed to the White House and senior State Department officials. It says the Honduran legislative and judicial branches "conspired" with the military to remove Zelaya from power. Zelaya was yanked from bed on the night of June 28 and put on a plane to Costa Rica. His foes alleged he was planning an illegal referendum to help him keep in power, a goal the cable labeled a "supposition."

From the cable:

The analysis of the Constitution sheds some interesting light on the events of June 28. The Honduran establishment confronted a dilemma: near unanimity among the institutions of the state and the political class that Zelaya had abused his powers in violation of the Constitution, but with some ambiguity what to do about it. Faced with that lack of clarity, the military and/or whoever ordered the coup fell back on what they knew -- the way Honduran presidents were removed in the past: a bogus resignation letter and a one-way ticket to a neighboring country. No matter what the merits of the case against Zelaya, his forced removal by the military was clearly illegal, and Micheletti's ascendance as "interim president" was totally illegitimate.

The United States temporarily blocked aid to Honduras after Zelaya's coup, and President Obama called it "not legal" in the days that followed Zelaya's ouster. Yet Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton eventually agreed to recognize the results of elections in November won by Porfirio Lobo, who assumed office in January.

On Monday, the outspoken Zelaya, who is still in exile in the Dominican Republic, said the leaked cable demonstrated "complicity" in the coup on the part of the U.S. government (link in Spanish).

-- Daniel Hernandez in Mexico City

Photo: Manuel Zelaya, former president of Honduras. Credit: EFE

Comments

[Concerned Patriot]

@ Pollshark"He is an embarrasment to the United State" ?

Why on earth should the united states be so concerned with controlling and coordinating so many other countries governments for any "Good-Natured" reasons?

[Poolshark]

Furthermore, who elected Hugo Llorens judge and jury? Just because his views are now out in the open doesn't change anything. He is not the final authority on what happened in Honduras. In fact, the man displayed immense ignorance, proving he is woefully unprepared to serve at his post. He should be recalled and replaced A.S.A.P. He is an embarrassment to the United States.

By the way, Presidente Lobo no longer seeks or cares to rejoin the OAS. The behavior of the OAS thruout this drama demonstrated their irrelevance and lack of objectivity. Viva Honduras!

[Peter]

This is silly. We are given no indication who did this legal "analysis". Reading it as a lawyer, the analysis inspires no confidence- there are conclusions, but no support offered. The article fails to mention that the Honduran Supreme Court ruled that the actions of the military were constitutional. I take the Supreme Court's word over this cable.

By the way, it is amusing to see Chavez and his puppets get so outraged when due process is not respected to the letter.

[michaelj72]

the OAS should call for the immediate reinstatement of Zelaya until and when free new elections can be arranged, and all and any latin american nations should withdraw their ambassadors and stop all support for the Lobo regime. the UN should oversee truly free elections. this gov't under Lobo is totally illegal and illegitimate. what more of a smoking gun does the world need?

but of course Hilary will continue to run around the continent "looking for support" for her coup buddies in Honduras.

[Ramon Cervantes]

Aren't leaders supposed to be truthful? Isn't the truth the essence of good values? Isn't that what we impress on our children? Truth and Honesty? So why is the US government infuriated and making a big fuss about these truths. Hillary and Obama should be ashamed of themselves. Thanks Wikileaks! The truth is making us FREE!!!

[Poolshark]

Honduras should immediately expel LLorens and revoke his visa. What he has done significantly interferes with the internal affairs of a sovereign nation and is likely to incite riot. Everybody already knew that was how he felt anyway. That is why he was booed at the soccer game. This article is inacurate also. The President impeached himself by committing acts against the constitution. There is no impeachment process in the Honduran Constitution. Refer to the Congressional Research service of the Library of Congress. Or read it for yourself.