Honduras

[Jim Gorman]

This is related to the globalization issue and maybe theology.

 

Our Evangelical and Reformed Church colleagues from Honduras have an interesting take on the coup that just took place today in Honduras.

 

We met with 5 Honduran pastors two weeks ago and one of them said back then that there might well be a military coup.

 

The president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, had allied himself with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Chavez had worked with him to change the constitution of Honduras so that this President could be President for life and move Honduras economic outlook toward the Chavez point of view.  The plebecite was to be today (Sunday).  But this morning, the military (and these details are sketchy) forced the president to leave.  He is now in Costa Rica according to current news, claiming that he was kidnapped.

 

What is interesting from a "boots on the ground" point of view is that our partner/pastors all say that this is a good thing. 

 

The EU and our own State Department have condemned the coup (I guess that's just not how things ought to be done), but our colleagues and partners in the Evangelical and Reformed Church in Honduras are united in saying that it had to be done.

 

It will be interesting to see how all this progresses in the days ahead.

 

Jim

[Richard Floyd]

Jim,

Thanks, this is really interesting. It goes against our sensibilities
to realize that in some places in the world, folks rely on the
military for the kind of stability we take for granted from an elected
civilian government.

Living near the edge of New York State, I am seeing the kind of
political chaos there that can sometimes break out. I don't see the
National Guard taking over Albany anytime soon, but I might trust them
for the short term over some of the bozos (indicted Democrats, ah my
people) that are trying to take charge.

Guess the message is that in a fallen world it is hard to make
categorical statements about what is best (example comes to mind:
George W. Bush's insistence on democracy at any price. We're all for
democracy, but wait, the Hezbollah?)

P.T. Forsyth once said it is bad for the church to find itself on one
side in a civil war. Your Honduran colleagues are making a
provisional guess that in the short term a coup is better than the
alternatives. I suspect none would equate that outcome with the
kingdom.

-Rick

Richard Floyd
rfl...@berkshire.rr.com

[Jim Gorman]

On the other hand, Oscar Arias, Nobel prize winning president of Costa Rica is probably right in saying that this is the wrong way to handle opposition to policies.  From LA Times:

"We thought Central American democracy had consolidated sufficiently to avoid this," Arias said. "It is sad to see some civilians applaud a coup just because they disagree with policies. This has shown us that democratic institutions in Central America are still fragile . . . vulnerable." 

 

--
www.uccwaukesha.org

[herb.davis]

Dear Jim,  It is sad when the military removes an elected president.   I initially assumed that Clergy are usually middle class and supported order rather than radical change. I understand from today's papers that the Supreme Court had declared the referendum unconstitutional and the president refused to accept its ruling.  I remember the Liberation Theologian Gutierrez supporting the disbanding of unions in order to open up opportunities for the poor.   I would imagine that democratic institutions are fragile in Central America, but they maybe fragile everywhere.  Is this part of the struggle of the poor for their place in the nation's economic system?  The struggle of which is the best way to reach this goal?  Or simply power wanting to hold on to power?   I hope you will keep us posted on this.  Herb