2009.06.30: June 30, 2009: Headlines: COS - Honduras: Blogs - Honduras: Safety: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer "I Hope in Honduras" writes: We, as PCVs, have been on STANDFAST (Phase 2: Stay in site. Pack a bag. Prepare for consolidation.) since noon on Friday.
From: "Peace Corps Online" <ad...@peacecorpsonline.org>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:15:20 -0400
Local: Tues, Jun 30 2009 7:15 pm
Subject: 2009.06.30: June 30, 2009: Headlines: COS - Honduras: Blogs - Honduras: Safety: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer "I Hope in Honduras" writes: We, as PCVs, have been on STANDFAST (Phase 2: Stay in site. Pack a bag. Prepare for consolidation.) since noon on Friday.
Peace Corps Volunteer "I Hope in Honduras" writes: We, as PCVs, have been on STANDFAST
(Phase 2: Stay in site. Pack a bag. Prepare for consolidation.) since noon on Friday.
We have also had two nights, Sunday night and Monday night, of country curfew (9PM until
6AM). Classes were canceled yesterday and today, and there are some roadblocks near the
presidential palace. There were demonstrations yesterday in the capital city involving riots and
police response. Although we currently have two presidents and cabinets in Hondu, Zelaya is supposed
to return to the capital this week to regain his position as President. It seems that a majority of
the world disagrees with his arrest and is asking for his reinstatement.
Hey, again. So nothing new to report here. My health and spirits are in good shape. We, as PCVs,
have been on STANDFAST (Phase 2: Stay in site. Pack a bag. Prepare for consolidation.) since
noon on Friday. It is supposed to end at noon today but could quickly change. We have also had two
nights, Sunday night and Monday night, of country curfew (9PM until 6AM). Classes were
canceled yesterday and today, and there are some roadblocks near the presidential palace. There were
demonstrations yesterday in the capital city involving riots and police response. Although we
currently have two presidents and cabinets in Hondu, Zelaya is supposed to return to the capital
this week to regain his position as President. It seems that a majority of the world disagrees with
his arrest and is asking for his reinstatement. A lot of the news stations in Honduras have been
blocked, so most of the information received here is through commentaries on the radio and through
the internet.
As for Gracias, there was a demonstration yesterday by local teachers who are in support of
reinstating Mel because of the reforms that he has made in the past in their favor. Today there was
supposed to be a meeting of all of the mayors of the department of Lempira in Gracias. I have no
idea if it actually happened and, if so, what took place. I have not gone in to work for the past
two days and have tried to stay indoors as much as possible. Although I feel safe and haven't
experienced any ill sentiments personally, I am keeping a low profile.
Here is an excerpt from an email that our Country Director sent us that will hopefully give a bit
more clarity on the encuesta on La Cuarta Urna that was supposed to take place this past Sunday:
"Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in November 2009. Honduras' constitution
does not permit a President being elected for a second term.
President Zelaya proposed that there be a national encuesta (survey) to allow the Honduran
people to decide whether or not they would like to be able to vote in the November elections for a
cuarta urna (fourth urn) that would call for a constitutional assembly to be held at some
future date. The purpose of a constitutional assembly would be to change the Honduran constitution,
possibly including permitting presidents to be re-elected. This national encuesta and the cuarta
urna in the November elections have been ruled as against the law by Honduras' top court."
June 28, 2009: Coup in Honduras
Caption: A military vehicle patrols the area around the presidential residency in Tegucigalpa,
Sunday June 28, 2009. Soldiers arrested Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya and disarmed his
security guards after surrounding his residence before dawn Sunday, his private secretary said.
Protesters called it a coup and flocked to the presidential palace as local news media reported that
Zelaya was sent into exile.
(AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
When this story was posted in June 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online
The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Join Us Mr. President!
"We will double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011. And we'll reach
out to other nations to engage their young people in similar programs, so that we work side by
side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity," said Barack Obama during
his campaign.
From: "Peace Corps Online" <ad...@peacecorpsonline.org>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:15:22 -0400
Local: Tues, Jun 30 2009 7:15 pm
Subject: 2009.06.30: June 30, 2009: Headlines: COS - Honduras: Blogs - Honduras: Safety: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer "I Hope in Honduras" writes: We, as PCVs, have been on STANDFAST (Phase 2: Stay in site. Pack a bag. Prepare for consolidation.) since noon on Friday.
Peace Corps Volunteer "I Hope in Honduras" writes: We, as PCVs, have been on STANDFAST
(Phase 2: Stay in site. Pack a bag. Prepare for consolidation.) since noon on Friday.
We have also had two nights, Sunday night and Monday night, of country curfew (9PM until
6AM). Classes were canceled yesterday and today, and there are some roadblocks near the
presidential palace. There were demonstrations yesterday in the capital city involving riots and
police response. Although we currently have two presidents and cabinets in Hondu, Zelaya is supposed
to return to the capital this week to regain his position as President. It seems that a majority of
the world disagrees with his arrest and is asking for his reinstatement.
Hey, again. So nothing new to report here. My health and spirits are in good shape. We, as PCVs,
have been on STANDFAST (Phase 2: Stay in site. Pack a bag. Prepare for consolidation.) since
noon on Friday. It is supposed to end at noon today but could quickly change. We have also had two
nights, Sunday night and Monday night, of country curfew (9PM until 6AM). Classes were
canceled yesterday and today, and there are some roadblocks near the presidential palace. There were
demonstrations yesterday in the capital city involving riots and police response. Although we
currently have two presidents and cabinets in Hondu, Zelaya is supposed to return to the capital
this week to regain his position as President. It seems that a majority of the world disagrees with
his arrest and is asking for his reinstatement. A lot of the news stations in Honduras have been
blocked, so most of the information received here is through commentaries on the radio and through
the internet.
As for Gracias, there was a demonstration yesterday by local teachers who are in support of
reinstating Mel because of the reforms that he has made in the past in their favor. Today there was
supposed to be a meeting of all of the mayors of the department of Lempira in Gracias. I have no
idea if it actually happened and, if so, what took place. I have not gone in to work for the past
two days and have tried to stay indoors as much as possible. Although I feel safe and haven't
experienced any ill sentiments personally, I am keeping a low profile.
Here is an excerpt from an email that our Country Director sent us that will hopefully give a bit
more clarity on the encuesta on La Cuarta Urna that was supposed to take place this past Sunday:
"Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in November 2009. Honduras' constitution
does not permit a President being elected for a second term.
President Zelaya proposed that there be a national encuesta (survey) to allow the Honduran
people to decide whether or not they would like to be able to vote in the November elections for a
cuarta urna (fourth urn) that would call for a constitutional assembly to be held at some
future date. The purpose of a constitutional assembly would be to change the Honduran constitution,
possibly including permitting presidents to be re-elected. This national encuesta and the cuarta
urna in the November elections have been ruled as against the law by Honduras' top court."
June 28, 2009: Coup in Honduras
Caption: A military vehicle patrols the area around the presidential residency in Tegucigalpa,
Sunday June 28, 2009. Soldiers arrested Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya and disarmed his
security guards after surrounding his residence before dawn Sunday, his private secretary said.
Protesters called it a coup and flocked to the presidential palace as local news media reported that
Zelaya was sent into exile.
(AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
When this story was posted in June 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online
The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Join Us Mr. President!
"We will double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011. And we'll reach
out to other nations to engage their young people in similar programs, so that we work side by
side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity," said Barack Obama during
his campaign.
Discussion subject changed to "2009.06.30: June 30, 2009: Headlines: COS - Honduras: Blogs - Honduras: Safety: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer "Coyote Quixote" writes: On Sunday morning I woke up to a text message informing me that a coup-de-etat (golpe de estado) had occured in Honduras" by Peace Corps Online
From: "Peace Corps Online" <ad...@peacecorpsonline.org>
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 10:58:28 -0400
Local: Fri, Jul 3 2009 10:58 am
Subject: 2009.06.30: June 30, 2009: Headlines: COS - Honduras: Blogs - Honduras: Safety: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer "Coyote Quixote" writes: On Sunday morning I woke up to a text message informing me that a coup-de-etat (golpe de estado) had occured in Honduras
Peace Corps Volunteer "Coyote Quixote" writes: On Sunday morning I woke up to a text message
informing me that a coup-de-etat (golpe de estado) had occured in Honduras
Naturally, I immediately went to make coffee and watch the news... but no electricity for either. So
I called up fellow Peace Corps Volunteers elsewhere in the country to get what news I could. I soon
found out that power had been cut throughout the country, that generator-run televisions and radios
were not recieving news broadcasts. The president was rumored to be in Costa Rica, or an airbase. In
the street (there is only one) of Camasca (my town), it was more of the same. Most
of my neighbors are of the Nationalist party, and opposed President Zelaya and his "Cuarto
Urno" referendum. Some were talking about the coup, but mly the more partisan few were voicing
their opinions. On the surface, it was an ordinary day but in the corner stores people were buying
gas, food and batteries in quantity. Power, internet and Mexican satellite-TV news came and went and
over the next day and a half the we caught up on the story. Armed troops had stormed the
presidential residence in the early morning on sunday, grapped a groggy Mel Zelaya at gunpoint and
put him on a plane to Costa Rica in his Pajamas. They also occupied major government buildings
throughout the capital. At some point, prominent supporters of the president (including several
journalists and the mayor of San Pedro Sula), were also arrested without charge. The Supreme
Court and Congress came out in support of the coup/ouster, a likely-falsified letter of resignation
was procured, and the leader of the national congress was made interim president (elections,
scheduled long before & independant of the coup, will be held this November).
On Sunday morning I woke up to a text message informing me that a coup-de-etat (golpe de
estado) had occured in Honduras. Naturally, I immediately went to make coffee and watch the
news... but no electricity for either. So I called up fellow Peace Corps Volunteers elsewhere in the
country to get what news I could. I soon found out that power had been cut throughout the country,
that generator-run televisions and radios were not recieving news broadcasts. The president was
rumored to be in Costa Rica, or an airbase. In the street (there is only one) of Camasca
(my town), it was more of the same. Most of my neighbors are of the Nationalist party, and
opposed President Zelaya and his "Cuarto Urno" referendum. Some were talking about the coup,
but mly the more partisan few were voicing their opinions. On the surface, it was an ordinary day
but in the corner stores people were buying gas, food and batteries in quantity.
Power, internet and Mexican satellite-TV news came and went and over the next day and a half the we
caught up on the story. Armed troops had stormed the presidential residence in the early morning on
sunday, grapped a groggy Mel Zelaya at gunpoint and put him on a plane to Costa Rica in his Pajamas.
They also occupied major government buildings throughout the capital. At some point, prominent
supporters of the president (including several journalists and the mayor of San Pedro Sula),
were also arrested without charge. The Supreme Court and Congress came out in support of the
coup/ouster, a likely-falsified letter of resignation was procured, and the leader of the national
congress was made interim president (elections, scheduled long before & independant of the
coup, will be held this November).
This mess is the result of a fairly complicated political problem. A moustached, cigar-chomping
timber & cattle magnate (with family in the narcotrafficking - excuse me,
"ganancia," business), he would appear more at home on the Bush ranch in Texas than
bear-hugging Hugo Chavez. Yet this same president who signed Honduras on to CAFTA (Central
American Free Trade Agreement) has realigned (somewhat) towards the leftist camp by
signing on to ALBA (Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas: Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia et.
al.). In practice, Honduras participates in both blocs: it retains lowered trade barriers, etc.
to attract US investment while accepting Cuban doctors & teachers, and cheaper Venezuelan gas.
Yet in the context of this foreign policy shift, President-In-Exile Zelaya (henceforth PIEZ)
had been pushing to change the Honduran constitution to remove term limits and allow re-election.
Many across the political spectrum fear that he will follow the personalist-populist path of Chavez
and Morales, to the detriment of the democratic process. At the same time, his supporters see him as
rebel against the very tightly-knit political elite (consisting of a few families that extend
across the major party lines). He is popular amongst many rural laborers and urban unions,
though not all (in my area, for example, the rural population is quite pro-nationalist).
The problem is, much of the constitution is not amendable. The Honduran Supreme Court
(unfortunately not known as a bastion of impartial judgement, regardless of this) had
declared the Cuarto Urno (the proposed referendum) unconstitutional. Both major political
parties staunchly opposed it, although certain leaders from both supported PIEZ. PIEZ had scheduled
the now-moot sunday poll to gague pulic support for the C.U. and possibly crate a mandate for it. He
ordered the military to assist in the polling, and fired the army Chief Of Staff (second in
command, after the president) when he refused to cooperate. The heads of all branches of the
military resigned in protest. Then, coup. It is unclear whether the Supreme Court and Congress had
officially communicated their support of the coup before it took place, but given the small &
interconnected political elite this collusion is not unexpected.
One wonders if all this could have been avoided if Honduras had a legal process for amending its
constitution. Written in 1982, it is a product of it's time: in that year Honduras transitioned
from dictatorship to democracy, but with a military awash in US military assistance assuring the
military a quiet supremacy behind the scenes (political disappearances and police intimidation
actually increased after the transition). It was designed to trump exactly this kind of
populism. However, there are no explicit provisions in the constitution for coup either. It is hard
to justify overthrowing a democratically elected president in the name of democracy. Impeachment, or
any equivalent legal measures, was not attempted: political posturing led directly to force. The
constant on both sides of this crisis is wholesale trampling of the rule of law. This is a
fundamental trend in Honduras that cannot be fixed by constitutional amendment; nevertheless an
amendable constitution and a legal impeachment process should both be put on the table when a
settlement is eventually negotiated.
World public opinion has roundly condemned the coup: at the moment, I cannot think of a single state
that has recognized the interim government or its president, Roberto Michelletti. This is the first
and only instance I remember in which the US and Venezuelan governments seem to be in accord over
anything. PIEZ attended a much-publicized ALBA meeting in
Nicaragua immediately following the coup, with Castro, Ortega and Chavez present. Chavez swore to
reinstate PIEZ, militarily if necessary. Castro expressed support for PIEZ, but was silent on
Discussion subject changed to "2009.06.30: June 30, 2009: Headlines: COS - Honduras: Blogs - Honduras: Safety: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer "27 month adventure" writes: I am safe, we are all safe, and there is a lot of continued talk between the peace corps and the US embassy to ensure that we stay safe" by Peace Corps Online
From: "Peace Corps Online" <ad...@peacecorpsonline.org>
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 10:59:49 -0400
Local: Fri, Jul 3 2009 10:59 am
Subject: 2009.06.30: June 30, 2009: Headlines: COS - Honduras: Blogs - Honduras: Safety: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer "27 month adventure" writes: I am safe, we are all safe, and there is a lot of continued talk between the peace corps and the US embassy to ensure that we stay safe
Peace Corps Volunteer "27 month adventure" writes: I am safe, we are all safe, and there is
a lot of continued talk between the peace corps and the US embassy to ensure that we stay safe
The new training class was supposed to arrive on Wednesday, but they will instead be going to the
Dominican Republic for a little bit. I thought about offering to assist in training, but realized
that my suggestion probably wouldn´t be appreciated right now. I can´t imagine all this happening on
the eve of when we arrived into Honduras. I just remember how many times we had to move during
training, and how everyone complained about it, and now these poor people will have more moves than
most.
News: Well, there has been quite a lot to talk about in the local news, but in order to secure Peace
Corps volunteer safety, they advise that it is best to leave your personal comments personal, and
not share with the world. Important part: I am safe, we are all safe, and there is a lot of
continued talk between the peace corps and the US embassy to ensure that we stay safe. The new
training class was supposed to arrive on Wednesday, but they will instead be going to the Dominican
Republic for a little bit. I thought about offering to assist in training, but realized that my
suggestion probably wouldn´t be appreciated right now. I can´t imagine all this happening on the eve
of when we arrived into Honduras. I just remember how many times we had to move during training, and
how everyone complained about it, and now these poor people will have more moves than most.
June 28, 2009: Coup in Honduras
Caption: A military vehicle patrols the area around the presidential residency in Tegucigalpa,
Sunday June 28, 2009. Soldiers arrested Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya and disarmed his
security guards after surrounding his residence before dawn Sunday, his private secretary said.
Protesters called it a coup and flocked to the presidential palace as local news media reported that
Zelaya was sent into exile.
(AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
When this story was posted in July 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online
The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Join Us Mr. President!
"We will double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011. And we'll reach
out to other nations to engage their young people in similar programs, so that we work side by
side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity," said Barack Obama during
his campaign.
Discussion subject changed to "2009.06.30: June 30, 2009: Headlines: COS - Honduras: Blogs - Honduras: Safety: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer "Bryan and Life in Honduras" writes: The update here from Honduras is that all is pretty calm." by Peace Corps Online
From: "Peace Corps Online" <ad...@peacecorpsonline.org>
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 11:23:32 -0400
Local: Fri, Jul 3 2009 11:23 am
Subject: 2009.06.30: June 30, 2009: Headlines: COS - Honduras: Blogs - Honduras: Safety: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer "Bryan and Life in Honduras" writes: The update here from Honduras is that all is pretty calm.
Peace Corps Volunteer "Bryan and Life in Honduras" writes: The update here from Honduras is
that all is pretty calm.
Peace Corps has lifted the “standfast” order and we are allowed to leave our sites but with more
strict provisions. I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. So there we are. I will probably return to
work tomorrow and gauge the situation. But as you can imagine the focus will be on this situation
for some time. I am not worried or scarred anything drastic will happen. I just hope this will get
resolved soon and things will go back to their normal ways. Although, in a situation like this, that
is a lot easier said than done.
Things still calm...resolution nowhere in sight
Hey everyone. The update here from Honduras is that all is pretty calm. The end to this situation
seems far off but we will wait and see. There are a few energized folks but for the most part the
same feeling around the country. The other central American Nations have got together and decided
they are going to stop shipping resources into Honduras until President Zelaya is back in. I am not
sure if this will stick or how long it will last but seems a minor thing for now.
[Excerpt]
Peace Corps is keeping us very informed. Here is an exerpt from an email from our country director
today…
“I have spoken to a fair number of you and the vast majority describes the situation in your
communities as calm and quiet. A few of you have described roadblocks in the areas nearby your
communities. The best place for you to be is in your communities. At this time, I have no plans to
consolidate or evacuate Volunteers.
As you have likely seen on the TV, the area around the Casa Presidencial has seen protesters
supporting President Zelaya. On Sunday, (6/28) approximately 1,500 people showed up. On
Monday (6/29) in the morning, about 5,000 people in support of President Zelaya protested at
the Casa Presidencial. They set up barricades that blocked the Casa Presidencial and the Marriott
Hotel. They were disbursed by the military and police using tear gas, rubber bullets, and water
cannon. By Monday afternoon, the protesters numbered about 800. There are reports are that the
military and police fired in the air. One person has been reported killed after being run over by a
military vehicle. A second person has been reported to have been killed by a gunshot, though it is
not clear who fired the shot. About 15-30 people have been reported to be injured. This Tuesday
(6/30) morning, the area around the Casa Presidencial has been cleared of protesters and the
military/police has secured the area.
This Tuesday (6/30) morning, there are reports of supporters of President Zelaya at the
Congress in downtown Tegucigalpa. There are reports of supporters of President Micheletti in the
central park in downtown Tegucigalpa. At this time, neither of the groups is large, nor have they
confronted each other”
So that’s the gist of the situation. Zelaya spoke to the UN today and is said to travel back here to
Honduras on Thursday. I am not sure what will happen then but it should be a day of Peaceful
Dialogue.
Peace Corps has lifted the “standfast” order and we are allowed to leave our sites but with more
strict provisions. I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.
So there we are. I will probably return to work tomorrow and gauge the situation. But as you can
imagine the focus will be on this situation for some time. I am not worried or scarred anything
drastic will happen. I just hope this will get resolved soon and things will go back to their normal
ways. Although, in a situation like this, that is a lot easier said than done.
June 28, 2009: Coup in Honduras
Caption: A military vehicle patrols the area around the presidential residency in Tegucigalpa,
Sunday June 28, 2009. Soldiers arrested Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya and disarmed his
security guards after surrounding his residence before dawn Sunday, his private secretary said.
Protesters called it a coup and flocked to the presidential palace as local news media reported that
Zelaya was sent into exile.
(AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
When this story was posted in July 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online
The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Join Us Mr. President!
"We will double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011. And we'll reach
out to other nations to engage their young people in similar programs, so that we work side by
side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity," said Barack Obama during
his campaign.
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