It's times like these that you want to plot a coup...

*brownie points if you know what song i stole this title from ;)*



So, in case Central American politics haven't been on your radar lately, here's a quick refresher about the situation in Honduras..... President Manuel Zelaya was removed from power on June 28th, and taken to Costa Rica by the Honduran military. Zelaya claims that he was tortured while in custody. I've also heard a rumor that the U.S. ambassador made a call to Panama requesting permission for Zelaya's plane to land after he was detained by the military. Many people are certain that the U.S. had something to do with this coup, and really it wouldn’t be surprising given our history in the region. *Quick background info. --> Zelaya, a democratically elected president, is an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. The U.S. and Chávez tend to disagree* Somehow Zelaya managed to get back into Honduras, after a brief stay in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and has been in the Brazilian embassy since September 21st. From his protected position within the embassy walls he has called on his supports to riot in the streets. On Sunday rights to free speech and assembly were suspended by the de facto government headed by Roberto Micheletti, in part to keep said riots under control (http://www.fsrn.org/audio/honduran-crisis-continues-de-facto-government-suspends-civil-rights/5512). Micheletti's government has also closed down several TV and radio stations. Additionally, representatives from the OAS (Organization of American States) have been denied entry to Honduras. Elections are scheduled for the end of November, but there is infighting over whether or not Zelaya should be allowed to run, as well as Micheletti’s future position in the government. Only time will tell if the international community will allow a 21st century coup d'état to go virtually unaddressed.

I remember learning the word for coup d'état in Spanish (golpe de estado) freshman year at GWU, and thinking "when in the world am I ever going to need to know this?". That was before I took a history class about Latin America haha. Coup d'état’s are part of the political reality here in a way that I could have never imagined in the U.S. Because the coup d'état in Honduras happened while I was in Panama, and I am now learning more about it in my classes in Costa Rica ( a country whose government is heavily involved in the peace negotiation process because of President Oscar Arias), I’m definitely getting a different perspective on the issue than I would at home. My professors are all integrating it into our class discussions, which has been great. It’s also personal matter for some of them; one of has been attending protests to show solidarity with Zelaya supporters, and another has family who have been waiting in the Tegucigalpa airport for two days now trying to get a flight to Costa Rica. It feels as if all of Central America is holding its breath, waiting and watching to see how this new turn of events will play out in this region so accustomed to political turmoil.

More info. here:

Honduras
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ho.html

Concise breakdown
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g1ejO3g3MVSOrGhmgIIPExxxEsQQ

Sen. Kerry getting involved?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/01/AR2009100105015.html