Blue helmets.
This is how UN Peacekeeping forces are referred to in Spanish.
One of the rumors or perhaps wishes I have heard persistently from friends in Honduras is that at some point, the military repression against the people will be met by the arrival of outside forces.
This recalls the rumor that circulated not long ago, that Zelaya was at the Palmerola air force base, and/or that the US forces or UN Peacekeepers were there and would emerge to protect/restore him.
The most recent versions, though, all turn on the cascos azules. Juan Donaghy notes that during a radio program by the Catholic church in Santa Rosa de Copan about the situation, broadcasters urged people to go on line and sign a petition to ask the UN to send in peacekeeping forces.
The Honduran people, despite all the incapacity of the international community, are still waiting for the rule of law to be supported by other nations; or by the world community acting as a whole.
I am both proud of the courage and nobility this shows, and ashamed that the world is neither listening nor responding.
Send in the cascos azules. Or come up with a better idea.
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5 comments:
We should be careful of what we ask for. In Haiti, the blue helmets are the major human rights violators. Granted, if they weren't there, the situation might be worse, but UN peacekeeping missions have had... mixed...results.
--Charles of Mercury Rising
This is what is so heart-breaking. I don't think US forces landing in Palmerola would automatically be a good thing either.
But my god: someone has to intervene.
No one need intervene but the people of Honduras themselves. [En mass and as peacefully as possible.]
In line with the excellent post analyzing the NYT story, the best immediate intervention would be perfectly legitimate things the U.S. can do to deepen the splits in the oligarchy and the military.
In other words, the things they should have done almost three months ago:
- Freeze all golpista accounts in the U.S. and immediately suspend any transmission of any aid or loan money, period -- including and especially so-called "democracy promotion" funds (which go from USAID to COHEP, b.s. NGOs led by golpista family members, etc.).
- Formal declaration of military coup, and its legal consequence: the U.S. troops begin to pack up and go. Of course it's theater, it's the last thing the DoD wants, but the belief that it might actually happen would get the dissident factions in the military, if any, to get moving.
On Radio Globo, an official from Patricia Rodas' staff has just stated that there are US troops at Palmerola that would move to defend the Brazilian Embassy in case of attack.
True or not, this-- like the repeated rumors and the call for an online petition about the UN Peacekeepers-- is a sign of the desire of Hondurans in the Resistance for solid support from the international community.
Nell is absolutely right: the time is now for the US to stop pretending there is room for negotiation, to pull those other triggers.
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