At least nineteen people in Honduras learned today that their visas to visit the United States, displomatic and otherwise, had been revoked. Among these are Roberto Micheletti Bain, the remaining 14 justicies of the Supreme Court, Luis Rubi (Prosecutor), Carlos Lopez Contreras (Foreign Minister), Marcia Villeda (Congressperson), and Martha Alvarado (Vice Foreign Minister). Micheletti was annoyed that the letter was addressed to Roberto Micheletti Bain, President of the National Congress. Several Honduran business people, whose names are not yet known, are also supposed to have received notices.
One other person found out today by accident. Cholusat Sur and Radio Globo are reporting that Adolfo Facussé, the head of the National Association of Industries (ANDI), a powerful business group thought to have helped finance the coup, was taken off his flight as he arrived in Miami today and held by the ICE agents, and will reportedly be deported back to Honduras tomorrow.
These same sources say that 170 more visa cancellations will be announced tomorrow.
The European Union issued an "advisory" to the Micheletti government that if things didn't change, they could expect further isolation by the EU. Among the measures mentioned was a limitation of government level contacts, to freeze all aid, and to suspend the negotiations for unified commercial relations between Central America and the EU.
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2 comments:
The focus on the Supreme Court is interesting. It suggests that the State Department considers that the coup began in the Supreme Court and/or that they want to exert maximum pressure on the Supreme Court.
--Charles of MercRising
I think there are a couple of reasons for a focus on the supreme court. First, almost all of them are beholden (as Tomas Arita Valle is to Carlos Flores) to one or more of the people behind the coup. More importantly, they are a major impediment to the acceptance of the San Jose Accord. Both of these are good reasons to put pressure on them.
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