Responses to the Coup d'etat in Honduras on Sunday June 28, with special emphasis on producing English-language versions of commentaries by Honduran scholars and editorial writers and addressing the confusion encouraged by lack of basic knowledge about Honduras.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Temperate, or tepid?

The US State Department has finally said something about the militarization around the Brazilian embassy.

But for anyone waiting for some leadership-- well, look elsewhere.

At best we can acknowledge the US reply as temperate. They urge respect for diplomatic norms and the Brazilian embassy (which seems a bit odd when that embassy is already under seige and without utilities).

They also, though, continue inanely to urge both sides not to provoke violence. As Adrienne Pine comments, this fair-and-balanced approach pretends that Zelaya is culpable when Hondurans excercising their free speech and assembly rights are attacked.

This in turn gives tacit approval for the de facto regime.

Couldn't we ask for at least condemnation of unprovoked police violence? The OAS managed to say that.

What about a free press? The Interamerican Human Rights Council was able to say that.

Our defense-of-democracy credentials would seem to require more than a tepid response.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The US embassy is ca. 100 yards from the Brazilian, and there are four other embassies even closer. Many other embassies are within a mile. The US "temperateness" is endangering US personnel and our allies.

Our credibility is zero.

RNS said...

Ian Kelly has now issued a comment that the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa is "studying" how to help the Brazilian embassy.

Boehmaya said...

Human rights are being violated, the human rights of PEACEFUL people.. How can this person refer to "both sides", when there's just ONE with fire weapons? This is simply ridiculous..