Valenzuela to Attend Lobo Sosa Inauguration

The US Embassy in Honduras has confirmed that Arturo Valenzuela will arrive in Honduras today to attend Porfirio Lobo Sosa's inauguration tomorrow, La Tribuna reported today. Also attending will be José Fernandez, and Craig Kelly. Fernandez is the State Department's Assitant Secretary for Economics, Energy, and Business Affairs. Hugo Llorens, US Ambassador to Honduras, noted that Fernandez's presence "is an important message about the reestablishment of US-Honduras relations with respect to business, financial, development, and investment."

Later this afternoon, the Valenzuela and the US delegation, along with a Canadian delegation, will meet with Manuel Zelaya Rosales in the Brazillian Embassy to finalize Zelaya's plans for exit from the Brazillian Embassy tomorrow.

Too late for fair elections

With three weeks to go as of today to the scheduled date of elections, I think it is time to say clearly: elections held under the current conditions will not solve anything.

Campaigning has not been possible. People's attention is directed exclusively to the political crisis. Militarization of the country has created an atmosphere of repression that, while highest for those dissenting from the current governmental system, also must affect others who might not have as strong a position on constitutional reform, but may be discouraged from participating freely in elections.

And what would these Honduran citizens be expecting of any government they elect? Remember that the balloting goes from the level of municipal jurisdiction up to that of the presidency. It is important not to reduce the November balloting to simply a contest between 5 or 6 presidential candidates.

That seems to us to be what the US State Department logic is based on. Only if you think the "solution" is getting someone, anyone, into the presidential office who did not seize power illegally through the actions of the military could you possibly say, as Hugo Llorens is quoted as saying on Radio America today,

The elections will be part of the actuality and will return Honduras to a road to democracy.

Las elecciones serán parte de la realidad y devolverán a Honduras a un camino a la democracia.

Although Llorens, who has been the best voice of the State Department throughout this whole crisis, in terms of understanding the Honduran issues and being clear (clearer than Washington) about what is at stake and what has to happen, does state that this election is about everything from the level of mayor to president, as a diplomat, he is engaging in wishful thinking if he truly believes at this late date that the elections can be held in a way that will be understood by the Honduran people as free, transparent, and fair.

Saying the elections are definitely going to occur, Llorens continued

the Honduran people have the right to elect their president, a new Congress and mayors... and it would be a historic error of grand proportion to deny this right.

el pueblo hondureño tiene derecho de elegir a su presidente, un nuevo Congreso y alcaldes (...), y sería un error histórico y de grandes proporciones negar ese derecho.

Well, yes. But that historic error already happened when, on June 28, the right of the Honduran people to elect their President in 2005 was denied in a military coup, leading to a de facto regime which now pretends that holding polling under its supervision will correct things.

Two wrongs do not make a right.

Anselem's Statement Creates Problems for Llorens

If the State Department apologist Phil Crowley needs the proof that the rest of us see as obvious, that backup ambassador to the OAS Lew Anselem's ridiculous statements in the OAS have caused damage, one only needs to look at the Honduran newspapers this morning. Many of them are running a story like this one in La Tribuna, quoting the de facto government's Minister of Government, Oscar Matute, saying Anselem is not saying the same thing as our ambassador Hugo Llorens is.

Hugo Llorens held a damage control meeting with business leaders yesterday morning in which he said the US message has been consistant, "we support democracy in Honduras, and in any other country," he told them. He would not have had to say that without idiot Anselem's statement.

Oscar Matute not only noted that what Llorens said, and what Anselem said, aren't the same message, but he specificially noted that Anselem said the way out was the November 29 elections, the same claim as the de facto government. ANSELEM'S STATEMENTS DIRECTLY ECHOED THE DE FACTO GOVERNMENT'S STATEMENTS.

Matute said, what Anselem said in the OAS "differs totally and absolutely with what Mr. Llorens said, such that today there was no consensus in the OAS, because the United States is one of the countries that would not pronounce to not recognize a priori the results of the electoral process."

Matutue also indicated he believes the words of Anselem over Llorens because Anselem operated with the thinking of the US government. "Llorens does not coincide with the official expression of the representative of the United States in the OAS," he insisted.

Here's the question and part of the answer Phillip Crowley gave to reporters yesterday in the State Department daily briefing.

Q: And so is there any comment? Is there any change in the U.S. policy on this matter?

Mr. Crowley: Not at all. Not at all.

So why is it that Hondurans can see the difference, and Mr. Crowley cannot? Damage Control?

Lobo Sosa Appears to Break Ranks

Four of the six presidential candidates met with US ambassador Hugo Llorens this morning. The encounter, which happened in the ambassador's residence in Tegucigalpa, included Porfirio Lobo Sosa (Nationalist party), Elvin Santos (Liberal Party), Felicito Avila (Christian Democrat party), and Bernard Martinez (Party of Innovation and Unity). Also present were members of Honduran civil society, and representatives of the OAS. The Honduran press has identified Carlos Flores Facusse, intellectual father of the coup, and Adolfo Facusse, head of ANDI, as present.

Upon exiting from the meeting Pepe Lobo gave a number of statements to the press. "The meeting was about the San Jose Accord and how we need to reach an agreement having recognized that the Arias agreement is not written in stone and that the parties can suggest changes. But the most important is that both sides return to dialogue, because, without a doubt, this is what is happening and the relations with other nations, with the United States and the rest of the international community, it is important for Honduras to return to normal."

"We are trying to influence both don Roberto Micheletti and don "Mel" Zelaya, to begin talks and discard attitudes of inflexibility and to take a level headed and flexible attitude to put themselves into agreement," he added. "We ask them to think about Honduras and think about the damage that will be done to the Honduran people if things aren't returned to normal, not only because it signifies the division in the Honduran family but also because it complicates international relations." "In consequence," he continued, "it is urgent that the Honduran situation return to normal because remember that we, in large part, depend on international aid that comes from various organizations that do extraordinary work in the interior of the country. Because of this understand that to have good international relations is something that in these times we should not ignore."

On being asked about the de facto government deporting the OAS representatives yesterday, he replied, "we are very preoccupied because this is evidence in the international community of a position of little politeness with our friends at an international level and this is very regretable situation for Honduras." "Because of this, I ask the government to reflect and think that to be courteous and likeable with all the international community should be a part of what we've always had and it should not be curtailed."

When asked about the suspension of the constitutional guarantees, he replied "this cannot be, can you tell me that in the 21rst century we would lift the individual guarantees? Really? This cannot be." "I think this is a good time to reflect and not put into execution a decree that, sincerely, will leave Honduras in a bad spot internationally." "This will do us much harm."

Lobo Sosa also indicated he would not join with the other three candidates in organizing a public march in favor of the elections; that he didn't want to be part of actions that would provoke a confrontation.

Congress will discuss the presidential decree later today. Jose Azcona, head of committees of the National Congress said, "There is a general preoccupation for this decree, with its breadth and scope in an election period, with the situation in which the country lives and what we need is dialogue." "What has happened is that this decree, although it is approved in the council of Ministers (of the President), is in reality becoming known by the National Congress and we've been studying the constitution," he added. "We cannot give the government this much power to restrict the citizen's liberties in any circumstance; the public authority is to protect and promote the rights of citizens."

Hugo Llorens Meets with Presidential Candidates

United States ambassador to Honduras, Hugo Llorens, met with four of the Presidential candidates yesterday. Also at the meeting were Carlos Flores Facusse, Adolfo Facusse, Leo Valladares Lanza, and others not identified.

More about this later today.

Is he or isn't he? maybe Hugo Llorens knows

Now that the US has finally begun to move, albeit creakily, toward more sanctions on the recalcitrant de facto regime (as the clock ticks toward Monday's scheduled kickoff of the election campaign, already compromised...), rumors are in the air, and in the press.

This morning, Honduras' El Heraldo published that "it has leaked out that the US ambassador, Hugo Llorens, will not return to the country by order of the State Department."

The same language was then echoed by Radío América.

But Mexico's El Financiero begs to differ: their article cites an unnamed "spokesperson" for the US State Department saying

The US has not recalled its ambassador in Honduras. We continue to believe that the presence of our ambassador in Honduras in these moments can contribute more to the final result that we are all seeking.

Estados Unidos no ha retirado a su embajador en Honduras. Continuamos creyendo que la presencia de nuestro embajador en Honduras en estos momentos puede contribuir más al resultado final que todos buscamos.

Oh really? like what? Has there been any evidence of any progress in persuading the regime to back down?

With Micheletti telling the Honduran press that Honduras doesn't need the world community, and that they will hold an election even if the world community declares it illegitimate, what possible good effect can the US ambassador have?

Especially when it is quite possible that these Honduran press reports are part of a smear campaign seeking to diminish his influence?

Remember-- Micheletti has said he hopes Llorens will never return to Honduras.

And the Radío América article doesn't describe the possible recall as a US sanction on Honduras. Instead, it ends its report with the following:

El diplomático ha sido criticado por el gobierno hondureño que consideró como intromisiva la reunión que tuvo en la embajada de Honduras en Nicaragua con el ex presidente, Manuel Zelaya Rosales, a finales del mes de julio.

The diplomat has been criticized by the [de facto] Honduran government that considers as meddling the meeting that he had in the Honduran embassay in Nicaragua with the ex-president, Manuel Zelaya Rosales, at the end of the month of July.

As the reference to President Zelaya as the ex-president and to the coup regime as the Honduran government indicate, this paragraph is written from the pro-coup perspective. This was the way his departure for the US was originally characterized on August 14 by the pro-coup El Heraldo, which wrote that

It leaked out that the diplomatic visit to the ex president of Honduras in Nicaragua, had generated discomfort in the government of his country... The actions of the ambassador caused critiques by the Honduran authorities, that considered the meeting meddling... Unofficial sources reported that the ambassador was called to consultations in Washington.

[In diplomatic lingo, being called to consultation is polite wording for being called on the carpet.]

It cannot be accidental that two less-common Spanish words are repeated in these reports: intromisiva (meddling) and trascender with the meaning of "leak out". This is how you follow the traces of a talking points memo, or a propaganda campaign: watch for the same language being repeated.

The spin coup media would like to put on Llorens' continued absence from Honduras is that this is not just welcome, but in some way a punishment for the diplomat. The State Department needs to do more than have an unnamed spokesperson comment.