The newly sworn-in acting president of Honduras has imposed a two-day nationwide curfew.
Roberto Micheletti told a news conference that the curfew would run from 9pm to 6am on Sunday and Monday
Micheletti is from the same Liberal party as Zelaya, and promised to govern with “transparency and honesty” and “work tirelessly to restore the peace and tranquility that we have lost”.
He said Zelaya was not ousted through a coup, but by a legal process.
“I came to the presidency not by a coup d’etat but by a completely legal process as set out in our laws,” Micheletti said after being sworn in.
“What we have done here is an act of democracy, our army has complied with the order of the court, prosecutors and judges,” stated Micheletti.
But whether in the military, parliament or in the judiciary, Zelaya appeared to have little support in Honduras on Sunday.
The supreme court said it had ordered his removal in order to protect law and order in the nation.
“Today’s events originate from a court order by a competent judge,” adding that the armed forces “acted to defend the state of law”.
Congress said it had voted unanimously to remove Zelaya from office for his “apparent misconduct” and for “repeated violations of the constitution and the law and disregard of orders and judgments of the institutions”.
Micheletti is set to stay in office until January 27th of next year, when a new president elect is due to take over.
19 responses so far ↓
1 Maria Rosales // Jun 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm
I’m so proud of the leaders of Honduras for the way they handled this situation. Viva Honduras!!
2 MargieB // Jun 28, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Thoughts and prayers to the people of Honduras from friends in the US. I pray for peace to be restored and to all the other countries to let Honduras fix their own problems. I love Honduras and so sorry we had to cancel our August trip until things are calm again.
3 M.V // Jun 28, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Ignorace is a blessing but at the same time it can “kills” by thousands!!!.
Coup is a violation if civil right of any nation. And very likely US hands once again are involve in this very tragic event…..
4 Thomas // Jun 28, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Maria,
Are you an Honduran? Why are you happy? It would seem to me that chaos and coups would be the wrong way to go about things. It would be the same as the United States Army deposing George Bush or Barack Obama.
It sounds to me like you are an American who doesn’t really have any interest in Honduras. Maybe you are only happy because an so-called “leftist” Latin American leader was deposed in his own country. I think you would feel differently if Zelaya was supposedly “right wing” president who served only himself and his American masters. You probably be crying for U.S. intervention in Honduras. Troops maybe.
Hands off Honduras. Honduras for Hondurans!!!
5 Patty // Jun 28, 2009 at 11:00 pm
i was born in the u.s.a. and my parents are currently on vacation in honduras right now, visiting family. micheletti really needs to back the F up, theres a reason why he wasn’t made president when he ran, and obviously it was a good reason, and now we’re stuck with a total criminal as our new president, so how safe are our families and loved ones in honduras now?
6 Mary Cuddehe - Dividing Lines - Honduras Round-Up - True/Slant // Jun 28, 2009 at 11:22 pm
[...] Honduras News reported that Zelaya appears to have lost even his supporters in government inside Honduras. It looks like all the support is coming from outside. [...]
7 Guatusa1775 // Jun 29, 2009 at 1:41 am
Exactly right! Go Honduras! Obama, Morales, Chavez and Castro are the Four Horses(arses) of the Sociapocolypse. No More Dictators. It kills economies. The rich and middle class flee. No more egos over the good of the country!
8 ileana ulloa // Jun 29, 2009 at 9:02 am
for the first time i am in accord with a coup d’etat
9 Alex // Jun 29, 2009 at 9:38 am
A lot of comments, some biased, some not. Zelaya was not a bad president and I was in accord with the 4th ballot, but there are legal ways to do things and there was such a strong push from the executive branch to get it done right away without providing details, that it got people thinking and doubting the reasons behind Zelaya’s proposal.
Nobody is really asking the question, where Zelaya’s money was coming from to back this 4th ballot, tv commercials, front pages in newspapers, tshirts and all kind of stuff. Then it hits you, if you have evr driven down the road in Nicaragua, all you see are progovernment publicity everywhere!! i for one do not want Honduras to be under the same label as Managua or Venezuela.
Zelaya is hardly the martir that all major news making him out to be, he claims to be middle class when he owns more land than 90% of the population own in their lifetime.
For those who support and agree with this view, go back 10 years ago when Chavez was interviewed by Univision reporter Jorge Ramos, where he claims he does not want to stay in power, he despises dictatorships such as Cuba and he would not perpetuate himself in power. Zelaya was backed by Chavez financially in all these doings, and there is no doubt in my mind he was going down the same road. I love my country, and it saddens me to see that the truth is being hidden, disguising a wolf in sheeps clothing.
10 Jesse Woodson Jamison // Jun 29, 2009 at 10:00 am
It is unbelievable to me that both the U.S. government as well as the E.U. condemned the actions of the congress and the military yesterday.
I am a long time Honduran resident and I feel really proud of this country now. The first thing I did today was to hang a huge Honduran flag in front of my house. At last it appears as though we will have a responsible government in Tegucigalpa once again, God willing.
11 Maribel V. // Jun 29, 2009 at 10:03 am
There is nothing to feel proud of, when all that they have done is a betrayal to our country.
I believe that if the people of Honduras were against what president Zelaya wanted to do they simply had to vote NO in the plebiscite and that will ensure respect to our Constitution and our democracy. This kind of process where the government consults the people before passing bills and laws takes place in the USA were the voice of the people is heard at all levels, lets learn to make our country better, and lets take a look to our Constitution:
ARTICULO 3.- Nadie debe obediencia a un gobierno usurpador ni a quienes asuman funciones o empleos públicos por la fuerza de las armas o usando medios o procedimientos que quebranten o desconozcan lo que esta Constitución y las leyes establecen. Los actos verificados por tales autoridades son nulos. el pueblo tiene derecho a recurrir a la insurrección en defensa del orden constitucional.
ARTICULO 4.- La forma de gobierno es republicana, DEMOCRATICA y representativa. Se ejerce por tres poderes: Legislativo, Ejecutivo y Judicial, complementarios e independientes y sin relaciones de subordinación.
La alternabilidad en el ejercicio de la Presidencia de la República es obligatoria.
La infracción de esta norma constituye delito de traición a la Patria.
12 Thomas // Jun 29, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Look at CNN Español and the other Spanish language channels. Many people in Honduras support Zelaya and oppose the coup. I just watched protesters in the streets of Tegucigalpa.
It is only the rich, well-to-do, and American interlopers who support this coup.
13 Chris Hartsfield // Jun 29, 2009 at 8:44 pm
I was in Houduras for two weeks this month. My friend Jim McFerrin and I were looking to start two businesses in Honduras. I read alot about what the President was attempting to do there and the majority of the people I spoke with agreed with the Supreme Court and Congress that it was wrong. One term is what the writters of the constitution meant one term of office. To attempt the change the rules for personal gain is not acceptable there or anywhere else for that matter. I could see the ballot being rigged just as it has been know to happen in these kind of situations. I trust that the people of Hunduras will unite for the good of the masses whether that are factory workers, bankers or for power folks with influntial..Honduran dosen’t appear to be in a resession in the streesand in business, Have you been out to the Malls lately? Try walking inti one in New Orleans Mobile,or Gulfport. Everybody stand up and fight for your right to live in true demotract republic with a fa;ir and honest leader. I wanr to go back to see my girlfriend ans Jims to..Please stop the noncense,
14 Daniel // Jun 30, 2009 at 8:16 am
I see many comments, yet many of you haven’t leave in Honduras long enought to judge and say if this was done wrong or not. I am happy to see that our government in Honduras won’t allow what Zelaya is trying to do. Yes there is a legal way of doing it,but come on reality is that even if the people don’t agree a law would be passed. Its all about the money. I respect everyones opinion and I believe people are entitle to speak their minds up weather they are right or wrong. In my opinion it was handled in an appropiate matter, maybe not the best, but at least we didn’t wait until the last minute to deal with, and by then it would of have been too late.
We tend to say this was right or wrong but you know none of us are there probably to judge so let time take over and allow for this to past and stop judging.
The president now in place is well known to my family and he is a good man so I dont’ see where the criminal part cames from like some one said in their comments.
Viva Honduras
15 Maribel V. // Jun 30, 2009 at 11:44 am
Per what you wrote on your comment Daniel it is clear that your opinion will be the same of the ones that are in favor of this coup because of personal interests. This whole situation is not about if Micheletti is a good man, it’s about whom Hondurans want to run the Country, by the way, didn’t he LOST the internal elections of his own liberal party? That tells you right there that the majority of the people did not want him to be the president of Honduras, but there are 2 other important questions here:
what is so wrong about consulting the Hondurans people about their political future?
and what justifies violating the Constitution of our Country?
Y ahora si que viva HONDURAS!
16 Ivan N. // Jun 30, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Do you want us to become like Cuba and Venezuela, we overthrew a tyrant, and we are not letting him back in. You need to live in Honduras to know what was really happening here and what were his intentions.
Even if the world turns against us, we will still stand strong. Hondurans enjoy their freedom, and no one will take that again from us.
VIVA HONDURAS and most of all, VIVA SU GENTE.
17 fred // Jul 19, 2009 at 11:21 pm
I have read about everything thus far written concerning Honduras today. I believe there was no coup but a legal law being enforced, and it may be that it could have been acomplished differently? in either case the Honduran Law was followed. Bravo for Honduras and Shame on the US Government for getting it wrong,but what would you expect from one communist to another? Leave Honduras alone to solve their own crime problem they are more than fully capable.
18 Maria // Jul 22, 2009 at 11:15 am
I’m Nicaraguan and I’m so proud of the Hondureneans for the way they handled this situation, wish they did the same in my beautiful Nicaragua and take off Daniel Ortega and the bruja of his wife, so I will say ¡¡ Viva Honduras!! and hope they can keep it up.
19 Biju // Sep 22, 2009 at 8:42 am
There are many contradictory views, one must really go onto the deep and analysis the real fact. It is quite clear that, a invisible hand of US imperialism played a game to outster Zelaya, as they dont like the polarisation of lating american countries, expecially when it is under the leadership of Chavez. The same coup may appear in Bolivia or in Nicaragua or other presidents who are in alliance with Chavez. US is much worried about strong man Chavez, as he is a stern opponant of US policies and gaining more and more allies all over the world. (Middle Eastern coutries rulers also being in touch with Chavez). The time is exceeded to stop the single polar world. So dont just think about Zelaya alone, there are many hidden tatics there in the outster. I agree, Honduras is for Hondurans, I am an Indian having very good friends in Honduras.