The United States, like most Member States, is firmly committed to the restoration of democratic order in Honduras.
We believe that the situation in Honduras needs to be resolved through peaceful dialogue quickly for the well-being of the people of Honduras and the stability of the Hemisphere. Accordingly, the United States is fully engaged in the ongoing efforts of the Organization of American States (OAS), the competent regional body to resolve this issue.
This is also the reason that senior U.S. government officials are in Honduras this week to continue to urge the parties to resolve the situation in a way that maximizes the ability of the Honduran people to determine their country’s future and advance national reconciliation.
We have clearly and consistently expressed our concern about the situation in Honduras within the OAS, and, as appropriate, in the United Nations, and have worked hard to find a solution that restores democracy and peace to Honduras. Along with other members of the OAS, we supported mediation by President Arias of Costa Rica between representatives of President Jose Manuel Zelaya and the de facto regime. President Arias worked intensively during July and part of August to facilitate a solution and we commend his efforts. The proposal he circulated to both sides, the San Jose Accord, has been used by both sides as the negotiating document during talks earlier this month launched by an OAS Mission of member state Foreign Ministers. The United States also strongly supported this Mission’s work.
Although currently broken off, the talks launched by the OAS Mission achieved significant progress. Representatives of the de facto regime and President Zelaya reached agreement on most of the text of the Guaymuras Accord, the updated version of the San Jose Accord, to resolve the crisis. Unfortunately, both sides have not resolved the most critical issue, namely the restoration of President Zelaya.
Mr. President, the United States remains intensively engaged with representatives for both sides, with OAS mediators and other member states to bring the parties back to the table to resolve the remaining outstanding issues. Our efforts continue to be guided by the General Assembly resolution 63/301 adopted on June 30, 2009.
Mr. President, the Honduran people clearly want a functioning democracy and the opportunity to express their will in free and fair elections. This comes across clearly by the presidential candidates’ actions to support a dialogue to resolve the crisis. These democratic candidates were chosen by their respective political organizations well before the events that led to the June 28 coup; these candidates did not participate in the coup, and have earned their positions thanks to the trust of voters, Honduran voters.
We should continue our efforts to promote a dialogue to solve the crisis so that the November 29 elections can proceed in a calm environment. Free, fair, and transparent, elections reflecting the will of the Honduran people would be a key step in an outcome that the Honduran people and the international community can accept as legitimate
Mr. President, we recognize the troubling situation at the Brazilian Embassy. We want to assure our Brazilian friends that the United States will continue to help in any way possible. Our Embassy in Tegucigalpa has worked closely with the Brazilian Embassy to ensure it has food, water, electricity, and its diplomatic rights respected by the Honduran de facto regime. We were successful in getting the de facto regime to stop the loud noises targeted at the Embassy. We continue to remind the de facto regime that its behavior must be consistent with its obligation under the Vienna Conventions to respect diplomatic premises and personnel, and those under their protection.
Mr. President, the United States will continue to work to expand opportunities for the people in Honduras and a negotiated solution is the best way out of this crisis. In our view, the United Nations should support the efforts of the OAS and others to re-establish democratic life in Honduras and helping ensure its viability.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Alejandro Wolff
Deputy Permanent Representative
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY
October 28, 2009
5 Responses to "U.S. Deputy Permanent Rep. to the UN Comments on Honduras"
You must be logged in to post a comment Login
One further point, in his letter Mr. Wolff mentions stopping the noises aimed at the Brazilian embassy. However he does not mention the GROSS way that Brazil has VIOLATED the Vienna Convention concerning its prohibition of embassies being used as stages for political activity. Zelaya has done that nonstop since entering it.
Very well written article, Axel. The way Obama, Clinton and the U.S. State Department has responded to Zelaya’s removal and replacement by Mr. Micheletti has GREATLY ANGERED and DEEPLY EMBARRASSED a great many Americans – who are intelligen, who can read, and who love democracy. We think it is ABSOLUTELY DEPLORABLE that the U.S. has cut 31 million in aid and revoked the visas of many Hondurenos – for what? For removing a scoundrel who REPEATEDLY TRAMPLED on the Honduran Constitution and showed total disrespect for its National Attorney, Supreme Court and its Congress. The removal was in accordance with the laws and constitution of Honduras.
I was thankful today (Thursday, Oct. 29th) that Sen. Jim DeMint and quite a few other U.S. senators and House of Representatives members filed a request for a thorough examination of all the actions of the U.S. Embassy in Honduras for even quite some time before June 28, 2009.
Many outstanding Republican senators such as DeMint, John Cornyn (former member of Supreme Court of the state of Texas), Tom Coburn and quite a few House of Representatives members such as Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Aaron Schock and Connie Mack are very UPSET over how the U.S. has responded – and feel that it has been a HORRIBLE and UNDEMOCRATIC RESPONSE. They are still trying to get it reversed.
The problem is that Obama is himself a strong socialist and has put key people in the State Dept. , most notably, Harold Koh, who are strong socialists. They are committed to furthering socialism instead of democracy. However, because of the way they have responded to the crisis in Honduras (which would not have been a crisis had the U.S. have accepted it as they should have and demanded others to accept it), it has been exposed to millions of Americans their true colors. Now we are going to work to further expose and remove these socialists.
I have prayed very very hard (as have many in America) for God to give great strength and wisdom and direction and protection to Mr. Micheletti and his cabinet members and key advisers. I am thnkful for the many ways God has done that so far. I hope the people of Hionduras realize that most Americans familiar with their crisis are ANGRY over how our govt. has responded. May Hondurans pray hard for peace in their country – for Mr. Micheletti not to compromise and allow that scoundrel back into office (for he will break any promises he makes – and will try to change the constitution and be re-lected) – and for the electioins to go well and be recognized. God bless Honduras for being willing to suffer than to accept socialism. God bless Honduras for the strength and bravery it has shown – to be true to its principles – and not allow any nation or group of nations to bully it and force it to make unwise decsions. We admire you greatly!
As long as the restitution of Zelaya as president of Honduras is a part of what is required for this “Talks” to move forward, they wont.
How is it possible for all of these people to keep on declaring their interest in keeping Honduras under democratic rule when they want us to ignore the violations that Zelaya commited against our democratically written Carta Magna?
Zelaya earned his ousting from the presidency of Honduras by his own doing.
Nobody (except Chavez) urged him to break the laws of our country, he did that for his own personal gain and motives.
Everybody that is criticizing the current government which is presided over
by Mr. Roberto Micheletti is behaving like if that man, who has allowed for Honduras to stand proud against all this onslaught against its institutions of Government, both the Legislative, Executive and Judicial, all three branches have been described as part of a ‘Coup’ that ended removing Zelaya from power.
In the eyes of those people, aparently, breaking the laws that Zelaya broke is not an important matter.
Well, for Honduras it is; So much, that we actually follow it to the letter and got him out of office, just as the law requires, since he chose to break also the punishment part of it, where article # 239 clearly states that, once you have violated article 239, you must renounce your post and refrain from political campaigning for at least 10 years.
All of this is on record, the people that are attcking Honduras are choosing to ignore those records, if they were to accept that Honduras followed proper procedure (as it did) it would undermine their efforts to put back that animal back in the presidency.
It makes one wonder, what is really what they want?
Is it a “Democratically Elected Government”?
Or one of those newly established Dictatorships like the ones popping up all over South America which use the loopholes in Democracy to get established and then take away all the rights that democracy normally grants?
Mr. President of UNO, as a Honduran I tell you, it is despicable what you are doing to my country.
In the position you hold, it would be impossible to ignore what Honduras stance has been in regard to Socialism, we have continuoslly rejected it for almost 100 years, most noticibly in the last 6 decades, when we consistently have turned down Fidel Castros invitation to participate in his revolution.
So if you know that the majority of Hondurans (as you may have become aware if watching the news and seeing the hughe marches in favor of Micheletti) reject the idea of a Socialist dictator, which Zelaya was aiming to be, why do you not accept that Honduras has proof that her actions were correct, legal, and pleasing to the majority of the population, as it should be in a Democracy? And instead, the body of countries that you preside over are attacking us instead of that criminal who calls for people to go out into the streets and create chaos and anarchy?
Why do you fail to recognize the amazingly good behaviour of Honduras Armed & Police forces, the same ones that in a Communist/Socialist police state would have already killed at least a few hundred people, and have not.
It is a shame what you are doing, people like you should not hold such a distinguished and responsible position for you do not how to upheld it.
Allow Honduras her freedom of choice, even when is not the same that yours is.
We do not want Zelaya, or anybody who will make Honduras a satellite of Venezuela, or for that matter, Cuba.
leave us be, we may be poor, iliterate and corrupt, but we are not idiots, we see what you are trying to do, and do not agree with it.
They take themselves so seriously as they lie, lie, lie. Zelaya doesn’t want free, fair, and transparent elections. He doesn’t want any election at all.
what a load of cr*p!!
They forget one very important item….. that the rule of law WAS followed in Hondruas, and the articles of the Constitution expressly prohibited z’liar from trying to extend his term in office…. furthermore….. article 239 clearly states that any president who tries to change to Constitution to allow himself a 2nd term in office, will automatically and immediately forfeit his title of office, and shall be barred from holding said office again.
Maybe we should sent some 1st grade reading books to the OAS and obama and clinton, since they clearly can not read.
Stay STRONG Honduras….
Stay STRONG Micheletti…..
ONLY 31 more days until the elections of the free people of Hondruas…….