Ten Days That Shook Honduras
A recap of the events in Honduras and the Obama administration's curious response.
Day one: The coup that wasn’t
On Sunday, June 28, before dawn, more than a dozen Honduran soldiers surrounded the residence of President Manuel Zelaya. They arrested the controversial president and disarmed his security guards. Zelaya was escorted from his home outside the capital, Tegucigalpa, to the airport and expatriated to Costa Rica.
The local news media immediately reported that Zelaya had been sent into exile. Zelaya supporters called it a coup and protested at the presidential palace. The international media called it a coup. Venezuelan Marxist Hugo Chavez released a statement in support of Zelaya saying, “This coup will be defeated and it will be defeated by the people of Honduras and through its will.”
By 11:50 that morning, President Barack Obama released a statement in support of the exiled Leftist Zelaya. The U.S. president called on all sides in Honduras to respect democracy and the rule of law. Obama said, “Any disputes must be settled peacefully through negotiations that are free from outside interference.” This was a strange response considering President Obama initially remained silent during the slaughter of democracy protesters in Iran and refused to denounce the brutal regime. He even announced that he would not meddle in Iran as the “debate” for the future of the country was in progress.
At 3:15 on Sunday Hillary Clinton said the action taken against Honduras’ president should be condemned by everyone.
It wasn’t until later on Sunday that the rest of the story was leaked out on blogs. Piece of Work in Progress deciphered the news:
You won’t really grasp it from the AP article, but the Honduran coup is about President Zelaya’s extra-constitutional attempt to extend his term. He would be out of office in January, but he wanted a referendum to permit him to run again. The Supreme Court stated that would be unconstitutional. The army general who was to have distributed the ballots refused, and was sacked by Zelaya. The military then snatched Zelaya from his villa and shipped him off to Hugo (or Costa Rica).
Retired Honduran general Daniel Lopez Carballo justified the move against the president, telling CNN en Espanol that Mr. Zelaya was a stooge for Mr. Chavez.
Day two: Obama stands with Chavez
President Obama on Monday called the action “not legal,” and announced that Zelaya was still the legitimate president. Latin American expert Monica Showalter at Investor’s Business Daily described the situation:
There was a coup all right, but it wasn’t committed by the U.S. or the Honduran court. It was committed by Zelaya himself. He brazenly defied the law, and Hondurans overwhelmingly supported his removal (a pro-Zelaya rally Monday drew a mere 200 acolytes).
Yet the U.S. administration stood with Chavez and Castro, calling Zelaya’s lawful removal “a coup.” Obama called the action a “terrible precedent,” and said Zelaya remains president.
In doing this, the U.S. condemned democrats who stood up to save their democracy, a move that should have been hailed as a historic turning of the tide against the false democracies of the region.
President Obama had sided with the Marxist leaders Hugo Chavez, Raul Castro, Evo Morales, and Daniel Ortega in support of Zelaya. It was a strange day in American foreign policy.
Day three: The right stands for freedom
On Tuesday Newt Gingrich attacked Barack Obama for siding with the regional Marxists in attacking the Honduran Supreme Court and Congress for protecting the nation’s constitution. Gingrich blasted Obama for opposing the “coup” in Honduras, which the former GOP leader insisted would have kept in place a “Leftist dictatorship.” Newt tweeted:
Having Castro call for defending democracy should convince any reasonable person that Honduras was on the edge of a leftist dictatorship.
Later in the day the U.S. co-sponsored legislation with Marxist regimes Venezuela and Bolivia in support of the tin-pot Leftist dictator-wannabe Manuel Zelaya of Honduras.
Page 1 of 2 Next ->
Jim Hoft runs the blog Gateway Pundit, following freedom movements from inside Zimbabwe to the streets of Tehran.
![]() |
![]() |
Podcasts | PJM Home |





PJM Home


Pajamas Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following guidelines:
1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a necessary quote or is relevant to the comment.
2. Stay on topic.
3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.
4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement.
5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area.
The clause regarding "hate speech" has been deleted because readers criticized it as being too loosely defined. We agreed.
These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible situation. Please don't assume that Pajamas Media management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our discretion. If you feel your comment was filtered inappropriately, please email us at story@pajamasmedia.com.
54 Comments
1. Delia:Good grief. We have a full-on nutter in the White House.
Not good. Not good at all.
I feel nauseated now. No lunch for Delia.
bleh.
Jul 9, 2009 - 9:50 am 2. AlexinCT:How low have we sunk that we now find ourselves siding against the rule of law, and with dictators that want to grab power for life, against the will of the people nevertheless! Considering all the blunders that these leftists have made so far – Dan Quayle looks like Einstein compared to Obama, Biden, Clinton, and so on – I would not be surprised that they don’t even have a clue what is going on. The alternative, that they do know and chose to side with the power grabbing collectivists anyway, is too scary to contemplate.
Jul 9, 2009 - 10:23 am 3. Meryl:Nothing that has occurred in this situation should be described as “curious”.
Everything that has occurred (as detailed in the article) was completely predictable.
Everything that has occurred is completely consistent with everything that is known about Col. obama.
The only possible thing that is “curious” about is why on earth some piece of deceptive human debris on his staff isn’t pointing out that at some point even the koolaid drinkers of America are going to start squirming at his obvious dictator-supporting, terrorist-appeasing, economy-destroying, neurotic policies and decisions…and suggest that he tone it down for a couple of days until they get a stronger koolaid on the market.
Delia! Eat lunch! We’re in this for the long haul and we’re going to have to get used to eating while nauseated.
I do believe we are the ones we’ve been waiting for. Whaddaya think???
Jul 9, 2009 - 10:34 am 4. bobby:I am a freedom supporting American living in Honduras. God has blessed my wife and me with the honor of caring for forty one Honduran and three Nicaraguan orphans.
Jul 9, 2009 - 10:37 am 5. Scott:The attenpted return of Chavez’s puppet Zelaya to Honduras, on Sunday on a Venezuela plane, was planned to start a civil war in Honduras. The leftist supporters of Zelaya vs the supporters of the legal government. The plan appears to be-let Honduran blood flow in the streets, and blame it on the legal government in Tegucigalpa. It would not be an even match. The police and the military support president Micheletti.
If Zelaya could have returned, there would have been much blood shed. Armed thugs from Venezuela, Nicaraga, and other leftist countries were in the mob to start the murders. That would be all that Chavez, Ortega, Castro, and most likely Obama (since he stands with them)would need to send in militaty to end the fighting, and restore Zelaya to office. His supporters are already calling for UN troops.
I believe that God is on the side of truth. That being the case Honduras will survive.
God bless America!!
Viva Honduras!!
Peace,
Bobby Gibson
Bobbyhonduras@yahoo.com
I wrote about this on my blog a few days ago. It is almost as if Obama takes the wrong side on every issue. It is almost as if “we” elected someone with no experience. I wish he would at least surround himself with some smart people. How can anyone read the details of this “coup” and still side with Zelaya?
Isn’t it time for the teleprompter to tell the chosen one to start supporting democracy and stop alligning Himself with dictators.
Jul 9, 2009 - 10:47 am 6. homeroclon:you all still think Obama will ´see the light´
he is on the side of Chavez, Castro and all the other marxists. he is a marxist. WHY do you think he will side with democracy and freedom.
he is following the marxist playbook, so he is a lot more predictable then you want to admit.
it is you all who are naive.
Jul 9, 2009 - 11:09 am 7. Paul -Indiana:Are you still glad that you voted for Teleprompter Barbie?
Jul 9, 2009 - 11:11 am 8. Federale:And PJM has their own Castroite nutter on board too, Ruben Navarette.
Jul 9, 2009 - 11:24 am 9. Meryl:6. homeroclon
yes. yes. yes.
a snake is a snake and a tiger is a tiger
there is a point where being willing to give the benefit of the doubt becomes suicidal
we’re past that point, people
Jul 9, 2009 - 12:00 pm 10. DavidN:I have to confess this one really troubles me. I didn’t vote for Obama, but I also have never really taken the arguments that he’s a fascist dictator wannabe seriously. However, in a case as clear as this one, it’s really hard to come up with another explanation of what’s going on: Obama seems to want Zelaya in office, because dictators are easier to deal with in foreign affairs than legislatures and democratically elected presidents. That isn’t far from thinking a dictatorship would be better here, too. If a defender of his can come up with a better defense of him, one that doesn’t just brand everyone who disagrees with Obama a racist or a mouthbreather, I’m still waiting to hear it.
Jul 9, 2009 - 12:07 pm 11. geokstr:Constitution, schmonstitution! Obama don’ need no steenking Constitutions. After all, they’re “just words”.
I don’t see him paying any special attention to our own Constitution, with his plans to take over 35-39% of the economy with health care, the financial sector, the energy industry and the car companies, for starters. And he’s giving ACORN billions to phony up the census in 2010.
I wonder who our military will be loyal to if it comes to that?
Jul 9, 2009 - 12:18 pm 12. ExZonie:What’s the big surprise with 0? Leftists love leftists.
Jul 9, 2009 - 12:21 pm 13. Lars:Why in the world would anyone support chavez or castro in anything, unless you are really against your own people.
Jul 9, 2009 - 12:27 pm 14. Sandra:So let me get this straight. After 9/11 the dems say the Muslims had a right to kill American citizens because of our arrogance and whatever claptrap they believed.
However Hondurans who want freedom are out of line?
Venezuelans are out of line?
Disgusting liberals.
Jul 9, 2009 - 12:47 pm 15. Sandra:Wait, let me add this place. Sorry for double posting.
Notice how it’s evil white conservatives that want freedom for “brown skinned” Hondurans too.
Liberals are disgusting.
Jul 9, 2009 - 12:48 pm 16. Evelyn:Either Obama sympathizes with dictators and maxists or he is incredibly stupid. Let’s face it, he’s not stupid. So, we are in trouble. America, what were you thinking when you voted for this man??
Jul 9, 2009 - 1:01 pm 17. JulianusRex:Don’t blame me. I didn’t vote for the commie Muslim who was elected.
Jul 9, 2009 - 1:10 pm 18. Randy:Why doesn’t anyone see that Obama is following in Chavez’s foot steps with our own country? It scares Obama that he could be thrown out of office for the same reasons in the future.
Jul 9, 2009 - 1:31 pm 19. Parabellum:Obama forgot to mention that the Honduran congress removed the country’s president because he was attempting to illegally extend his tenure in office
And that’s because 0bama will attempt the very same thing in a few years.
Jul 9, 2009 - 1:32 pm 20. Thomas L......:Why yes, it appears the POTUS has either gone “full retard” on this one or he’s one of them. But he’s a sneaky fellow, he is. The press will probably tell us how he magically has them right where we want them now. More peace in our time. The world just keeps falling into line. How do I roll my eyes here?
Jul 9, 2009 - 1:37 pm 21. Professor Guvinoff:What would happen if a boeing 747 was somehow overtaken by a monkey? CNN would be following the developments closely, trying to extract what tibits of information the baffled flight controllers could not manage to keep to themselves. CNN would be plotting what little they know of the trajectory on your TV screen, and invite a couple of experts to explain the seemingly unfathomable changes of direction. Having no idea what really happened, they would gladly theorize that the pilot is following some clever plan which no one has ever heard of, and he would certainly let us know if his radio was still working, and which was going to somehow solve some grave problem threatening the welfare of humanity.
90 minutes later, a fighter jet would intercept the wayward airliner and come close enough to see the monkey at the controls. When CNN learns of it, they decide it would be better not to air it, to protect the elaborate editorializing of the experts!
But wait!, we are not talking about a randomly piloted airliner, we are talking about the foreign policy of the USA under the guidance of our supreme leader…
Jul 9, 2009 - 1:42 pm 22. Evelyn:Parabellum wrote: Obama forgot to mention that the Honduran congress removed the country’s president because he was attempting to illegally extend his tenure in office
And that’s because 0bama will attempt the very same thing in a few years.
I say if he does, the South will rise again! And since the Leftists and democrats are such pacifists, this time the South will succeed in succession. And, this northeasterner will relocate to Texas
Jul 9, 2009 - 1:44 pm 23. Omgron:I have moved quickly through the comments posted here. However, nowhere am I seeing a very important fact. There is currently a house bill in committee to either obolish altogether or extend the term limits for our president. Obama is surely aware of it, that is why he is supportive of Hugo and the gang.
As correctly posted by Geokstr he has pumped billions into ACORN to make a sham of the 2010 census. And watch as he pushes and promises immigration reform for the Hispanic vote. Like all of his promises he will say he is sorry after getting the vote. Ask the Gay community about this. He is your friend, only when he is in need. Chicago politics 101.
Yes, heaven help us.
Jul 9, 2009 - 2:17 pm 24. Roderick Reilly:I just read that Zelaya has demanded that his appointed successor step down in 24 hours.
http://enewsreference.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/president-manuel-zelaya-demands-rivals-give-up-power-enewsreference-com/
Heh.
To paraphrase Stalin on the Pope:
“How many divisions does Zelaya have?”
Jul 9, 2009 - 2:18 pm 25. Moogie:#5 Scott: “It is almost as if Obama takes the wrong side on every issue.”
You’re right Scott. And here’s why:
Evan Sayet: Hating What’s Right – How Modern Liberals End Up on the Wrong Side of Every Issue
Jul 9, 2009 - 2:20 pm 26. Delia:3. Meryl:
“We’re in this for the long haul and we’re going to have to get used to eating while nauseated.
I do believe we are the ones we’ve been waiting for. Whaddaya think???”
True. My stomach just has to acclimate to doing flip-flops. The heart flutters and white knuckling fear ain’t helpin’ either though. lol
Maybe ‘we’ are the ones we’ve been waiting for? United we stand. Perhaps history will remember us in a good light during these dark days. :\
Jul 9, 2009 - 2:31 pm 27. "progressive"watch:President Obama is what Zelaya is,a stooge for Chavez,just as candidate Obama was what his friends,Ayers,Wright,etc. were. No hope for change here.
Jul 9, 2009 - 2:38 pm 28. dallasdan:The clock is ticking on the messiah.
Each passing day sheds increasing light on his marxist agenda for this country. There will be a tipping point, a showdown, between loyal Americans and the radical leftists who engineered BO’s theft of the election and are currently pushing their assault on capitalism in the Congress. The confrontation may come sooner rather than later.
Jul 9, 2009 - 3:02 pm 29. "progressive"watch:President Obama is what Zelaya is,a stooge for Chavez,just as candidate Obama was what his friends Ayers,Wright,etc. were. No hope for change here.
Jul 9, 2009 - 3:10 pm 30. abi:“wrong way obama”…He has no clear cut plans on where he’s going, becasue he hasn’t been “told” them yet…
chevazoracy at it’s best.
Jul 9, 2009 - 4:19 pm 31. Meryl:28. dallasdan
“The confrontation may come sooner rather than later.”
Let’s hope for that.
Jul 9, 2009 - 5:35 pm 32. Jettboy:If we don’t change something in 2010, then I fear there will be no United States in 2012 to defend. It will be on its last leg, and the leftists and voters will have caused this. America will have become the New United Soviet Socialist Russia. To think that I might live to see the death of this Great American Republic without a shot fired in protest. At least in the U.S. Civil War there were people struggling to hold things together.
Jul 9, 2009 - 6:40 pm 33. savage24:Obama has the same plan for this country as Zelaya had for Honduras. That is why he sides with the dictators.Just remember keep your powder dry you are going to need it to save this country.
Jul 9, 2009 - 7:55 pm 34. Moogie:Jettboy: I think we might actually be called the Unionized Statists of Obama. After all, the word “America” is an homage to a dead white guy. And we know the unions own Obama, and we know his agenda has a much broader scope than mere socialism.
Gee, I wonder what the new flag will look like?
Jul 9, 2009 - 8:20 pm 35. Jim:Leftists like Obama really believe that living under a politically correct leftist dictatorship that controls every aspect of the lives of its citizens (eg, Castro’s Cuba) is far better than the chaos of capitalism and democracy. I read in Spiegel Online that a majority of East Germans feel life was better under communism. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,634122,00.html
Not much innovation in such places but what does happen is very predictable and life is modest but secure so long as you follow the rules.
Jul 9, 2009 - 9:22 pm 36. Juvenal:#24 Roderick Reilly:
“How many divisions does Zelaya have?”
How many divisions does Daniel Ortega have?
Jul 9, 2009 - 10:01 pm 37. john from cinncinatti:sandra:16
Jul 9, 2009 - 11:12 pm 38. john from cinncinatti:(wise) brown conservatives want democracy for Honduras too. call yourself evil if you want don’t race bait. when the showdown comes around in 2010, vote conservative. don’t paint everyone with the same brush. the concept is called discernment of spirits. kindred spirits don’t come in colors.
this is why the newspapers are dying. it would take weeks for news to reach the people and by that time, zelaya would have bee put back into power and we would have been told some BS story about a coup. technology has freed us from the power brokers who want to keep the status quo. watch life in real time, in Iran, Honduras, China, the middle east. you think the powers that be want to stifle the internet because they care about freedom? misinformation is the order of the day. sorry mr. Fibbs but i ain’t buying the BS.
Jul 9, 2009 - 11:32 pm 39. john from cinncinatti:Fibbs meant Gibbs
Jul 9, 2009 - 11:33 pm 40. Thomas L......:Who wants to be the Donald Sutherland character at the end of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers? It’s getting lonely out there.
Jul 10, 2009 - 6:02 am 41. Moogie:#37 john from cinncinatti: “Kindred spirits don’t come in colors.” I love that line! May I borrow it? I agree with you about the demise of newspapers. I think we might see televised news stories becoming obsolete soon, if they don’t start acting like real journalists rather than propaganda puppets. Sadly, I have become an internet junkie in order to slake my thirst for more information. I believe I have stumbled through life uninformed long enough. I wish other Americans would stop stumbling and start investigating on their own.
#40 Thomas L: Does that mean Obama is the Leonard Nimoy character? Or would he be Jeff Goldblum (he reminds me more of Jeff Goldblum – the arrogance and all that).
Jul 10, 2009 - 9:02 am 42. Not Positive About The Future:This is what you get, when you vote and don’t really know who you are voting for. Our current President does not respect our country’s history, he is always apologizing, he associates with known terrorists, he believes in socialism over capitalism, and although he touts his background on teaching Constitutional law, he does not believe in the rule of law, only Chicago style politics……..Obama is America’s albatross and we must wear it around our colletive necks until he is either impeached, or not reelected……….Sorry America, this is what you get when you don’t bother checking out the candidate that you are voting for.
Next time ignore the liberal media, which is useless, and do your own research on the candidates. There was sufficient information available in books and online to show what our President thought. The problem was that not enough people bothered to find out who they were really voting for.
Jul 10, 2009 - 9:24 am 43. Sonny:Just what is OUR military going to do in the event of a similar situation? I really don’t think Obama would be in Afganistan if the our military really didn’t want to be there. Why they are there is another matter and it is not to win a war. The current Rules of Engagement really don’t allow it to be winnable; but only to be contained at best.
The Pentagon is an empire within itself. I believe it is a self-contained unit of the government which is too big for Obama to control. The only control he has is what is given to him. The military has its own interest and will only allow a certain portion of it to be depleted before some nasty things started happening that will not reflect favorably upon Obama. Obama knows it is our military that keeps America safe regardless of how they do it. He is not going to jeopardize his presidency by placing restrictions on how they operate.
Obama may be a fool in many instances, but he is not an idiot.
Jul 10, 2009 - 9:26 am 44. Tri Geek:I’ll repeat my question on this thread- To all the Lefty trolls, please provide your best argument that will convince us that Obama is NOT a Communist. I’ll wait.
Jul 10, 2009 - 2:55 pm 45. Tri Geek:I guess I have figured out how to get rid of the trolls. Start asking for validated proof concerning Obama’s communist ideology, and they all disappear. At least Pat J could come back with a “Whatever”.
Jul 10, 2009 - 3:52 pm 46. Fairbanks99:To the posters wondering about the military. I work at a large western Army post. Last week I was talking with a Captain about the damage Obama is doing to our country. I asked him what would the Army do if/when SHTF. He said the Army will side with the Constitution, that they understand the things happening now are Constitutional issues.
I have also been in Special Forces barracks, seen the kinds of cartoons they they have on display, and talked to more than one of them. These folks are NOT happy about what is happening to the USA.
There will be no Chavez here.
Jul 10, 2009 - 6:10 pm 47. Meryl:45 Tri Geek
Can you take up a permanent position in troll disposal?
What a relief it would be if there were a way………..
Jul 10, 2009 - 6:59 pm 48. Gozer the Carpathian:I’m not overly worried that Obama would succeed where Z failed because of our fine men and women in the Military. What I am worried about is the amount of damage done between now and then. Would we be able to fix it? Since we’re doing very little to stop it now.
Jul 10, 2009 - 7:48 pm 49. Tri Geek:It always feels good to be needed!
Jul 10, 2009 - 8:02 pm 50. vivo:CONCACAF Gold Cup
USA 2, Honduras 0
Jul 11, 2009 - 3:53 am 51. JulianG3:Tri Geek,
Obama has already meddled in Kenya by supporting the Marxist loser in the Kenyan election, one Mr. Raila Odinga. In fact Barry Hussein Obama actively campaigned for him. If you want proof its all on YouTube, be my guest.
Jul 11, 2009 - 6:26 pm 52. JulianG3:Does this “prove” that Obama is a Marxist? If it walks like a duck…..
….The he must be a duck (Marxist)
Jul 11, 2009 - 6:33 pm 53. Bohemond:Hey, where are Sheesh, Vivo, MikeW and the newest marionette White Helmet? Aren’t they going to try to defend the indefensible?
Jul 12, 2009 - 4:13 pm 54. vivo:53. Bohemond:
“Aren’t they going to try to defend the indefensible?”
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Honduras 4, Grenada 0
There is nothing to defend, watching the games takes time. Next Honduras game, Canada.
Jul 12, 2009 - 8:39 pm