I really don’t understand how or why it is that the entire world is referring to the removal of Zelaya as a coup.
The fact of the matter is that under the law of Honduras, Zelaya removed HIMSELF from office, and was subsequently arrested with a warrant from the supreme court. How this can be a coup, I have no idea…
Article 239 of the Honduran Constitution states,
No citizen who has already served as head of the Executive Branch can be President or a designated person. Whoever violates this law or proposes its reform, as well as those that support such violation directly or indirectly, will immediately cease in their functions and will be unable to hold any public office for a period of 10 years
How can this be any clearer? The man, by his own actions, ceased to be president of Honduras.
Imagine if a President of the United States decided that he would remain in office after his term ended, and the military subsequently removed him from the White House. Would that be a coup?
The man is buddies with Chavez and Castro, so perhaps that is why Obama is so intent upon returning him to power…
Except there is the small matter that NONE of the Judicial Orders in place on June 28th said ANYTHING about Article 239. Neither did the Congress. This is simply a post-facto manufactured charge. Manufactured because even a corrupt Supreme Court could argue with a straight face that Zelaya proposed any kind of specific Constitutional reform. He never said a word about re-election or anything else prohibited in the Constitution.
Whether they discussed Article 239 or not doesn’t matter one bit…the constitution says that they immediately cease to hold their office. That doesn’t require a court order. It is automatic. It is the equivalent of a resignation.