An official from the de facto regime of Roberto Micheletti met with ousted President Mel Zelaya on Thursday, reports indicate, but according to Mr. Zelaya the first set of talks went nowhere. This is according to the AP who says Zelaya spoke on TV channel 36 in Honduras after the first meeting with the unnamed Micheletti emissary and said the coup government had “taken an extremely hard stand,” presenting positions that are “totally outside any possibility of agreement.” There has been no word from the Micheletti camp on the meeting. Also, the AP reports that both the Micheletti government and Mr. Zelaya met separately with four of the candidates scheduled to run in November elections. Zelaya said he will also meet with business and social leaders from the country later this week. The reporting of Reuters on Thursday’s talks is slightly more optimistic. The news agency says the two sides “edged toward possible talks to end a standoff” and quotes Zelaya as telling reporters, “This is the first approach and we hope it advances. We are looking for a solution as soon as possible.” Reuters also writes that the UN Security Council is scheduled to meet today in New York to discuss the Honduran crisis, although a diplomat on the Council says the body is unlikely to take any formal action to actually reinstate Zelaya to the presidency. On the streets of Tegucigalpa, the AP also says in its report that security forces continued to surround the Brazilian embassy where Zelaya remains while away from the compound, life began to take on a new normalcy. “After days of paralyzing curfews, most children returned to school, planes began landing at the airport, borders were open and downtown streets were again crammed with taxis, buses and vendors hawking newspapers, snacks and bubble gum.” However, a partial curfew did remain in effect along the borders. Nevertheless, in many working class neighborhoods pro-Zelaya gatherings continued with some 3000 people marching through the city to the embassy on Thursday. And, according to AFP, over the weekend a new OAS mediation delegation is expected to arrive in Tegucigalpa, headed by Sec. General José Miguel Insulza. Insulza said earlier in the week that the parameters of the trip would be “dialogue and the San José Accords.” According to Insulza, the de facto regime has accepted the delegation’s trip to Honduras, after initial reports that Micheletti would not accept the group’s mediation any longer for being “biased.”
Also on Honduras, the New York Times has a terrific piece today on the role of the Honduran media over the last months. “While he was president, Mr. Zelaya bought jewels, paid for trips and maintained his horses with money he stole from the Central Bank and the Treasury, according to the television advertisement produced by the de facto government. Headlines from Honduran newspapers pop up onscreen as if to demonstrate the truth of the accusations,” writes the Times. Such ads have become “regular fare,” according to the paper, and the temperature of this media war has only increased since Mr. Zelaya’s return. One of the most bizarre claims of pro-government media: a report that “Brazil had promised to reinstate Mr. Zelaya in return for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.” For his part, the NYT does note that Zelaya still has his own outlets as well, particularly Radio Globo. There is more “futurology” in the Miami Herald this morning. Speaking with a popular movement leader in Honduras, three possible scenarios are outlined by the Herald. “1. The United Nations Security Council provides security for Zelaya to come back and finish his term -- a scenario Micheletti considers a deal-breaker. 2. Zelaya doesn't return to power, and popular movements that support him fight for the constituent assembly to change the constitution. Or 3. Elections are held, but the results would likely not be recognized by much of the international community. Zelaya would either go back into exile or stay at the embassy while Honduras' new leadership quells social upheaval.”
And with Honduras opinions today, the Washington Post must have some secret sources on how exactly Mr. Zelaya got back to Tegucigalpa. The paper writes: “The result [of negotiation failures] was this week's Venezuelan-engineered secret return by Mr. Zelaya to the country and his appearance in the Brazilian Embassy, from where he has sought to foment the populist revolution that he has wanted all along.” The paper goes on to argue that “Such behavior ought to deter any responsible member of the Organization of American States -- starting with Brazil -- from supporting anything more than a token return by Mr. Zelaya to office” and says only supporting November elections is the proper way out of the crisis. The Miami Herald seconds the Post’s assessment that Zelaya’s return was “stupid,” writing “Far from helping to resolve the political crisis, his reckless move made matters worse. It increased political tension throughout the country and reduced the chances of finding a peaceful diplomatic solution.” The MH also seems to hint at the belief that the Obama administration has not put its full effort into resolving the crisis. And also in the MH, columnist Carlos Montaner says others should follow Panama’s lead in recognizing November elections. (Panama became the first Latin American country to say they would do so last week).
In other news, the LA Times, while featuring an unflattering photo of Arturo Chavez, does report that the former state prosecutor has been confirmed as Mexico’s new Attorney General. Legislators backed his confirmation in a 75-27 vote in the Senate, over objections from some human rights groups in the country.
The Miami Herald has a special report from Guatemala where Ezra Fieser says the recent arrests of 10 men for the killing of Rodrigo Rosenberg some four months ago serve as a reminder that “that organized crime and the police and military remain bedfellows in Guatemala.”
The New York Times reports on G-20 meetings which began yesterday in Pittsburgh and writes the international group, including developing countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, will likely replace the G-7 as the forum for international economic policy discussions. The NYT argues: “The move highlights the growing economic importance of Asia and some Latin American countries, particularly since the United States and many European countries have found their banking systems crippled by an economic crisis originating in excesses in the American mortgage market.”
And on Venezuela, the AP also focuses on how the South American nation is trying to cultivate new South-South relations, particularly with Africa. According to CIP’s Adam Isacson, “Chavez, who is quite popular in many African countries, is continuing to round up countries that have poor relations with the United States, regardless of their leaders' reputation, in an attempt to outweigh U.S. influence. He clearly believes there's strength in numbers, and sees Africa as a way to add to his numbers.” Meanwhile, in Venezuela, fines will soon be issued against cable television stations that air the popular animated television series “Family Guy.” In a somewhat fundamentalist turn, the country’s justice minister says the show promotes marijuana use, the AP reports.
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