In news from Honduras this morning, the New York Times reports that ousted Honduran President Mel Zelaya has accepted an agreement to leave the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa, “if all conditions are met.” Zelaya would settle in the Dominican Republic, according to the accord reached between incoming president, Pepe Lobo, and DR President Leonel Fernandez. The move is set to occur next week, when Pepe Lobo, elected in November, takes office. Zelaya called the accord a “first step” toward national reconciliation yesterday.
This comes as the country’s de facto leader, Roberto Micheletti, said he too is moving out of the presidential palace this week—a place he’s called home since the June 28 coup. Micheletti made sure to emphasize that he is not technically “stepping down,” just removing himself from the spotlight temporarily in order to pave the way for president-elect Lobo. “In the coming days I will adopt a lower public profile and step aside, so the new government has more room to act,” the coup leader told Channel 5 TV in Honduras. Micheletti’s cabinet will apparently be assuming presidential responsibilities for the next few days, ahead of the Jan. 27 inauguration.
For his part, Pepe Lobo has welcomed the news of Mr. Micheletti’s exit from public life. Reports indicate that Lobo continues to insist on amnesty for parties, from both sides, involved in the coup of June 28. Earlier in the week, Lobo said approving an amnesty bill, set aside by the outgoing Honduran Congress, and integrating a truth commission will be top priorities upon his taking office next week. Such proposals have the support of the U.S. government, whose top diplomat in the country, Amb. Hugo Llorens recently spoke at the Washington, D.C.-based Inter-American Dialogue Wednesday (audio here). In his talk, Llorens called political amnesty a “platform for stability” in the country. The ambassador defended the United States’ much-criticized policy on Honduras as well, calling it “consistently principled.” He also defended U.S. statements (or lack thereof) on human rights violations in the country, saying Honduras, since June 28, was neither similar to Castro’s Cuba nor Pinochet’s Chile.
On the situation in Haiti this morning:
--some of today’s headlines in the major U.S. papers focus on the economy and, what the New York Times calls, “the rapid surge in prices of crucial products.” However, the paper adds that gasoline is already becoming more readily available and a branch of Western Union recently reopened in Port-au-Prince, allowing remittances to begin flowing once again. The World Bank said Thursday it would waive payments on debt for five years while the IMF has proposed an interest-free $100 million loan for the country, as reported yesterday. The Inter-American Development Bank has also pledged $300 million (although the Times’ doesn’t describe the form that money will take).
--the Washington Post leads its Haiti coverage with news that humanitarian efforts are “intensifying.” This comes as Haiti’s seaport was reopened yesterday, a U.S. Navy hospital ship arrived Wednesday, and three additional airfields were finally opened for more relief flights to enter the country (two landing fields are in the DR and one is in Haiti itself). Also, from the LA Times, news that U.S. military presence in the country is expected to rise from 11,000 to 20,000 over the weekend.
--those numbers will no doubt raise more questions about the role of the U.S. in Haiti, the subject of much debate in recent days (more criticisms of the U.S. military presence here, here, and here). However, as CIP’s Adam Isacson writes, the use of the military in disaster relief is far from unusual. “…no country in the world budgets enough to maintain a permanent civilian rapid-reaction agency able to respond to massive natural disasters. During the first few days after a large-scale disaster – when transportation infrastructure has been destroyed and the priority is saving lives – only the military has the manpower, the boats, the helicopters and the equipment to do the job.” Nevertheless, says Isacson, “the ‘occupation’ phase must be short.”
--also, while French officials are backtracking on early criticisms of the U.S. military, and particularly its control of the airport, (UN Spokeswoman in Geneva Elisabeth Byrs recently said “Without them (the U.S.), the airport wouldn't work.”), there do seem to be growing tensions between the U.S. and Brazil over security. Brazil, who leads the UN’s MINUSTAH forces, said this week that it had no intention of voluntarily relinquishing any of its command duties in Haiti. After returning from the country, Defense Minister Nelson Jobim went further, saying Brazil was in the country for the long haul. Foreign Minister Celso Amorim also placed a frustrated call to Hillary Clinton this week, demanding Brazilian planes be allowed to land at the U.S.-controlled airport. There has also been some reporting on how other Latin American countries are stepping up aid efforts, including the Latin American branch of the Red Cross.
--Haiti opinions today by Mark Schneider of the International Crisis Group at the NY Review of Books, Mark Danner in the NY Times, and Elliott Abrams in the Post. Also an editorial on what Haiti is owed, from The Nation.
--and finally, for those who have been disappointed or frustrated with media coverage of the Haiti earthquake, particularly the frequent discussion of “security problems” and “looting,” I highly recommend an essay by writer, Rebecca Solnit, author of the recent bestseller, A Paradise Built in Hell.
In other news today:
· Evo Morales participated in the first of two inauguration ceremonies yesterday, this one an indigenous ritual ceremony at Tiwanaku. A second state ceremony is set for today. More from Jim Schulz of the Democracy Center on what to expect in Bolivia in 2010.
· In the Miami Herald, Juan Tamayo reports on what Cuba watchers are saying about the current state of internal politics within the Cuban leadership.
· On Venezuela, opposition figures are protesting the alleged “gerrymandering” of voting districts by President Hugo Chavez. Opponents of the president say the new district lines put them at a disadvantage ahead of legislative elections.
· A new Amnesty International Report says Mexican authorities are failing to protect human rights activists in the country. The report investigates some 15 recent cases of rights defenders who have been attacked, killed, and threatened since 2007. HRW also has been critical of President Felipe Calderon’s use of the military for policing, and the Mexican President recently responded to those criticisms. In a statement, the Mexican government said it was only responding to demands from civilian authorities and emphasized that “military intervention in public safety is only temporary.”
· In Chile, president-elect, Sebastian Pinera, is coming under early attack this week as stock prices of Mr. Pinera’s business interests rose substantially after his electtion. In just one week, stock prices of Axxion, a holding company which the new president’s stocks are primarily held, made gains that experts say pans out to $400m in profit for the new president.
· And finally, two opinions. A Post editorial is critical of Cuba for the recent detention of a U.S. contractor in that country, saying no new Cuba policy changes should be made until the Maryland man is released. And, in the LA Times yesterday, an editorial on Colombia and the arrest of human rights activist Principe Gabriel Gonzalez Arango, accused by the government of working with guerrillas. The paper writes:
“Gonzalez's last recourse may be the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which could declare his prosecution invalid under international law. But the commission should go further than insisting on a fair process for one activist and urge systemic reforms in Colombia's judicial system.”
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