In a Radio Globo broadcast, Manuel Zelaya has called all those who have “given even their blood for democracy” to return to the streets to protest that he has not been restored to office. He claims that the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accord was just a formality for his restitution, and calls the people not to let “congress be the reason the accord is not kept”. According to the Geneva convention, this statement should require the Brazilian embassy to expel Zelaya, which they won’t.
A friend of mine in Honduras has told me that there is a possibility of a curfew tonight, which is the way Micheletti separated the law abiding citizens from the disobedient. If the curfew and the protests go forward, expect violence and wounded. Zelaya has consistently called the people to violence, leading to deaths, which are conveniently blamed on the interim government.
The election by Congress should go forward as soon as possible, because this will give Zelaya no excuse for continued violence, and probably spell doom to his possibility of reinstatement. The major player in the field, the United States, has already said that it will recognize the elections, no matter what the Honduran Congress should decide. But the president of the Congress says that although he will not “delay” the vote, he will not give a date for it either. I think he doesn’t trust Zelaya to keep out of the electoral process, but the problem is getting out of control again, with an angry Zelaya instigating the people.
Meanwhile, with Zelaya’s public statements, it is clear that he does not mean to abide by the agreement anyway, which might already make the agreement void.
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