"The poor life is much better than a life of slavery"....

This is the sentiment of most Hondurans that I have had contact with. Most are glad that Zelaya is no longer here. Most are looking forward to the coming elections and believe they are the way out of the current crisis. Most consider the problem to be an internal matter and the rest of the world should butt out. Most are satisfied that the current government is handling matters properly and working in the best interest of all Hondurans. Are there some changes that could be made to make things better? Of course. That is true everywhere. Most here would prefer not to do it the way the rest of Latin America is doing it. Most do not want to be in cahoots with the Hugo Chavez crowd. Most would rather have nothing than to be in "slavery". Here is a recent article with some very revealing quotes from Mauricio Villeda, one of the members of the new governments negotiating team. This translation if from La Gringa's Blogcito....

La Prensa
Tegucigalpa, Honduras

"If the U.S. ambassador, Hugo Llorens, disagrees with what happened here, he should quit Honduras," said Mauricio Villeda, politician and member of the negotiating committee of the interim government to resolve the political crisis, on Sunday.

Villeda was emphatic faced with the position of Hugo Llorens and the U.S. government, which has taken the decision to revoke visas of businessmen, judges, and President Roberto Micheletti, as a measure of pressure to restore Manuel Zelaya to the presidency after being constitutionally replaced for attempting to violate the Constitution by convening a Constituent Assembly to reform it and remain in power.

"Ambassador Llorens for dignity, if you do not agree with what happened in Honduras, you should leave the country without being asked."

"Step down in Honduras, but don't come to try to impose a solution in accordance with the principles that he or his administration want for Honduras," Villeda said.

"It's an internal matter of our Honduras and I reject publicly the interference of Ambassador Llorens with all our sectors [of society]. I reject the cancellation of visas, because that is to restrict freedom, to threaten, it is resorting to the use of force, including psychologically, to shut us up," he said.

Mauricio Villeda affirmed that "these gentlemen want us to be at the catacombs, not to come out to public view, and that is not permitted in the 21st Century".

The politician said that "we have our own principles, our own Constitution, and we have to fight for respect. We can not permit another State, although economically greater, to come to trample us. We must have our own dignity and our Constitution and our domestic law should be respected," he said.

With respect to the visas revoked from the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice, the President of the Republic, and businessmen, people who have received notice of the cancellation of their visa "for the simple fact of defending the Constitution," Villeda suggests that "the notice should be framed and hung in their living room, that they should explain with pride to their children and grandchildren, friends and relatives, that this is the price for defending the Republic (of Honduras)."

He accused Zelaya of breaking his promise to defend democracy and the Constitution "because when he was President he promised to be faithful to the Republic, to respect and enforce the Constitution and laws, and that oath was stomped by the influence of (Hugo) Chavez, (Rafael) Correa, through the influence of countries in the ultra left who want our territory as another one of those colonies where they are trampling freedom in Latin America. We have rebelled with pride," he noted.

Villeda reiterated that "we are defending our own Honduran values and principles although the punishment is blocking us and taking our visas." On 15 September [Independence Day], "we should read in a loud voice that we are free, sovereign and independent," as the legend of the National Emblem of Honduras.

A sampling of reader comments:

32 | Francisco Suazo 13.09.2009 05:41pm "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke) Well done, Sr. Villeda

23 | tiberes 13.09.2009 04:11pm
All of us who feel proud to be Hondurans should express ourselves like Sr. Mauricio Villeda. The poor life is much better than a life of slavery. What has North and South American influence brought? Pollution, corruption, exploitation, and now they want to impose humiliation on the free, sovereign and independent people of Honduras! Cancel the visa of Obama, Clinton, and Llorens.

19 | Gabriel 13.09.2009 04:02pm
I am also a coupster!


El Heraldo adds these comments from Sr. Villeda:

"Our objective should be elections in November. We go to elections against all odds, and although they remove all the visas that they want to remove, we are honorable Hondurans and a visa is not worth the cost of liberty, the cost of democracy, the cost of respect of the principles of the Constitution," affirmed Villeda.


Mauricio Villeda said he was outraged that the present rulers of America "betray the principles of freedom of their own country. They are not worthy successors of the great men the American Union has had," he said.

"I think that the actions of the current administration will have the unanimous rejection of the Hispanic vote in the upcoming election and it is not unusual at this point the president (Barack) Obama has already lost some of the popularity that brought him to power," he ended.


Proceso Digital added:

Mauricio Villeda reacted indignantly faced with what he considered interventionism from the United States. "The US acts like in the years 30s and 40s when they took out and put in presidents, like in the epoch of the catacombs," indicated Villeda.

Villeda denounced the head of the diplomatic mission from Washington in Tegucigalpa and said that "Llorens calls political leaders, businessmen, workers, and civil society to his office and threatens them...."

The demonstrations continue though not as often. They seem to have slowed for the moment. It really is a very uncertain time. This is not over by a long shot. I'm afraid that the worst is yet to come. There are those who are determined to disrupt the coming elections. It is not the majority, but it is a very determined and vocal minority led by those who desire to move Honduras into a tighter relationship with Chavez and his allies. It is an ideology that some here believe is the answer for a country that continues to be plagued by poverty and injustice. Is it the answer? I personally don't think so, but something has to change. The Honduran people want a way out of their desperation. Too many continue to have to live in ways that are unjust. Too many continue to have to fight for basic necessities like food and clean water, adequate housing, and a decent education.

Hondurans are a courageous and proud people. They deserve better than they are receiving.