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Iran in Latin America: Threat or Axis of Annoyance?
Senior Fellow Douglas Farah's analysis of the debate over the level of threat posed by Iran's expanding diplomatic, trade and military presence in Latin America, and its stated ambition to continue to broaden these ties.
Chinese Naval Modernization: Altering the Balance of Power
Richard Fisher details China's naval modernization program and the potential impacts on U.S. interests in the Western Pacific.
Honduras Breaks a Paradigm in Latin America
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The removal of President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales from power by the Honduran army on Sunday, June 28, has put an end to a paradigm in Latin American contemporary political history. For the first time since the end of the Cold War, an army removes a legally and democratically elected President to restore the rule of law, not to break the rule of law, as it used to be in the past.
The Honduran case cannot be labeled as a coup d’état, because it lacks two main characteristics typically found in this political phenomenon: the rise to power by the military and the breach of the rule of law. The action taken by the army was based on a court order, and was intended to reestablish the rule of law. The President of the Executive branch had been consistently failing to recognize decisions made by the Legislative and Judicial powers, thus denying the checks and balances principles which are sine qua non in a democracy. After this intervention by the armed forces, the Honduran Constitution is still in force; the Constitutional succession of power was fully respected as a new President was sworn in.
From the standpoint of political science, Honduras has set a precedent, which will be analyzed and discussed by college students, diplomats and politicians around the world for years to come. For the first time in Latin American history, the people have rebelled, without any blood or violence, against a constitutionally elected President, due to his persistent violations of the law and attacks to the country´s legal establishment.
This is the reason why the international media, international organizations and governments around the world, have not yet understood the context and essence of the Honduran case. They are condemning what has taken place based on criteria and concepts framed in the old coup d’état paradigm, which prevailed during the Cold War years. The international community, both public and private, has not yet had the time, nor the sufficient details, to take into account the fact that on Sunday June 28, 2009, Honduras broke a political model in Latin America, and that this is a completely sui generis case.
The lesson Honduras has taught the world is clear: even if a President is democratically and legitimately elected, he does not have the right to elevate himself above the Constitution and the law. People are not willing to tolerate more abuses of power from legally elected Presidents, who wrongfully consider themselves untouchable, based on the fact that they were elected by the people. The message Honduras has sent is simple: the vote of the people does not imply a license to break the law, and every effort to rule for the good of a nation, has to be carried out within the country´s legal framework.
Very probably, not even Hondurans have yet fully understood the dimension of what they truly achieved June 28th. Over next weeks, months and years ahead they will assess the dimensions of the new paradigm they have created in Latin America. It is a categorical message, both within Honduras and abroad, about what lays down the road for constitutional dictators and their tropical apprentices. He who has an ear, let him hear.
The author graduated from the Institute of Political Studies and International Relations at Francisco Marroquin University (Guatemala), and holds an MBA from INCAE Business School (Costa Rica). She is an International Relations Professor at Unitec University (Honduras), and until recently Editor in Chief of Central America Today.
