Travel Announcements Only (No questions or comments please)

[Riodulce]

It certainly reads like that. But I think they're just following the standard line about democratically elected leaders having to be impeached before being removed from office. It doesn't matter that this president went against the country's supreme court, congress, and his own party. Maybe making arrangements to facilitate becoming a dictator is not a crime until one actually becomes a dictator.

In response to the US position a friend of mine said "I thought the U.S. supported the rule of law". And I replied, "Yes they have demonstrated that support consistantly over the years here in C.A. This is a good documentary on that point. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sstDwKTCpM ".

My personal assessment is that the Honduran people for the most part are in favor of what happened. It was certainly more efficent than some of the circuses you see in the US.

[Chocha Monger]

Am I reading this correctly? It appears that the U.S. is on the same side as Venezuela and Cuba regarding the expulsion of the president of Honduras. These are strange bedfellows.

It certainly reads like that. But I think they're just following the standard line about democratically elected leaders having to be impeached before being removed from office. It doesn't matter that this president went against the country's supreme court, congress, and his own party. Maybe making arrangements to facilitate becoming a dictator is not a crime until one actually becomes a dictator.

[Professor 1]

Am I reading this correctly? It appears that the U.S. is on the same side as Venezuela and Cuba regarding the expulsion of the president of Honduras. These are strange bedfellows.

[Member #4351]

Good work!

[Chocha Monger]

Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - Soldiers seized the national palace and flew President Manuel Zelaya into exile Sunday, hours before a disputed constitutional referendum. Zelaya, a leftist ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said he was victim of a coup.

Hours later, Congress voted to accept what it said was Zelaya's letter of resignation, but Zelaya said the letter wasn't his and vowed to remain in power.

The Supreme Court said it was supporting the military in what it called a defense of democracy, and the Honduran ambassador to the Organization of American States said the military was planning to swear in Congressional President Roberto Micheletti -- who is next in line to the presidency -- to replace Zelaya.

Zelaya was arrested shortly before polls were to open in a referendum on whether to change the constitution. The Supreme Court ruled the referendum illegal and everyone from Congress to members of his own party opposed it. Critics said Zelaya wanted to remove limits to his re-election.

Soldiers surround palace
Tanks rolled through the streets and hundreds of soldiers with riot shields surrounded the presidential palace in the capital, Tegucigalpa. Zelaya, at the airport in the Costa Rican capital, San Jose, called the military action illegal.

"There is no way to justify an interruption of democracy, a coup d'etat," he said in a telephone call to the Venezuela-based Telesur television network. "This kidnapping is an extortion of the Honduran democratic system."

A majority of members of Congress voted with a show of hands to accept a letter of resignation that Congressional Secretary Jose Alfredo Saavedra said was signed by Zelaya and dated Thursday. The letter said Zelaya was resigning because of "the polarized political situation" and "insuperable health problems."

But Zelaya told CNN the letter was "totally false." He told Telesur he would not recognize any de facto government and pledged to serve out his term, which ends in January. He said he would attend a scheduled meeting of Central American presidents in Nicaragua on Monday. He siad Chavez, which is also going, would provide transportation.

Chavez, who along with the Castros in Cuba is Zelaya's top ally, said Venezuela "is at battle" and put his military on alert.

Obama 'deeply concerned'
President Barack Obama said he was "deeply concerned" by Zelaya's expulsion and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the arrest should be condemned.

"I call on all political and social actors in Honduras to respect democratic norms, the rule of law and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter," Obama's statement read.

Zelaya told Telesur that he was awoken by gunshots and the shouts of his security guards, whom he said resisted troops for at least 20 minutes. Still in his pajamas, he jumped out of bed and ducked behind an air conditioner to avoid flying bullets, he said.

He said eight or nine soldiers in masks escorted him onto an air force plane that took him to Costa Rica.

Chavez said troops in Honduras also temporarily detained the Venezuelan and Cuban ambassadors, beating them.

Zelaya called on Honduran soldiers to desist, urged citizens to take to the streets in peaceful protests, and asked Honduran police to protect demonstrators.

Zelaya ally Rafael Alegria, a labor leader, called for protests.

"We demand respect for the president's life," he told Honduran radio Cadena de Noticias. "And we will go out into the streets to defend what this has cost us: living in peace and tranquility."

'We have to rally the people'
About 100 Zelaya supporters, many wearing "Yes" T-shirts for the referendum, blocked the main street outside the gates to the palace, throwing rocks and insults at soldiers and shouting "Traitors! Traitors!"

"They kidnapped him like cowards," screamed Melissa Gaitan. Tears streamed down the face of the 21-year-old, who works at the government television station. "We have to rally the people to defend our president."

Honduras has a history of military coups: Soldiers overthrew elected presidents in 1963 and 1972. The military did not turn the government over to civilians until 1981, under U.S. pressure.

Micheletti has been one of the president's main opponents in the dispute over whether to hold the referendum. The head of the Supreme Court was also opposed to the nonbinding referendum, on whether to ask voters whether they want to convoke an assembly to rewrite the constitution.

It appeared that the vote would no longer take place.

[Shamester]

Any recommendations for $20/nite and under?

Someone posted Hotel Jeny. Please advise.

[Chubby2475]

A friend and I will be in SPS on 2/6/09 Thru 2/9/09, and could use a wingman or some information on were to stay, and were to play cheap! I like MP's in the day, and clubing at nite.

Any infor will help.

[Sylvester]

I walk in to a Berlitz language center to inquire about an immersion program. For $2500.00 US I get five days at 7.5 hrs a day of instruction! I went home looked on line and found a flight and hotel for six days in Tegucigalpa for $1400.00, I then called Lil sis from my last trip to Ceiba. She agreed to meet me at the airport and spend the week with me.

So let's see $2500.00 sitting in a class room vs. $1400.00 in Honduras with a hot 22 year old chica. I'm going to Tegus!

You can't get an more immersed than being in a spanish speaking country. Plus, I doubt very seriously I'll spend $1100.00 on food and entertainment. Even if I do, I still think I'm coming out ahead.

Pimsleur audio cd's are a much better investment. You can learn the language while driving back and forth to work.

[Quicktex]

I plan to be in Tegus sometime in late Jan.

Plan to stay about 6 weeks.

Have a friend living there.

Going to be staying near Central Park.

[Falcon9113]

Coming out to Comayagua in Jan-Feb 09. Any suggestions on rental cars and hotels. Will be in area for two weeks maybe longer.

Also any suggestions on area for proper entrainment. First time mongering there and noticed that some of the posts are pretty old for this area. NOT military affiliated.

[Flyingfish]

It doesn't matter, Cheap with AC is better.

Could you recommend one of each price range?

[Cuba Tourist]

What price range? 15 or 60 dollars are the 2 choices.

[Flyingfish]

First time in Honduras. Planning a week on Utila and a week in La Cieba.
Flight should land in SPS at 7:30 PM. Any new recommendation on chica friendly hotels in SPS? I'm going to contact Omar before arriving to possibly arrange a warm welcome.

Is the La Paz hotel still there?

[Generous Gent]

Prepare yourself arriving in San Pedro Sula; it is a mess since tegucigalpa has been shut down for any aircraft seating more than 42 passengers. This means all International traffic goes to San Pedro, and the airport must look like the inside of an ant hill! Not sure about regional flights, but likely they are jammed as well moving two airport's worth of passengers.

I just saw your post. Ceiba, and any other great mongering spot sounds good to me. But I have read that Roatan is not that good for mongering. You diving there? I dive too.

[Powermax1]

I may go to San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, and Roatan. Anyone want to meet?

I just saw your post. Ceiba, and any other great mongering spot sounds good to me. But I have read that Roatan is not that good for mongering. You diving there? I dive too.