U.S. Still Training Honduras Military after Military Coup

Friday, July 24, 2009
Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez

Despite President Barack Obama’s denunciations of last month’s coup in Honduras and promises to cut ties with its military, the U.S. government is still training Honduran officers at the controversial Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, aka the School of the Americas (SOA).

 
An SOA spokesman told the National Catholic Reporter he was unsure just how many Hondurans were still training at the U.S Army-run school. The school has a long history of graduating Latin American military personnel who have gone on to commit human rights abuses and overthrow their governments, including those involved in the June 28 coup. The SOA official also said it was possible Hondurans were being trained at other U.S. military schools.
 
The U.S. had agreed before the overthrow to train 88 Hondurans this year at the SOA, which graduated more than 400 Hondurans from 2001-2008. These include General Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez, who led the recent coup, General Juan Melgar Castro and General Policarpo Paz Garcia, along with five other officers who are part of the military clique running the country.
 
The Foreign Operations Appropriations Act requires the U.S. military to cease all aid and training to a country that has undergone a military coup.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
 
U.S. Continues to Train Honduran Soldiers (by James Hodge and Linda Cooper, National Catholic Reporter)

Comments

Russell Morgan 15 years ago
How USA and Honduras Constitution work: Congress Creates the laws, next the President signs them into being law, NEXT THE SUPREME COURT DETERMINES IF THE LAW OR LAWS ARE CONSTITUTIONAL! I have no problem with a Constitution being CHANGED OR AMENDED AS LONG AS IT IS DONE ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS! Why NOT tell Obama to put a Cuarta Urna on USA Presidential election in 2012 to see what he thinks or SAYS? FYI, only the USA Congress(2/3 margin) and the Congress of each of 50 State houses(75%margin) can change our constitution so PROPOSE IT TO OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!
Christie 15 years ago
Darrell, Russell and Roger all make the same excellent point that the transfer of power in Honduras was not a "coup" as it is being dubbed by the OAS, Cuba, Venezuela and others who will benefit from restoring Zelaya to power. No worries Noel, you are in excellent company as apparently Obama, Clinton, and their plethora of "advisors" didn't bother to read the Honduran Constitution before jumping to dramatic (unconstitutional) conclusions that they can no longer back away from either. If you strive for legitimacy as a blogger, please do your homework before writing additional articles and posting them to your site for the world to see.
Russell Morgan 15 years ago
The constitution is written for those in POWER! IT TELL THEM HOW TO GOVERN AND WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO...WHY DON'T YOU ALL IN THE PRESS GET THIS? HAVEN'T YOU HEARD OF FREEDOM OF THE PRESS? 2nd AMENDMENT? THESE RIGHTS ARE IN THE USA CONSTITUTION AND HARD TO BE AMENDED! Honduras Constitution-http://www.honduras.net/honduras_constitution2.html ARTICLE239-You get One Term, and IF YOU JUST PROPOSE TO CHANGE THIS, THEN YOUR DISMISSAL IS IMMEDIATE! ARTICLE241-YOU CAN'T LEAVE THE COUNTRY FOR 15 DAYS WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM CONGRESS! Since I doubt you can read Englis much less Spanish then LOOK for El Presidente and see that THAT IS IN NEARLLY ALL THOSE ARTICLES-ACCEPT!
Darrell Fillpot 15 years ago
This is an excellent observation. One possible explanation is that the recent actions taken by the Honduran military is not actually a military coup. The Honduran congress along with the judicial branch of the government requested the military action to bring constitutional order back to the country. I agree that these extreme measures were regrettable; however they were absolutely necessary. If this were a military coup General Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez would be presiding over the government. Today democracy reigns in Honduras. If the world leadership continues to errantly call this action a military coup, the blood of innocent Hondurans will be on their hands. Thank you By the way, I have resided in Honduras the better part of twenty years.
Roger Quigg 15 years ago
They may have not suspended the training because it was not a Coup. It was a constitutional transfer of power. The constitution in Honduras states that if a president even contemplates extending term limits on his power he is immediately no longer the president. Simple , Done. You people must be able to read.

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