Should Obama stand up for Honduras' couped President Zelaya?

[Jacobtm]

Well? This is a very complicated issue for sure, and the US has signed onto the UN's declaration calling for Zelaya's return, but should Obama be giving public support to him?

The first angle that comes to mind is this:

First thing after Zelaya was deposed, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas held a press conference where they took sides and showed support for the democratically elected leader over the coup. If he's re-installed, the image will be that Chavez etc. were the ones who stood up for true Democracy. Side note: the US didn't.

[Jacobtm]

Much better to have a disagreeable democracies than non-democracies.

[Jacobtm]

It wasn't a coup, but thanks for playing.

What is it called then, when soldiers take the President from his home while he's sleeping and fly him out of his country?

[Jacobtm]

Enhanced impeachment.

Strangely, the Honduran constitution has no provisions for impeachment. However, it does have this provision:

42.- La calidad de ciudadano se pierde:

5. Por incitar, promover o apoyar el continuismo o la reelección del Presidente de la República

Roughly:

One loses citizenship: For inciting, promoting, or helping the continuation or the reelection of the President of the Republic.

So perhaps there's also a provision about the President needing to be a citizen, which might justify his removal, if not his exile...

Either way, a court should've been involved in the romoval, saying that the supreme court had ruled a poll he planned to hold illegal does NOT justify his exile.