Chavez: US Government Giving Oxygen to Honduran Coup

Caracas, July 13 2009, (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Speaking during his weekly television show, Hello President, on Sunday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on United States President, Barack Obama to withdraw all support for the coup government in Honduras that deposed the democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya on June 28.

Although the Obama and secretary of state, Hilary Clinton have made comments condemning the ouster of Zelaya, the US government has thus far refused to legally recognize the coup as a "coup", maintained diplomatic ties with the illegitimate coup government in Honduras, and continued to send millions of dollars in aid.

"Obama withdraw your soldiers from Honduras, withdraw all support for the coup plotters, freeze their bank accounts, withdraw their visas so that this government falls immediately," the Venezuelan head of state said.

"If the US government truly doesn't support the coup, it would withdraw all of its troops from the military base at Palmerola," he added.

Chavez argued that it is imperative that his counter-part in the White House take a clear position on Honduras, and that this represents a test for Obama, who promised a shift away from previous US president George Bush's interventionist foreign policy approach.

"Don't deceive the world with a discourse that contradicts your actions," he warned Obama, "demonstrate that it's true that you are disposed to confront the imperialist hawks, if not, its better that you go away, because you will end up worse than Bush."

US-backed talks aimed at promoting "dialogue" between Zelaya and coup president Roberto Micheletti, mediated by Costa Rican president Oscar Arias ended last week without resolving the crisis.

During a press conference on Friday, Chavez slammed the US initiative of promoting dialogue with the coup government as a "crass error."

"A dialogue with who? With these usurpers? The same people who are now persecuting the Honduran people? Those who have killed people?" he questioned.

"This would constitute a trap for democracy, a danger and a serious error, not only for Honduras, but for the whole American continent," he said.

Fortunately Zelaya walked out of the trap rapidly Chavez said, but lamented the fact that Micheletti was received in Costa Rica as if he were a legitimate head of state.

Through these types of measures the US government is "giving oxygen" to the de facto government of dictator Roberto Micheletti, Chavez continued on Sunday.

"The aim of imperialism, the continental bourgeoisie and the media is to draw out the game…What the immoral coup plotters in Honduras are trying to do is wear out the people of Honduras, wear out the constitutional president Manuel Zelaya, and his government which is in exile, some of whom are prisoners or have gone underground," he added.

"Then there are elections in Honduras in November," Chavez explained, "this is what the game is…we will not recognize any government that emerges, including from elections that this coup government carries out."

"They want to close the path to democratic transformation because they are afraid of democracy and popular power, which is waking up and shaking Central America, South America and the Caribbean."

Chavez emphasised the necessity of protesting in the streets, "like the people of Honduras," and  building a solidarity movement around the world in order to defeat the coup.

"The situation in Honduras is explosive… this coup government will not be able to govern, the Honduran people won't be governed by a tyrant like Roberto Micheletti, this coup plotter will not be able to take forward any kind of economic project," he said.

Honduras is paralysed Chavez said, "There are no classes, the factories are closed, the people are in the street, the farmers have left their tractors and taken to the highways, blocking commerce in Central America, there is hardly any fuel. Honduras is a country on the verge of exploding."

"There are soldiers that have refused to repress the people, it's only that they haven't come out [against the coup government], but it shouldn't surprise anyone, if a military current pronounces against the actions that have been carried out against president Zelaya," he declared.

Despite military repression Honduras has entered its third week of protest against the military coup demanding the return of the democratically elected president.

President of the United Workers Federation in Honduras, Juan Barahona, confirmed that protests are continuing this Monday, Venezuelan Radio YKVE Mundial reported.

"We are going to continue until the coup plotters abandon the power they have usurped," Barahona told thousands of people who rallied in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, in a massive show of resistance to the coup government on Saturday.

Xiomara Castro, wife of the ousted Zelaya also spoke at the rally, which then marched to the Toncontin international airport to commemorate the death of 19-year-old Isis Obed Murillo, shot by the military on July 5 as he protested the coup.

Chavez also condemned the murder in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, of Roger Iván Bados, a popular leader and left-wing activist.

Quoting Barahona, Chávez stated that unknown assailants killed Bados, a leader of the People's Bloc and the National Resistance Front against the coup.

He explained that this killing was part of the selective repression being carried out against political and social movement leaders in Honduras by the coup government.