Which Democracy?

In Honduras, about 50 miles northwest of the capital city of Tegucigalpa, is the Soto Cano Air Base. Soto Cano Air Base is the home of Joint Task Force-Bravo, one of three task forces under United States Southern Command. Joint Task Force-Bravo, under United States Southern Command, operates an all-weather day/night C-5-capable airbase. Following the violent coup in Honduras, the democratically-elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, flew from Washington D.C. back to his country. The coup leaders blocked the airport in Tegucigalpa, and the president was denied entry into his country. The President of Honduras was also denied the right to land in his country at the Soto Cano Air Base.

JTF-Bravo’s primary mission is to support and conduct joint, combined and interagency operations in the Joint Operations Area, to enhance regional cooperative security initiatives and to support democratic development. Since the democratically-elected President of Honduras was denied landing rights at the Soto Cano Air Base in his own country, it is not an unreasonable question to ask: what democratic development is being supported by Joint Task Force-Bravo, one of three task forces under United States Southern Command? There are U.S. military personnel and equipment on that air base. Why did they not act to secure their air strip for the democratically-elected President of Honduras to safely land in his own country? Are the U.S. military personnel at Soto Cano under orders from the coup mongers, the junta that violently overthrew the democratically-elected President of Honduras? If not, why are they not promoting and defending democracy by allowing the President of Honduras to land in his own country? If, by denying landing rights to the President of Honduras, the U.S. military personnel at that air base in Honduras are defending and promoting democracy, one must ask: which democracy?