Posted by Jonathan Adler:
No "Coup" in Honduras:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_07_05-2009_07_11.shtml#1247241104
Miguel Estrada, a native of Honduras who was also part of the official
U.S. delegation to ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya's 2006
inauguration, [1]makes a powerful case in the L.A. Times that there
was no "coup" in Honduras, and that Zelaya was lawfully removed from
office (even if unlawfully removed from the country. His article
concludes:
It cannot be right to call this a "coup." Micheletti was lawfully
made president by the country's elected Congress. The president is
a civilian. The Honduran Congress and courts continue to function
as before. The armed forces are under civilian control. The
elections scheduled for November are still scheduled for November.
Indeed, after reviewing the Constitution and consulting with the
Supreme Court, the Congress and the electoral tribunal, respected
Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga recently stated that the
only possible conclusion is that Zelaya had lawfully been ousted
under Article 239 before he was arrested, and that democracy in
Honduras continues fully to operate in accordance with law. All
Honduran bishops joined Rodriguez in this pronouncement.
True, Zelaya should not have been arbitrarily exiled from his
homeland. That, however, does not mean he must be reinstalled as
president of Honduras. It merely makes him an indicted private
citizen with a meritorious immigration beef against his country.
References
1.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-estrada10-2009jul10,0,1570598.story
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