Tuesday, June 30, 2009

DAY 3 UPDATE: URGENT NEWS FLASH: U.S. SIGNS ONTO UN DECLARATION CONDEMNING COUP, CALLS FOR ZELAYA'S IMMEDIATE UNCONDITIONAL REINSTATEMENT

The UN General Assembly in New York just voted on the resolution discussed yesterday that unequivocally condemns the coup d'etat in Honduras, executed on Sunday, June 28th. The resolution calls for the immediate, unconditional return of President Zelaya to the presidency of Honduras to complete his term which ends in January 2010. The resolution also calls for all member states to REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE the coup government in place now in Honduras, headed by Roberto Micheletti, former head of Congress. The resolution also condemns human rights violations committed by coup leaders and condemns the violations of diplomatic norms also committed by the coup forces when they kidnapped and beat the Venezuela, Cuban and Nicaraguan ambassadors in Honduras on Sunday afternoon.

Nevertheless, as this Reuters article explains, "The resolution, watered down from an earlier draft that said the assembly "decides to recognize no government other than that" of Zelaya was co-sponsored by a group of Latin American and Caribbean states joined by several others including the United States."

And more importantly, "General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding.", meaning, it's symbolic, important, but still, symbolic. So we still need a firm statement from the US Government regarding the unconditional return of Zelaya to the Honduran presidency and the non-recognition of the coup government...

President Manuel Zelaya is right now speaking before the UN General Assembly.....


...will update as developments continue.

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