Stephen Lendman: Implications of the Honduran Coup

[Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization.]

There's no debate about the Honduran coup despite media efforts to distort it. It was made-in-the-USA like most others in the region over many decades. Since the late 19th century, America has directly meddled in Latin and Central American states well over 50 times, a record unmatched by any other nation, and abuses keep mounting. They involved invasions, bombings, occupations, assassinations, and coups as well as countless destabilization and election rigging interventions.

Against Honduras alone:

-- in 1903, American Marines invaded to protect US business interests;

-- in 1907, they intervened during a war with Nicaragua;

-- in 1911 - 1912, they came to support a coup against the liberal Davila regime, aided by two US mercenaries, one of whom became Honduras' army commander-in-chief; US forces remained for months to protect American interests;

-- in 1919, they intervened in Honduras' election campaign;

-- in 1924 - 1925, they came again for the same reason;

-- in 1980, US aid began supporting the Nicaraguan contras, given sanctuary in Honduras to launch cross-border attacks; and

From 1982 - 1990, America used Honduras as a land-based aircraft carrier to support the Contra insurgency against the Nicaraguan Sandinista government. Mass killings and atrocities were committed. Over $1.6 billion in military aid was provided. A US military presence was established at Soto Cano Air Force Base. American forces remain there today in close liaison with Honduran commanders who wouldn't blow their noses without first asking permission. Through close Pentagon - Honduran military ties, the June 28 coup was coordinated along with the US State Department.

All Honduran officers from captains on up are trained at the School of the Americas where they're taught how to torture, repress, exterminate poor and indigenous people, overthrow democratically elected governments, assassinate targeted leaders, and suppress popular resistance when it erupts.

The June 28 coup against President Manuel Zelaya was a coordinated State Department - Pentagon project working with Honduran commanders and top opposition political figures to establish a de facto dictatorship. The scheme followed similar tactics against earlier Latin American governments, including:

-- Jacobo Arbenz in Guatamala (1954);

-- the failed Bay of Pigs invasion against Cuba (1961) and hundreds of subsequent unsuccessful assassination attempts against Fidel Castro;

-- Juan Bosch in the Dominican Republic (1963) followed by a 1965 US invasion to crush popular support to return him to power;

-- Joao Goulart in Brazil (1964);

-- Salvador Allende in Chile (9/11/73);

-- Uruguay's military junta takeover from a civilian democracy (1973);

-- Isabel Peron in Argentina (1976),

-- Carlos Humberto Romero in El Salvador (ousted by a right-wing El Salvador junta - 1979);

-- the assassination of Panama's Omar Torrijos (1981);

-- Maurice Bishop in Grenada (1983);

-- Manuel Noriega in Panama (1989);

-- Jean-Bertrand Aristide twice (1991 and 2004); and

-- Manuel Zelaya in Honduras (2009) who was blamed for the action to legitimize the coup d'etat government long enough, destroy his image, weaken his authority if a negotiated return is arranged, and effectively render him impotent until the November 29 presidential and parliamentary elections after which a new president will take office since Zelaya can't succeed himself.