Posted on 01/31/2010 9:39:34 AM PST by La Lydia
One can easily understand and even empathize with Manuel Zelaya for being angry, resentful, and vengeful toward interim president Roberto Micheletti, Gen. Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, the Supreme Court, the Congress, Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez, and business leaders in Honduras, given that they all either played a role in his overthrow or failed to support his efforts to return to power. It's much harder to make a good case, however, for why Mr. Zelaya would have overly hard feelings toward President-elect Porfirio Lobo. After all, it was Mr. Lobo who signed the agreement with Dominican President Leonel Fernández to grant safe passage for Mr. Zelaya to leave his self-imprisonment in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa and visit the Dominican Republic as nothing less than a "Distinguished Guest". Mr. Lobo did not have to do that, and it did not come without a political price. One would think that, at some level, Mr. Zelaya would be grateful and even beholding to Mr. Lobo for the kind gesture of allowing him a dignified exit from the hole he's been living in for the past five months. Not only does he get to avoid being arrested and placed in a real prison for a series of alleged crimes, he gets to travel to a nice Caribbean island with President Fernández aboard his private jet. He also gets to bring with him his family and closest advisers. In addition, Mr. Lobo has aggressively pushed Congress to approve an amnesty for Mr. Zelaya's political offenses, which include not so insignificant things such as treason and abuse of power.
One would think that Mr. Zelaya would appreciate Mr. Lobo for trying to get Mr. Micheletti to step down from the presidency before the inauguration. Although it would have been a relatively meaningless move, it would have given Mr. Zelaya some pleasure to see his old nemesis brought down a notch. In the end, one has to assume that Mr. Lobo's lobbying was partly responsible for Mr. Micheletti opting gracefully to not be present at the inauguration ceremony and, in fact, decide to vacate the Presidential House a few days ago.
Mr. Lobo has been nothing if not magnanimous and merciful toward Mr. Zelaya. So you have to wonder what is it about Mr. Zelaya's character that would cause him to want to interfere with his fellow Olanchano's inauguration by calling yesterday on his followers -- la Resistencia -- to go to Toncontin airport to say goodbye to him on the day that rightfully should belong to Mr. Lobo. Was it just a careless sentimental lapse? Would he not think that a mass of people marching off to the airport would be disruptive, could turn into a mob and potentially end in someone getting hurt or even killed?
All in the presence of dozens of foreign dignitaries and television crews that might twist scenes in a way that could embarrass Mr. Lobo before he even has a chance to get started cleaning the up the mess Mr. Zelaya has left behind. Was it purely the unrestrainable and gigantic ego of a man who believes that he must always be the center of attention?
Mel has always loved parades. Throughout his shortened presidency, he gallantly road his fine horses on as many festive occasions as possible, even in the midst of massive teacher strikes and other situations that demanded his urgent attention. I don't think that Mr. Zelaya genuinely wants to stick it to Mr. Lobo. It appears that what he wants is simply another parade.
ping
Poor Mel. Ousted by legal and constitutional means when he made the “president for life” move and couldn’t pull it off. Last years news and irrelevant.
“Poor Mel. He can’t help it. He was born with a Marxist foot in his mouth.”
Has he been to the white house yet?
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