LITTLE ROCK — The last time we addressed the political crisis in Honduras, a tiny Central American country that has become the focal point of a big regional power struggle, we pointed out that the leaders of a de facto government were playing into the hands of their enemies. Roberto Micheletti, the head of that regime, says that he is determined to prevent ousted president Manuel Zelaya from aping the assault on democratic order pioneered by Zelaya's mentor, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Yet, by refusing to accept an international mediator's plan that would have paved the way for elections and ensured Zelaya's political retirement, Micheletti-egged on by a handful of allies in Washington-gave the Chavez camp an opening.
The result was this week's Venezuelan-engineered secret return by Zelaya to the country and his appearance in the Brazilian Embassy, from where he has sought to foment the populist revolution that he has wanted all along. Fortunately, he is failing miserably so far. After a couple of days of street demonstrations, Tegucigalpa was getting back to normal Thursday, and Zelaya was reduced to making hysterical accusations about being bombarded with radiation and toxic gases by "Israeli mercenaries."
Such behavior ought to deter any responsible member of the Organization of American States-starting with Brazil-from supporting anything more than a token return by Zelaya to office. The Obama administration has backed such a restoration (as have we) so as to void Zelaya's illegal removal from the country by the army in June and thus uphold the larger principle of respect for democratic order in the region. Now the United States ought to make clear that any further attempt by Zelaya or his supporters to cause public disorder or violence will mean the reversal of the U.S. position-leaving him as a permanent ward of those in the Brazilian government who cooperated with his caper.
The only good way out of the Honduran crisis is to go forward with the presidential election scheduled for Nov. 29 and to do so in a way that will allow Hondurans to express themselves and prepare governments around the region to accept the results.
Editorial, Pages 18 on 09/26/2009