Mel Zelaya Steadfast in Honduras

December 10, 2009

Mel Zelaya Steadfast in Honduras

Reposting from the Media Co-op.

Mel Zelaya, the elected president of Honduras who was deposed in a military coup on June 28, is not leaving the country, as is being reported in the corporate media.

The first reports that he was to leave the embassy tonight came from the corporate media in Honduras, who have been active supporters of the military coup. Zelaya has been in hiding in the Brazilian embassy since 21 September.

Tele Noticias quoted an anonymous source within the defacto governement, who explained that Zelaya may be planning to leave the country this evening.

By 7:15pm, the corporate media had already gathered outside the Brazilian embassy, where there was a heavy police presence, but no sign of Zelaya’s supporters.

Andrés Thomas Conteris, a journalist inside the embassy, confirmed that Zelaya had no intention of leaving, in fact, he was preparing to have dinner.

The police erected a crowd control fence as supporters of Zelaya began to arrive and vocally demonstrate their support for the deposed president.

Small crowds yelled at corporate journalists, and news anchor was pushed to the ground. A scuffle ensued as heavily armed police pushed supporters into a parking lot across the street from the Brazilian embassy.

The police brought in reinforcements including an armored personnel carrier, and positioned sharpshooters in balaclavas behind their lines.

Anger against the coup regime is running high, and many Hondurans blame the corporate media for aiding the coup regime.

Mixed among chants in support of Zelaya were chants condemning the mainstream media as coup media.

Elections were held on November 29, while the elected president remained trapped in the embassy.

Yesterday, the South American trade bloc MERCOSUR, made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela, stated that they would not recognize the November 29 elections as legitimate.

Zelaya’s continued presence in the embassy has become one of the key symbols of the fraudulent nature of the recent elections.