Honduras stands against new world order; Chavez puts troops on alert

Updated on Monday, June 29, 2009 at 6:54PM by Kay B. Day, Editor

Updated on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 9:54PM by Kay B. Day, Editor

Shoreline view on Utila, the third largest of the Bay Islands (Islas de la Bahia). [Photo from CIA website.]Honduras, apparently following its constitution, decided to oust existing president Jose Manuel Zelaya for defying a Supreme Court decision. Zelaya hoped to follow the example of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez by holding a referendum that if successful, would have allowed Zelaya to seek a second term. The referendum would have enabled a constitutional assembly whereby Zelaya hoped term limits would be altered.

Chavez has already put his troops on alert. Ecuador and other leftist-led countries are in lock step with Chavez. And naturally, Chavez thinks the US had something to do with the peaceful transition of power achieved quickly and, according to various media, legally.

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Venezuelan official chastises U.S. media ahead of referendum; embassy offers insight

Updated on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 10:56AM by Kay B. Day, Editor

The big surprise from official releases is that more than 25,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. can vote on that referendum. The non-surprise is that the Venezuelan government has a low opinion of the U.S.

Image of flag of Venezuela from CIA Fact Book online.(Washington, D.C.)— The government of Venezuela is angry at American media, mounting an effort to communicate information about the Feb. 15 referendum to amend that country’s constitution. The referendum if successful will enable elected officials to serve beyond the terms currently set. The official release from the embassy in Washington offers complete instructions for voting and the embassy issued a release explaining all aspects of the voting procedure. “On February 15th every Venezuelan citizen inscribed into the electoral registry can exercise his or her right to vote; in the United States, 25, 318 Venezuelans will be able to exercise this right. The referendum is about a proposal, introduced by the National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, to amend the Constitution. The proposal would modify 5 articles of the Constitution to allow every popularly elected official to run for that same office again.” There’s a fact sheet available at the embassy website.

There will, as in the U.S., be poll watchers. Perhaps as an answer to media critics, the release said, “As of Thursday, February 12th, 98 representatives from international organizations and electoral bodies, as well as other figures, are in the country to accompany the referendum on February 15th. American citizens are among these representatives. According to the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE), on Sunday at 5:00 a.m. the international representatives will walk through voting centers and will be present at voting stations.”

So why is the Venezuelan government so angry at American media?

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