Zelaya

[rabs]

Is scheduled to arrive at Tocantin at about noon (2 p.m. Eastern, 11 a.m. Pacific).

Huge crowd already waiting at airport.

Watch live at

http://www.cholusatsur.com/

(Server is swamped, so reception may be spotty.)

[EFerrari]

1. The link crashes my browser. Too bad.

Maybe Telesur or someone else will have clips.

[rabs]

2. Telesur will be covering it

12:43 Pacific time

Return is running behind almost two hours. Was just announced that his plane left Managua a few minutes ago.

My Cholusatsur reception has been jerky. Telesur is much better. Univision en espanol also covering but I don't get that channel.

Z should be there within the hour.

[Judi Lynn]

3. I just got here. Looks as if I can see it now, too.

My picture from Cholosatsur was going in and out, overloaded. I imagine I got to this link too late.
I just looked at Telesur en vivo:
http://www.telesurtv.net/secciones/canal/senalenvivo.php It seems very stable.
On edit:
Telesur is positioned at the end of the runway.

[rabs]

4. Telesur signal much better

Cholusatsat sur has been jammed since early this morning. Salvadorans around the world tuning in, I guess.

Should be in the next 45 minutes or so. No explanation yet of why the delay of now more than two hours.

Starting to rain in Teguz.

(OT: Barca 2, Man U 1 in second period --- yea !!)

[Judi Lynn]

5. Weather problem where he was, maybe? I was wondering about the umbrellas,

if it meant rain or too much UV stuff.

Hope the scoring doesn't change. Keeping fingers crossed.

From Democracy Now:

May 28, 2011
LIVE BLOG: Democracy Now! Reports On Manuel Zelaya’s Historic Return to Honduras

Amy Goodman is reporting today from the flight of the ousted former president, Manuel Zelaya, as he returns to Honduras after a 23-month exile following the coup d’etat that began June 28, 2009. It was the first military coup in Central America in a quarter century. Zelaya is expected to land at the Toncontín airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras this afternoon. Democracy Now! will report on Zelaya’s return to Honduras from Saturday, May 28th through Monday, May 31, 2011 and will post reports and updates on this page, our Tumblr page and on Twitter. Reports in Spanish will be available on the Democracy Now! en Español website.

http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/5/28/live_blog_democracy_now_reports_on_manuel_zelayas_historic_return_to_honduras?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+democracynow%2FhVoT+%28Democracy+Now%21+Blog%29

[EFerrari]

7. We need to invent a new award for Amy Goodman!

LOL

[Judi Lynn]

9. She's everywhere!

Here's a photo she posted on Twitter:

http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/5/28/live_blog_democracy_now_reports_on_manuel_zelayas_historic_return_to_honduras?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+democracynow%2FhVoT+%28Democracy+Now%21+Blog%29

[Judi Lynn]

6. They are playing that lady's " Nos Tienen Miedo" on the loud speaker! n/t

[EFerrari]

8. The right wing whackjobs are going nuts on twitter.

@elarotta eduardo larotta
Con que derecho utilizan el avión de Vzla Conviasa para come back de Zelaya? Es un abuso mas del gobierno Nacional. Corrupción al cuadrado
4 minutes ago

http://twitter.com/#!/elarotta/status/74572683353927681

[Judi Lynn]

10. They need to get organized. That shot is simply silly! n/t

[EFerrari]

12. The Guccis in Venezuela and their peers in Honduras

are having fits. What a great day. :woohoo:

[Judi Lynn]

21. They need to take it to the closest expensive mall and protest in climate controlled comfort, again!

http://www.vheadline.com.nyud.net:8090/graf/070618_ow_05.jpg http://www.vheadline.com.nyud.net:8090/graf/070618_ow_01.jpg

http://www.vheadline.com.nyud.net:8090/graf/070618_ow_03.jpg

[EFerrari]

22. LOL! I can here the resevations being made from here.

[Judi Lynn]

27. They are foaming at the mouth. I saw one making fun of Zelaya for wearing pajamas

when they shot up his house and stormed in to grab him.

Idle hands are the devil's playthings!

[Judi Lynn]

11. Patricia Rodas as been speaking. Remember when she went to the United Nations,

right after the coup, and held a phone to the microphone there for a message from the President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com.nyud.net:8090/ABPub/2009/09/28/2009960496.jpg

[EFerrari]

14. I'd forgotten all about that.

It looks like the idea is to trade Mel's return for Honduras's return to the OAS but, I don't see how OAS will offset the impact of having Zelaya back home. We'll see, I guess.

[EFerrari]

13. I was thinking Telesur mastered the art of tight shots to make the crowd look big

but no, they are panning and the crowd IS big. :)

[rabs]

15. The site where Z will address the crowd

is a memorial plaza named for the young man who was shot in the head when Z first tried to return last year and the plane was turned away.

Youth's name was Obed Murillo (or something like that).

[EFerrari]

16. To the twitternuts who are claiming this signals Chavez's influence

I'm simply replying, I hope so. Just to piss them off.

:rofl:

[rabs]

18. Tweet them

what the crowd has been chanting. That will piss them off even more.

"Si se pudo. Si se pudo. Si se pudo. Si se pudo. Si se pudo. Si se pudo. Si se pudo."

:nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

[EFerrari]

19. Oh, you bet.

:nopity:

[Judi Lynn]

17. The newspapers photoshopped away the blood streaming from his head as his friends carried him

away from where he was killed. Loathesome treachery from the corporate Honduran media.

His father was a leftist activist, very well known. Sure made it look even more suspicious when a man the coup plotters hated got his son killed as the first public murder on the day they prevented Zelaya's return.

Didn't know that's where they placed the stage.

Very important decision.

[rabs]

20. The memorial plaza

is at the airport where the youth was killed. Yes, remember the golpista press erased the blood pouring from his head.

[flamingdem]

23. Zelaya to the greatest page, great he is going back ! nt

[Judi Lynn]

24. Have noticed a lot of white hats in the crowd, some just like Zelaya's white hat!

I think wearing hats like his is an outstanding idea on a day like this, and courageous, especially since we've heard rumors there was a plot to pick him off.

[Judi Lynn]

25. Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya returns

28 May 2011 Last updated at 16:41 ET
Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya returns

Former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted from office in 2009, has returned to Honduras.

Mr Zelaya was forced into exile by the military after he failed to abide by a Supreme Court order to cancel a non-binding vote on changing the constitution.

Thousands of supporters greeted him at the airport in Tegucigalpa.

A deal signed by Mr Zelaya and current President Porfirio Lobo on Monday helped pave the way for his return.

More:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13586991

[Judi Lynn]

26. His daughter (Xiomara?) stepped in front to the mic, his wife Xiomara is behind him, Nicolas Maduro

is to his right.

Beautiful.

On edit:
Is the lady in the black or dark brown blouse, beside Xiomara his other daughter who just had a child soon after the coup? She looks similar to his wife and daughter.

[rabs]

36. Xiomara is the wife, Pichu is the younger daughter

who used to sing "Nos Tienen Miedo" on Radio Globo. She sang a few stanzas again today on the stage.

Xiomara and Pichu read key paragraphs of the Ven./Col. accord that opened the way for his return, including guarantees for his safety.

Zelaya told his followeers to memorize those paragraphs, in case the golpistas fail to meet those requirements.

The other young lady was indeed Z's older daughter.

[Judi Lynn]

28. Piedad Cordoba is there. n/t

[EFerrari]

29. No wonder this man scares the crap out of the elites in Honduras.

Look at those people.

[Bacchus39]

30. looks like there may have been a couple thousand wow. n/t

v

[Judi Lynn]

32. Why embarrass yourself needlessly? n/t

[Bacchus39]

34. sorry, you're right. Telesur is reporting hundreds. my bad

I thought it was a couple of thousand maybe.

http://www.telesurtv.net/secciones/noticias/93447-NN/cientos-de-personas-esperan-en-honduras-la-llegada-de-manuel-zelaya/

Cientos de personas esperan en Honduras la llegada de Manuel Zelaya

[Judi Lynn]

35. Triumphal return of Honduran ex-leader Zelaya

Triumphal return of Honduran ex-leader Zelaya
By Francisco Jara (AFP) – 1 hour ago

TEGUCIGALPA — Former president Manuel Zelaya made a triumphal return Saturday as tens of thousands of people cheered and wave banners to welcome him home nearly two years after his ouster from power in a coup.

Zelaya, wearing his trademark cowboy hat, landed in Tegucigalpa with his wife and aides aboard a Venezuelan passenger plane on a flight from Managua, where he spent the night.

In an interview broadcast from Managua by Telesur television network, Zelaya hailed his return from exile as "the result of an effort of all the countries of Latin America."

"Today we begin the true reconciliation in Honduras," Zelaya's wife Xiomara Castro said, adding that they were committed "to continue the struggle to transform" the country.

More:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iO7ougk8kBWWafVmRKI4Bb86v3Rw?docId=CNG.86cef52d30e13b28b2d80598a38bfa1d.d21

Tens of thousands > hundreds.

[Bacchus39]

37. I didn't see tens of thousands where he spoke but maybe a couple of thousand

at most. looks like Telesur isn't an accurate source.

[Judi Lynn]

39. Right. Pivot and take a shot at Telesur. What a life. n/t

[Bacchus39]

40. thats what they reported is it not? I was the one who said a couple thousand n/t

s

[rabs]

41. Just for chuckles

This is the photo the AP moved earlier today of the welcome. :rofl: :rofl:

?w=468&h=309
South Journal—Hondurans are waiting the return home of Manuel Zelaya today, hopeful that the country recovers political stability and joins multilateral organizations.

[Judi Lynn]

42. Those guys! His two fans. How thoughtful of them to show up.

We've learned this is about par for AP. They do the same thing with their writing, don't they?

Slightly at an angle from the truth.

Wow!!!

[rabs]

31. Telesur had a stationary camera

that did not show the extent of the crowd. Cholosatsur earlier showed shots taken from a helicopter and there were a hell of a lot of people at the airport. There will be many others lining the five kilometers the convoy will take to the presidential palace.

[rabs]

33. Interesting reference to hil/obama administration

In his sppech, Z said the San Jose-Tegucigalpa accords had failed to restore a democratically elected president (himself) because of the scuttling of the pact by one nation -- the United States, which Z said in the end wound up backing the golpista dictatorship.

Btw, goriletti (Micheletti) was in Managua yesterday at some conference or others and told reporters that Honduras would not tolerate that an "evil desciple" of Hugo Chavez assume power again. Disgusting momio.

[Judi Lynn]

38. Creepy Goriletti is confused! Hunduras is NOT the cluster of murdering thieves who ordered the coup.

Maybe his criminality has eaten away his brain.

IF he means the ones who stole the government and commandeered the police and military won't allow it, that's still not "Honduras," is it?

The people spoke long ago, the people being Honduras.

[Judi Lynn]

43. Thousands greet ousted Honduran president upon return

Thousands greet ousted Honduran president upon return
May 28, 2011, 21:37 GMT

Tegucigalpa - Ousted president Manuel Zelaya returned Saturday to Honduras, where he was welcomed by thousands of supporters.

Ousted on June 28, 2009, Zelaya flew in from neighbouring Nicaragua after an exile of more than a year in the Dominican Republic.

His arrival was delayed by about three hours.

Several of the supporters who had gathered to greet him fainted in the heat, according to Honduran media. No further incidents were reported, and the crowd cheered as the plane landed.

More:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/americas/news/article_1642142.php/Thousands-greet-ousted-Honduran-president-upon-return

[Judi Lynn]

44. Video: Two Years After Coup, Overthrown President Returning to Honduras

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=6840

[Judi Lynn]

45. Two photos of Amy Goodwin interviewing Manuel Zelaya prior to take-off:

http://demnow.tumblr.com/

Saw somewhere in a Twitter, maybe, that President Zelaya mentioned Amy Goodwin in his first speech back in Honduras! Yay, Amy.

[rabs]

46. Yes, he praised Amy in his speech at the airport

as well as Cholusatsur, Radio Globo, Telesur and a couple of other Honduran radio stations.

One of the persons who came back with him was Padre Tamayo, stripped of his Honduran citizenship (after living/working in Honduras for 25 year) by the golpistas and deported to his native El Salvador.

[Judi Lynn]

47. Wow. That shorter man was Padre Tamayo. Zelaya was acting as if he thinks highly of him,

but I couldn't figure out who he is.

Looking through photos of him, I saw he went into the Brazilian Embassy with them and sat out their time there with them.


This story says he was an altar boy for the assassinated Archbishop Romero, before he came to Honduras.

Guerra en los bosques de Honduras
Fellows Fall 2006
By Eva Sanchis
May 21, 2007

~ ~ ~
War in the forests of Honduras
Fall 2006 Fellows
By Eva Sanchis
May 21, 2007

Google translation:

Salama, Honduras - While Father Andrés Tamayo puts on the robe to give the Mass, a group of soldiers with M16 rifles take positions in the small colonial church.

Once in the pulpit, the priest often lambastes Salama illegal loggers to a congregation of peasants has been used to seeing him with military escort who put the government last year.

"I commend you to God every day as my last day," says Tamayo, 50. "But I will not stop fighting because I know awareness of justice and truth, and if death reached me, I turned to God and turned to the people," said the priest, who was an altar boy for Monsignor Romero, the Salvadoran priest who achieved notoriety for defending the poor and human rights, and was assassinated in 1980.

Since 2001, Tamayo led a peasant movement against illegal loggers operating Olancho, an eastern province with an area similar to that of the neighboring republic of El Salvador, and despite having over 1.5 million hectares of valuable forest is one of the poorest, with more than two thirds of its population living on less than $ 1 a day, according to UN data.

More:
http://www.internationalreportingproject.org/stories/detail/508/

[Peace Patriot]

48. So glad to see Padre Tamayo back in Honduras! He is one of the greatest heroes of our era!

And his expulsion from Honduras was one of the nastiest things that the golpistas did--aside from the rampant murder that they unleashed. Their cruelty included firing people from their jobs for opposing the coup, threats, intimidation, putting together "lists" for exclusion and oppression, ignoring human rights crimes including murder (no accountability, no justice for survivors), beatings, rapes and torture in prison, violent suppression of legitimate peaceful protest, closing roads to prevent peaceful marches and mobilizations, a martial law 'election,' undoing Zelaya social programs and more.

Kicking Padre Tamayo out--after his 25 years service to the Honduran poor-- seemed in particular to be aimed at utter demoralization of the poor. And I think demoralization is actually worse than overt brutality and oppression. (Look what demoralization has done here, in the U.S., all accomplished with the 'TRADE SECRET' voting machines, and little or no overt oppression.)

I didn't know that Padre Tomaya had gone into the Brazilian Embassy with Zelaya. I'm so glad that he did, and that he accompanied Zelaya in exile. He was very likely a calming influence in very dangerous circumstances, a comfort to all and a very good advisor, as to this saga ending peacefully.

I wonder if there is any notion of Tamayo running for president, as (former bishop, still a priest) Fernando Lugo did in Paraguay. They have similar histories--including decades of living and working with the poor. Lugo was a unifying figure--the only leader who could pull Paraguay's disparate parties together, to end 60 years of rightwing rule (including a heinous dictatorship). It might mean a run-in with the Vatican (as Lugo encountered). And I don't have even the slightest evidence that Tamayo might want to do the same (and he may be barred because he was not born in Honduras), but it strikes me that Zelaya's status is so iffy: They violently deprived him of a year of his term of office. The current constitution permits the president only ONE term (--a constitution written by Reagan's henchmen, to empower the U.S. funded military and the "ten families" oligarchy). By rights, Zelaya should be permitted to run again (or have his unfinished term restored). But there was nothing in the Cartagena Accord to that effect. Zelaya may have sacrificed that point to gain other more important points, of general benefit.

So, who is going to run for president, on the left, and pull the anti-coup movement together, to win? (I'm probably right about Tamayo being barred. He is, I believe, a Honduran citizen but "native born" is likely a requirement.) Zelaya's amazing wife Xiomara might be a good choice. But I'm sure that there are other anti-coup movement leaders who are also good candidates. One thing the coup has done is to create the opportunity for grass roots leaders to arise, in opposition--rather like Evo Morales in Bolivia (coca leaf farmers' union leader elected president of the country, after many peaceful and powerful protests). Some of these leaders have been murdered by coup's hit squads, but there are others. It will most interesting to see what happens next.

[rabs]

49. You are on the right track

------------------


So, who is going to run for president, on the left, and pull the anti-coup movement together, to win? (I'm probably right about Tamayo being barred. He is, I believe, a Honduran citizen but "native born" is likely a requirement.) Zelaya's amazing wife Xiomara might be a good choice. But I'm sure that there are other anti-coup movement leaders who are also good candidates. One thing the coup has done is to create the opportunity for grass roots leaders to arise, in opposition--rather like Evo Morales in Bolivia (coca leaf farmers' union leader elected president of the country, after many peaceful and powerful protests). Some of these leaders have been murdered by coup's hit squads, but there are others. It will most interesting to see what happens next.

----------------------

With Z's return, the political scene now gets interesting.

The big question is whether Z will return to the folds of the Liberal Party, under which banner he was elected. The Liberal Party, despite its name, is conservative, much like the National Party. Together the Liberals and Nationalists have dominated Honduran politics for decades.

What angered the Liberals was that Z had taken a sharp left turn from their conservative policies, which is why many of the Liberals joined/backed the golpe.

But now Z has a dilemma; should he dump the Liberals and form a new political party with the FNRP, the resistance front struggled against the Micheletti golpists from the beginning and then against Lobo after he got into the presidency?

Thanks to the golpe in 2009, the FNRP has emerged as a formidable political force, and if forms a political party, the Liberal and National parties will rue the day.

I don't know whether Z would be eligible to run again. There may be a clause in the Cartagena Accords that ban him from that. But what happens if the FNRP becomes a political party and nominates him?

Incidentally, a few days ago read a story that mentioned Xiomara as a possible candidate. Which would be interesting. A couple/three FNRP leaders could also be potential candidates.

Padre Tamayo? Nope. He has church things to attend to, not politics.

Guess you saw where lobo has been begging to get oil from Venezuela's PETROCARIBE, which suspended shipments after the coup. Venezuela was providing 20,000 barrels a day at very favorable terms. After the spigot was turned off, the golpistas and lobo had to turn to other much more expensive markets and hike the prices of gas 51 times since the coup.