JINSA members participated Tuesday July 21, 2009 in a conference call with Ambassador Roberto Flores of Honduras. Considered the “former ambassador” by the State Department (the United States does not recognize the current Honduran government), Amb. Flores discussed the antecedents to the June ouster of then-President Zelaya, including Zelaya’s determination to hold a referendum declared illegal by the Honduran Supreme Court.

Flores described current mediation efforts by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and his concern for the possible imposition of economic sanctions on Honduras by the United States. Such sanctions, he said, would fall disproportionately on the poor.

Stressing that actions taken by the military and the Honduran congress were well within Honduran law and upheld the Honduran constitution, Flores called for independent fact-finding, which he believed would have people conclude that not only was there no military “coup” but that the military and congress, backed by the Honduran Supreme Court, had operated within the law.

Acknowledging that the visual impact of film showing Zelaya being arrested in his pajamas had helped the former president garner support outside the country, Flores said most Hondurans do not want him returned to the country except to face the charges relating to the attempted referendum.

Listen to the conference call (opens in a new window). The names of the questioners have been omitted.

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