Saturday, May 28, 2011

Manuel Zelaya returned to Honduras to complete the constitutional process

Former President Manuel Zelaya returned to Honduras on Saturday after almost 16 months of exile and two years after being overthrown by the same mentality and force by which the power went out: building a constituent assembly that would allow "refound" the country, but the challenge of holding together its diverse base of support.

Zelaya, Honduras ousted president in nearly 30 years since the return to constitutional order, you will find a country other than that left on 27 January 2010 when he left the Brazilian embassy and went to the Dominican Republic. Much of its popular base, which continued in power after overthrowing the June 28, 2009, left the former president for what they consider their radicalization, while others have abandoned them away from their comfortable exile from the Dominican Republic.

Others, like the leaders of his Liberal Party, complained that during the nearly two years of virtually Zelaya coup left the organization and has only committed to the National Front for Popular Resistance (FNPR), a coalition of organizations formed in mostly leftist sympathizers. Leaders like Edmundo Orellana, who was his minister in three different portfolios, Zelaya said upon his return should define whom the military, if with liberalism or FNPR.

During his exile, Zelaya claimed to be a "pro-socialist liberal," which was considered by the former president of Congress and former Liberal Party presidential candidate as "somewhat contradictory." The Liberal Party is one of the two major conservative groups that have dominated Honduran politics for nearly a century and a half, with the current ruling National Party of President Porfirio Lobo Sosa.

That is precisely the dilemma that awaits Zelaya to set foot in Honduras and had been advanced by several analysts. While Zelaya was abroad coalesce around his person to the left of FNPR, who embraced his speech and attacks on anti-capitalists, as well as his approach to Latin American leftist axis led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Many liberal activists, the vast majority of poor and marginal areas of the city and countryside, Zelaya supporters, but want to know whether it will continue militants in his party or will direct the FNPR, which demanded to be recognized as political force in the Cartagena Agreement, signed with the Wolf president on Sunday in Colombia.

For his part, says FNPR Zelaya left liberalism that is now devoted to fighting for the adaptive process. John Baker, assistant coordinator of the front, told local press that Zelaya came to power through a "party oligarchy, as is the Liberal party," but after being in exile returns with more commitment to the people.

As evidence of the prevailing division between the followers of Zelaya, Barahona banned flags of liberalism, red-white and red, and the leftist Party of Democratic Unification (UD), to be deployed on Saturday during the welcome ceremony and said permitted only in red and black FNPR. This has reduced the level of mobilization of supporters of former president, even inside the country are preparing to welcome caravans in Tegucigalpa, the capital.

Only time will tell how many eventually accompany him upon his return.

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