[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19623]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     POLITICAL TURMOIL IN HONDURAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Perriello). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the people of 
Honduras. I rise in support of Honduran democratic institutions and 
legal authorities who refuse to be coerced into ignoring their 
Constitution and the rule of law and who refuse to have their future as 
a democratic nation and a democratic society hijacked. For months prior 
to June 28, Manuel Zelaya had engaged in a systematic campaign to 
subvert the Honduran Constitution in order to strengthen and extend his 
own rule.
  Last November he tried to postpone the primaries for the upcoming 
presidential elections. This January he tried to stuff the Honduran 
Supreme Court with his personal buddies. Then this March Zelaya issued 
an executive decree, calling for a referendum that would ultimately 
allow for the extension of his presidential rule, all in direct 
contravention of the Constitution.
  The Honduran Supreme Court, the administrative courts, the attorney 
general, the commissioner for human rights, the Supreme Electoral 
Tribunal, and the Honduran National Congress all declared this 
referendum to be illegal; but that did not stop him. In fact, following 
the decision of the Organization of American States to open its doors 
to the Castro regime, Zelaya probably felt empowered, if not destined, 
to follow the tyrannical ways of the Castro brothers.
  Zelaya continued to demonstrate a blatant disregard for the 
legislative and judicial branches of the Honduran Government and the 
sanctity of the Honduran Constitution. Consequently, he was charged 
with treason, abuse of authority and usurping of power. On June 26, the 
Honduran Supreme Court of Justice issued a warrant for Zelaya's arrest. 
While Zelaya's removal from office was in accordance with the Honduran 
Constitution and the rule of law, U.S. officials were among the first 
to rush to judgment and condemn Zelaya's removal. Joining arms with the 
likes of Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega, the Organization of American 
States, and the United Nations, the U.S. continues to lead the calls 
for Manuel Zelaya's return to power and, reportedly, for his immunity 
from prosecution for the political crimes with which he is charged.
  The U.S. has suspended more than $20 million in assistance to 
Honduras. U.S. leaders have now chosen to punish those who are working 
to preserve the idea of checks and balances in Honduras. They are 
revoking the visas of all current government officials, even members of 
the judicial branch. In fact, the vice president of the supreme court 
has already had his visa taken away.
  Sadly, the same officials who continue to call for direct engagement 
with the Iranian regime, irrespective of that regime's violence, 
torture and other actions against its own people, the same U.S. 
officials who recently reaffirmed Iran's so-called nuclear rights are 
the same ones who are now seeking to intimidate and strong-arm 
Hondurans into submission and very strongly into difficult humanitarian 
straits in the coming months.
  In fact, as the U.S. increases the pressure on Honduras, the U.S. is 
making unilateral concessions to the regime in Syria and just eased 
sanctions on Damascus. This just days after the State Department 
submitted to Congress a report stating that Syria continues to pursue 
advanced missiles, and chemical, biological and nuclear weapons 
capabilities and continues to sponsor violent Islamic extremist groups 
like Hezbollah and Hamas.
  We are at a critical juncture in our foreign policy. In the Western 
Hemisphere, the situation in Honduras has become the linchpin for the 
thwarting of ALBA leaders' anti-America and anti-freedom agenda.

                              {time}  2015

  Yet, the approach adopted by the U.S. is one where enemies of freedom 
are emboldened and strengthened while democratic institutions and 
allies are undermined and weakened.
  Let us hope for our Nation's security interests that the U.S. will 
see the danger in this approach and change course before it is too 
late. Let us hope that the U.S. leadership will heed the words of 
Ronald Reagan from March, 1978 when Reagan said, ``Our fundamental aim 
in foreign policy must be to ensure our own survival and to protect 
those who also share our values. Under no circumstance should we have 
any illusions about the intentions of those who are enemies of 
freedom.''
  Mr. Speaker, let us send a clear signal to the enemies of freedom 
that we will not hedge, we will not waver, that we stand with the 
people of Honduras and the democratic institutions as they work to 
preserve their democracy against enemies foreign and domestic.

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