Central America Holds Its Breath

Image by corazón girl via Flickr

On the order of the Honduras Supreme Court, the Honduras military removed President Manuel Zelaya from his residence before dawn yesterday and transported him in his pajamas by air to San Jose, Costa Rica where he was formally declared exiled from the nation of Honduras and warned that if he attempted to return he would be arrested and imprisoned.

Zelaya immediately requested political asylum in Costa Rica and claimed that he remained the President of Honduras while in exile.

This was a brilliantly executed maneuver by the Honduras military that has created panic amongst the leaders of all Central American nations, especially Hugo Chavez of Venezuela who can foresee the same action being taken against him.

While the presidents and dictators of Central America thought they were invulnerable it appears all that is necessary for their removal from office is an action taken by the military under the authority of the Supreme Court or other judicial tribunal.

Any military agency can now attempt the same action in Central America assuming they can gain the cooperation of the judiciary and justify their actions as taken under color of authority.

A bloodless, well executed coup d’etat is a thing of beauty especially given this regions history of brutality. Precision, coordination, and cooperation resulted in an efficient and effective change of power in an example that will be studied for years to come.

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