Chavez wannabe legally ousted, media calls it a coup.

[Harlowe]

Would that have given him the right to alone, without vote or ratification of some sort, change the constitution?

[Lurker]

No.

The vote Zelaya originally wanted would have led to the creation of a national assembly to discuss changes. The proposed changes would then need to be approved by 2/3 of the Congress over two consecutive years. Changes to term limits and the amendment process itself are forbidden, and none had been suggested.

The vote Zelaya was pushing for when the coup occured was basically a public opinion poll that wouldn't even have triggered a national assembly.

[Harlowe]

So that's hardly just "semantics".

[Trollbait]

So that's hardly just "semantics".

But it does ignore the entire lead up to the issue. If you look back over the last year and especially the recent past Zelaya was completely operating outside of the law. He only changed the referendum to non binding as an effort to continue an illegal operation when the binding one was ruled unconstitutional. The non binding one was also ruled unconstitutional. Either way his actions were illegal.

[Harlowe]

I certainly wouldn't argue that the guy should be president or that the end result isn't better than having him in office, but I'm not an "ends justifies the means" sort of person. Also, it doesn't appear that he could have single-handedly extended his term or powers. So when people are arguing that he tried to do this, that or the other thing; it would be a more powerful argument if they didn't embellish the story and stuck with the facts.

Shitty president gone, but wasn't ousted properly = creates distrust and chaos.

[Partha]

I eagerly await the switch in reporting on this matter to move from 'Zelaya is changing the Constitution' to 'Zelaya had a Constitution changing program in effect, and all signs point to it.' You know, in honor of the moving Bush goalposts on Saddam.

Oh, wait. Already happened.

[Lurker]

After the member states voted 33-0 to suspend Honduras from the OAS, the de facto regime has agreed to let the President of Costa Rica mediate talks.

From a purely American point of view, it's damn good to have a grown up foreign policy again. Not too long ago we probably would have alienated the entire region giving the nod to a military backed coup for no other reason than dislike for Chavez.

[Partha]

It's quite telling, isn't it, that in Clinton's quotes, it was claimed that they don't support reinstatement, but every time she spoke of Zelaya, she called him PRESIDENT Zelaya.

[Ddrak]

"President" is the correct title for ex-Presidents as well.

Dd