Signalling more forceful US support, president Barack Obama yesterday called for the reinstatement of ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya even while noting he has been no friend of American policies.
Mr Zelaya, who was toppled in a June 28th coup triggered by his efforts to change presidential term limits, met US secretary of state Hillary Clinton in Washington, another tangible sign of US backing.
“America supports now the restoration of the democratically elected president of Honduras, even though he has strongly opposed American policies,” Mr Obama said.
“We do so not because we agree with him.
“We do so because we respect the universal principle that people should choose their own leaders, whether they are leaders we agree with or not,” he said in a speech in Russia.
Mr Zelaya grew close to Venezuela’s socialist president Hugo Chávez and a string of allies seeking to counter US influence in the region. That group has been vocal in calling for his reinstatement.
Wary of being accused of meddling, the US has sought to play a behind the scenes role on reinstating Mr Zelaya, with the Organisation of American States (OAS) leading the effort.
The OAS took the rare step of suspending Honduras on Saturday in an effort to isolate the country’s interim government.Despite the latest US display of support for Mr Zelaya, one analyst noted Washington’s delicate position.
“The US is deeply concerned about the coup but at the same time has become increasingly aware that engineering Mr Zelaya’s return to Honduras is a potentially explosive proposition,” said Dan Erikson of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington.
“The meeting with Hillary Clinton is intended to demonstrate the Obama administration’s support for democracy in Honduras, but it also provides the opportunity for a frank discussion with Mr Zelaya about his dwindling options to regain the presidency,” Mr Erikson added.
“Early US support for Zelaya may begin to wane if the Obama administration starts to believe that the Honduran president is his own worst enemy and fails to install confidence in his leadership,” he said. – (Reuters)