June 29, 2009

Honduran President Ousted

The military forces the president out of the country and installs a new leader

By Joyce C. Tang

Honduras, a nation in Central America, got a new president on Sunday morning. Soldiers arrested President Manuel Zelaya in a military coup. Zelaya was still in his pajamas when he was flown to Costa Rica, another nation in Central America. (A coup is when a group illegally takes over a country's government.)

ORLANDO SIERRA—AFP/GETTY IMAGES Protesters gathered in front of the president's house on Sunday morning.

Zelaya had called for a vote to change the country's constitution. Both the Honduran Congress and the Supreme Court had stated that the vote would be illegal because changes are not allowed to some parts of the constitution. Zelaya was arrested just hours before the vote was supposed to take place. The military has sworn in Roberto Micheletti as president. Micheletti is the current leader of the Congress and first in line to take over the president's duties.

A Constitution in Question

Honduras is a democratic republic, which means that the people elect their leaders. The Honduran constitution limits the amount of time a president can serve to four years. Opponents said that the vote was an attempt by Zelaya to stay in power beyond his single term. Zelaya claimed that he wasn't trying to extend his presidency. He has said that the current constitution favors the wealthy and that changes to it would help the poor. (Nearly 75% of Hondurans live in poverty.)

LUIS RUEDA—AFP/GETTY IMAGES Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, still in his pajamas, speaks at the airport before being sent to Costa Rica.

The Honduran military and Micheletti say they are defending their country's constitution and following orders from the courts. Micheletti will serve until January 2010, when Zelaya's term was scheduled to end.

Around the World

This is the first coup in Central America in 16 years. World leaders spoke out against the overthrow. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Zelaya's arrest should be condemned. U.N. Secretary–General Ban Ki-moon said that the democratically elected president, Zelaya, should be brought back. Latin American leaders met to discuss how to return Zelaya to power.

In the past year, food prices and violence have soared in Honduras, and public opinion of Zelaya has fallen. "I want to return to my country," Zelaya said. "I am president of Honduras."

Back to all headlines