Update on the Honduras Political Crisis

Last Friday, representatives of both Manuel "Mel" Zelaya (or Citizen Mel as I call him) and President Roberto Micheletti signed what is referred to as the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord. Basically, it states that Congress will decide if Mel is to be allowed back in power, along with several other bullet points (pun intended). However, for everything to happen, the stars must align with Mars and Pluto and you have to hold your tongue just right...in other words, it's far from a done deal. Pay no attention to the jubilous celebrating that occurred Friday night by the Zelaya supporters. Mel's far from being in control again. The link below is to an article that goes into more detail. So much could go wrong and things could be worse than before. Will all those people patting themselves on the back for a job well forced..er I mean done...still be doing it in a week or 2 from now? Stay tuned...

Honduras & U.S. - Otto J. Reich - The Corner on National Review Online

From Honduras To....

The wait is over. I finally know where I'm headed. It was #5 on my list of 20 and July 2010 I will call Muscat, Oman my new home. I've talked to so many people who have been there and/or lived there. They tell me the biggest hurdle to clear is the heat. For 5-6 months of the year, it's 110-130 during the day. Sometimes with 100% humidity. Oh heck, I can do anything for 2 years! I'm told the homes there are more like villas...big! And the coast has wonderful snorkeling and did I mention camel races???

Yes, it is just below Iran and Yemen but I have no plans of going there. I do hope to make it to several other places in that part of the world...like Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Bosnia and hopefully Paris. My job will be in the same section of the Embassy...the Regional Security Office. I'm so happy to not have to learn something totally new. My job here in Honduras has been extremely busy and I'm not expecting the same level of action in Muscat. I'm sure I'll stay busy!

So now I get down to the business of planning my home leave, a week or so to Kauai to see my son and his family and then to Washington DC for some training and perhaps some consultation days. It's too soon to really plan things. I'll find out just what courses are being offered in DC the first 2 weeks of July and hopefully get the blessing of my CDO to register for them. These last 7 months here will fly by and I'm a planner. Before I know it, I'll be on my way to Muscat, Oman...the Jewel of Arabia!

Another List of 5ive

I haven't done a List of 5ive in many months. I'm sitting here on Saturday night and decided I'd try to come up with a new list. Sometimes it's easy. Sometimes it's hard to limit it to 5ive. Once there were 5ive things I wanted to teach my grandsons. I can't remember the others. But there have been others. You can search my blog for them.

As I sit here, I can't think of any yet. But I'm working on it. I mean...you all should be able to make a List of 5ive. Maybe 5ive things you want to do tomorrow. Or 5ive things (different) that you want to taste tomorrow. Or 5ive things you've misplaced and you're determined to find. 5ive goals. Goals are really good things. Or 5ive ways to save money. My List of 5ive could be a new beginning for some....5ive places to look for a job. 5ive people to network with. 5ive people you want to avoid because they have a negative attitude.

Maybe the best part of this post is to get you thinking about your own List of 5ive. I've gotten emails with 25 Things You Might Not Know About Me. I like to keep my lists small. It's like dieting. Start out wanting to lose 5ive pounds. Rejoice when you attain that goal and then work on the next 5ive pounds. When you want to lose, say 30 pounds, it's daunting. Start with small steps.

OK, back to my list. I think I have 5ive.

1. Start my annual Christmas letter. Boy,will it be a good one this year!
2. Plan my Thanksgiving dinner and decide who I want to invite since I can't have family.
3. Say a little prayer that the email informing me of my next assignment comes this week.
4. Update my other list...the List of Things to Accomplish Before I Die.
5. Write another chapter of my book this week.

There you go. A pretty random list, but obviously my mind is kinda random tonight. I guess that comes from getting older. And after my last birthday, I better move #4 up to #1!

Day 2 of Curfew and Mel Zelaya's Occupation of the Brazilian Embassy

Another dawn breaks with the sound of helicopters overhead. I don’t know what’s going on outside the 9’ walls that surround my house. I looked on TV and there are no news reports of violence…yet. It’s my guess it’s more of a deterrent for people thinking about going out, like a reminder that today is yet another day of staying home. It brings back memories of being woken up at 7:00AM on June 28th by the sound of a very low flying military jet. Did I mention it was really LOW flying? And loud?

I turned on the television after hearing the helicopter this morning, looking for news. I did see some footage and reports from yesterday. Thousands of demonstrators gathered at the Brazilian embassy in support of Mr. Zelaya. They became unruly (not to mention that a curfew was in place and they should have been home watching TV!) and the police used tear gas to disperse them. The news reporter conveniently found a young woman carrying a child with a red shirt on (the color the pro Zelaya people wear) and she was lamenting that her poor child was exposed to the horrible tear gas and violence. Did the reporter mention that cars were being burned by members of her gang? Did the reporter mention that rocks are covering the streets, used against the police? Why is it that all reporting is done to make the police and armed forces look bad? To my knowledge, there has been no aggressive behavior by them…it has all been defensive moves and attempts to break up the violent crowds and maintain peace. It is infuriating to watch the news and see how they (the media) are trying to portray the violent demonstrators as the victims. My message to that lady and others who have brought their small children to these demonstrations, leave the baby home next time. Sympathy is just after Stupid in the dictionary!

One of the TV stations here does polls every night. Usually 2,000-3,000 people respond. Last night the question asked was this: Do you think the presence of ex-President Zelaya helps to solve the political crisis? The results were 3,496 (15%) saying yes it would and 19,187 (85%) responding NO. (Thanks La Gringa)

I’m not sure what to expect in the days to come. I don’t think this situation will end soon. If the violence by the Zelaya supporters continues, the curfew will continue. Of course, the media will spin that, saying it proves it was a coup d’etat! They should ask why the curfew is in place. But wait...the answer just might indicate that Michiletti is doing the right thing and we sure wouldn't want to report anything positive about this crisis, would we?

President Micheletti, as usual, is showing restraint and patience and issued a message to the nation. You can read it here. http://www.tortugadigital.com/blog/Press_Release_Sept_21.pdf He is quite a man and in my opinion is handling all the negative criticism with a great respect for those who are critical of the actions here. He has my blessings and I pray for him to have the strength to continue to defend his constitution and thereby, ensure a better country for the people of Honduras.

On a lighter note…I have no idea what I will do today, being confined to my home. Yesterday was pretty much spent sitting at my computers (yes, I had them both going, resisting the temptation of getting out my third, the little Dell, to join in the fun). I have to figure out something to do to make the day go by faster. I might bake some chocolate chip cookies for the Marines at the Embassy. The problem with that is if the curfew goes on, I am home alone with 5 dozen chocolate chip cookies. A very dangerous situation! Maybe the military guards across the street would like some. Apparently, one of President Micheletti's ministers is my neighbor. Gotta love the extra protection!

He's Baaaaaack....

We knew it would happen. It was inevitable. Mel Zelaya snuck back into Honduras and mysteriously appeared at the Brazilian Embassy here in Tegucigalpa. The crowd grew from 50 people to a reported 8,000 in less than 30 minutes. Of course rumors were flying as fast as chips on a craps table in Vegas with a hot roller. Initially, no one knew if it was true of just a rumor. He was supposed to be in the States...wait, no, he's in Nicaragua. No...he's in Tegucigalpa. Along with the crowds at the Brazilian Embassy, there were huge crowds at the United Nations building here so, you guessed it...they thought he was there too. Oddly enough, there was no police presence at either location for a long time. Then, on TV, you see the military vehicles and the big water truck come rolling in. On a hot day, the very zealous pro Zelaya supporters got a shower.

I kept saying...there should be a curfew announced any time. What's wrong with this? You know something else is in the works. Then, at 3:30 it was announced on TV that there was a curfew...starting at 4:00! An announcement was made throughout my Embassy for all non-essential employees (usually heads of sections) were to leave immediately. Well, it was a mass exodus to get out of the area. But once I got to my car, I realized that I wasn't going anywhere soon. It was massive gridlock. My drive from home to work is usually 5 minutes. Today it took me over 2 hours. No one let anyone cut in, no lights were working, motorcyclists were weaving between cars and using the invisible middle lane, laughing inside at all of us in cars going nowhere fast. To make matters worse, my gas tank was on 1/4 full, or 3/4 empty...either way, I thought, "What a time to run out of gas." A few times, people got out of their cars to try to direct traffic, pleading with drivers to wait and let some others go, making room to actually move. It was horrible. I did make it home, but not before having a very close encounter with another car. I tried to move around a car and I misjudged it and scraped around him instead. I got out as he did and after he looked at his car and mine, he said "No problem with my bumper...but your doors will need work!" (all in Spanish,) I didn't even look at my doors until I finally got home. Yep, body shop, here I come. Nothing major but I think I have my car sold to the person who will have my job in May so it will get fixed!

I am now trying to second guess what will happen tomorrow over a very nice glass of cabernet. Will Zelaya be arrested? Will he camp out in the Brazilian Embssy for who knows how long? Will he disappear as quickly as he appeared? My crystal ball is in the shop or I'd venture a guess. One thing is for sure. As soon as I click on "Publish Post," I'm headed to the internet to see what I can find out! For weeks, everyone has been saying they wished "it would just happen...what it is." And it did. Now we live with the results. OK...I'm off to see just what my government has to say about Zelaya's surprise visit.

Bulletin! I just got a call from my boss. ONLY essential personnel are to report to the embassy tomorrow as the government has extended the curfew. Instead of ending tomorrorw morning at 7:00AM, it now goes all the way to 6:00PM. If I am needed, they will send a car (with a driver who is armed, I hope) to fetch me. Ahhh...the life in a 3rd world country!

O'Grady: Hillary's Honduras Obsession

O'Grady: Hillary's Honduras Obsession

This is yet another great article by Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal. She consistently reports fact on what's going on in Honduras. This is a very complicated issue and hopefully, the final chapter will be about how Honduras is once again a Democracy that is accepted by the world.

What I find hard to believe is that someone like Danny Glover (yes, another actor who thinks he knows more than anyone) is meeting with Hugo Chavez and word is he is going to make movies with him...odds are it will be full of Chavez propaganda. Hugo was already a huge hit at some film opening in Italy or somewhere in Europe...the invited guest of the producer. Have some people's brains turned to mush?

Where In The World Will I Be Next May?

About a week ago, I completed and submitted my “bid list” for my next post. The first 2 tours are directed by your Career Development Officer (CDO) in Washington DC. After that, you pretty much find your next post by making contacts and through emails and recommendations.

About a month ago, I received the email with 41 posts listed and I was to select 20 and then rank them, favorite to oh, dear God, please don’t send me there. Fortunately, there were some pretty nice places on my list…which is not always the case. For my first post, I am here in Tegucigalpa and work in the Diplomatic Security office, also known as the Regional Security Office. It’s probably one of the best sections to work in as there is always something going on. There is never a dull moment and time flies! It’s been made even better by the guys I have worked with…the DS Agents and my Regional Security Officer. They have set the bar high and I can only hope that my next post has the same caliber of people to work with.

Anyway, the list below is what I selected and ranked as my Top 20. So it boils down to this…in May of next year, I’ll be back in the states for a month or so and then off to one of these places for the next 2 years. Here’s the list:

1. Munich, Germany RSO
2. Frankfurt, Germany RSO
3. Dubai, UAE RSO
4. Muscat, Oman RSO
5. Nairobi, Kenya RSO
6. Paris, France
7. Hanoi, N. Viet Nam
8. Vienna, Austria
9. Wellington, New Zealand RSO
10. Brussels, Belgium
11. Beijing, China
12. Berlin, Germany
13. Tel Aviv, Israel
14. London, England
15. New Delhi, India
16. Tokyo, Japan
17. Jakarta, Indonesia
18. Buenos Aires, Argentina
19. San Jose, Costa Rica
20.Seoul, Korea

I marked the ones that are RSO and the rest are in other sections of the Embassy. My CDO has pretty much assured me that I can go to another RSO section so it’s pretty much down to the 6 marked as RSO. That is...if she keeps her word! Remember…no guarantees.

I should know sometime in October. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Munich because it’s right there in the middle of the best parts of Europe and I hope to do lots of traveling while I’m there. If I’m sent to Wellington or Beijing or one of the other far reaching places, the cost to travel will pretty much hinder my ability to see that part of the world like I want to.
Time will tell. I need to just try to not think about it until October. Yeah, right….