Latin America Advisor - January 15, 2010

Sarah Stephens, executive director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas, was quoted in the Latin America Advisor which is published by the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington:

"Roberto Micheletti, along with his government, is the source of Honduras' problems; not the solution. They have been intransigent from the outset of the coup through the balance of Honduras' political crisis, and unwilling to honor the San Jose Accords. Neither U.S. nor regional policy should reflect what Micheletti does or doesn't do between now and the inauguration of the Lobo government. Rather, the focus of policy going forward should be restoring the democratic order and fully protecting the human rights, press freedoms and other political rights that Hondurans need and have been denied since June 28. The changing of the guard in Honduras offers U.S. policymakers the opportunity to get back into alignment with majority sentiment in the region, and the chance to insist that the Lobo government honor elements of the San Jose Accords like supporting a truly inclusive national dialogue and creating a real and effective truth commission. This is the right direction for U.S. policy, for the region and for the future of Honduras and the restoration of its democracy. Whether the Lobo government breaks decisively with the patterns and practices of the coup government will determine what the region does in terms of recognition but also in dealing with Honduras' government going forward. For U.S. policymakers, it is my hope that they'll work harder at getting the aftermath right, after falling as short as they did at a time when it counted during the election campaign."

Read the full issue of the January 15th Latin America Advisor here.