Honduran President Porfirio Lobo wants a meeting with President Obama in order to restore ties between Honduras and the U.S. Foreign Minister Mario Canahuati plans to travel to Washington in order to arrange such a meeting. As has been mentioned in previous posts, President Lobo was elected after a coup ousted former President Zelaya. After the Honduran army ousted the president, the U.S. government cut its aid to the country. Now, the U.S. recognizes the legitimacy of the newly elected president, President Lobo (though other nations do not).
However, many critics say that we should not send foreign aid to Honduras because anti-coup activists are still facing human rights violations. Even after the election, there are many reports of human rights abuses. A local leader of the anti-coup National Resistance Front named Julio Funes Benítez was murdered recently. Four members of the civil resistance were kidnapped and held for three days by presumed paramilitary gunmen.
There are other stories of such abuses at
democracynow.org.
Should countries withhold foreign aid until such abuses stop? I dont think we can ever be sure that the abuses have stopped. But countries need to make some kind of a stand.
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