Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/unpga2honduras063009.html
UNITED NATIONS, June 30, updated -- Honduras' deposed president Manuel Zelaya's arrival in New York from Managua was the buzz at the UN on Tuesday morning. In front of the Security Council, diplomats made predictions about Security Council action depending on outcomes at the Organization of American States. In the General Assembly, less than an hour before Zelaya's speech was to begin, the hall was less than one third full as a speaker droned on about the UN's $8 billion peacekeeping budget.
The first money question of the day, at least for Inner City Press, was who paid for Zelaya's flight to New York? Some suggested Air Chavez; others noted that Bolivia's Evo Morales skipped last week's UN summit on the global financial crisis due he said to a broken aircraft. Zelaya, of course, has amassed his own wealth.
In Monday's GA session, Peru's representative joined others in denouncing the military coup in Honduras. He pointed out, however, that changes to how many terms a president can get should be processed according to the Constitution. While this was the backdrop to Zelaya's ouster from the country -- sanctioned by the Honduras Supreme Court -- the current President of the GA Miguel d"Escoto Brockmann concluded that one delegation had been "ambiguous."
Actually several diplomats noted that Peru had been quite clear; it simply didn't jump on the cartoon-like bandwagon that even the U.S. did. What remained unclear after Monday, because d'Escoto Brockmann's spokesman refused to answer, was how much of the $280,000 that the UN and global taxpayers give to d'Escoto Brockmann's office for the year has already been spent, and how.
Half an hour before Zelaya's slated appearance, a speaker on the budget relayed what he called an ancient Chinese proverb: by both scrambling for the same thing, both parties look bad. By giving up something, both parties win. One wondered how that might apply to the situation in Honduras. Watch this space -- we will live blog Zelaya's speech and aftermath here.
Update of 11:22 a.m. -- the budget session has been suspended, awaiting Zelaya's speech. On one vote about the UN Mission in Lebanon, only the U.S. and Israel voted no. "What happened with Obama?" The Ambassador of Haiti's to be seen glad handing other diplomats, China's deputy Liu walking jauntily up the aisle. The GA hall is more full now. The moment is near. And Zelaya's slated to hold a press conference at 12:45.Update of 12:53 p.m. -- in the GA Hall, amendments are being proposed to the draft resolution on Honduras. Zelaya is seated in the Honduras seat. D'Escoto's and Zelaya's joint press conference has been postponed to, they say, 1:30 p.m..Outside the briefing room, a dozen Spanish-speaking journalists not usually at the UN mill around, asking "who is that Ambassador?"
In the midst of this, UN envoy to the Great Lakes of Africa, former Nigerian President Obasanjo, takes questions from the Press about the Congo. One wag notes that Obasanjo is a man who never let himself be overthrown.
Update of 1:02 p.m. -- D'Escoto announces that the following have joined as co-sponsors: the United States (camera cut to Amb. Rosemary DiCarlo, who d'Escoto yesterday called his sister), Canada and Colombia... There is applause... Rules are being waved in order to approve the just-suggested changes... d"Escoto bangs down the absurd wooden axe. And now the speech of the "Excelentisimo" Senor Zelaya...
Update of 1:17 p.m. -- Zelaya is saying the names of leaders who called him; he lays it on thick for Costa Rica, where he was "dumped" at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 28, for "Raul Castro" for repudiating a "grosero cuerpo militar." Zelaya is expected in Washington for an OAS meeting later on Tuesday...
Update of 1:25 p.m. -- Zelaya says he fought for freedom of information, and freedom of the press. He said he offended those who made money off the poor.
Update of 1:35 p.m. -- Zelaya argues that no court can diminish the natural rights of the people: the right to a referendum to allow him more than one term.
Update of 1:37 p.m. -- Zelaya says that in Honduras after the coup, the radio played only music and other "banal things." He says today's meeting makes him feel ever more committed to humanity.
Update of 1:40 p.m. -- Zelaya is narrating his Saturday before the coup: he led a march of 1000 to an army base to get the materials for the referendum, they let him in as Commander in Chief. The materials were distributed and elections observers began to arrive.
Update of 1:50 p.m. -- Zeleya relates how he was in his house outside of town -- he has cattle, he says -- and woke up in early in the morning and found a battalion outside, with rifles. His 21 year old daughter was in another building. He was in pajamas. They broke the doors. Zelaya had his cell phone out, calling a journalist. Then rifles pointed at him and, screaming, ordered him to drop the cell phone. Blow by blow, indeed.
Update of 1:51 p.m. -- speaking about his daughter, his voice crackes and he stops, dramatically. The audience claps. Unreal.
Update of 1:53 p.m. -- the pause is over, the voice is steady, Zelaya says that in the 1980s he fought for the return of Constitutional order.
Update of 1:57 p.m. -- the speech is over, the race is on: of the press for Zelaya and the briefing room.
Update of 2:49 p.m. -- Zelaya emerged from the GA Hall to a media scrum. In Spanish, he was asked, "What is your message for the aggressors?" He proceeded to the media briefing room. The press conference was run by d'Escoto Brockmann's spokesman Enrique Yeves, who at the previously day's ill-attended noon briefing refused to answer any questions about how d'Escoto Brockmann spends the funds given by the UN and taxpayers, and who has provided no information since.
A series of generally lame or unanswered questions followed. Is he afraid? Of course not. Is he offended that he will not meet with either Barack Obama or Hilary Clinton? No, the trip was hastily put together. Zelaya says he will be flying to Tegucigalpa on Thursday, accompanied among others by... d'Escoto Brockmann, who sat motionless throughout the press conference, declining to answer the few questions directed his way.
Inner City Press had a question to ask, but a raised hand throughout the press conference was ignored by d'Escoto Brockmann's spokesman, who called on numerous Mexican outlets and several reporters he could not identify.
With all the flowery talk about transparency and freedom of information, it is amazing that a few questions about d'Escoto Brockmann using public funds to hire his nephew and niece leads Team Brockmann to disallow any further questions. Watch this site.
