Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/unpga1budget062909.html
UNITED NATIONS, June 29 -- With a range of world leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, condemning the Honduran army's ouster on June 28 of President Zelaya, the UN General Assembly hastily took up the issue on June 29 at noon. GA President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann's spokesman on June 28 issued a press release that
"D’Escoto is making a special appeal to the President of the United States, Barack Obama, who recently at the summit in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, announced a new policy towards Latin America. 'Many are now asking if this coup is part of this new policy as it is well known that the army in Honduras has a history of total collaboration with the United States. In order to eliminate any doubt, it is absolutely necessary that President Obama immediately condemns the coups against President Zelaya.'"
To use d'Escoto's phrase, many at the UN, including Latin diplomats, are now asking if d'Escoto has gone off the deep end. On June 26, d'Escoto gave a rambling speech about the era of the dinosaurs. Then, one diplomat snarked to Inner City Press, d'Escoto again acted like a dinosaur on June 28.
Chile's Ambassador Heraldo Munoz was asked about d'Escoto Brockmann's statement. He pointed out wryly that the Organization of America States, with the U.S. as a member, had unanimously condemned the coup. He said d'Escoto Brockmann's statement, then, doesn't merit comment. Video here, from Minute 18:48.
In a radio interview on June 28, d'Escoto Brockmann railed that Honduras' is one of the most corrupt armies in Latin America. While there is a lot of competition for that title, the statement became ironic on June 29, when d'Escoto Brockmann's spokesman Enrique Yeves outright refused to answer, or even listen to, a Press question regarding how much of the $280,000 allocated to his Office by the UN's member states -- and their taxpayers -- has already been spent.
"I stop you there," Yeves said. "I am not going to make... I have already told you clearly... I am not going to reply to you on that issue." Video here, from Minute 33:31.
Inner City Press pointed out that Yeves hadn't even allowed the question to be asked. Yeves insisted that he knew what the question was going to be.
Yeves was referring to a question that Inner City Press asked d'Escoto last week, to provide his rationale for using UN funds to hire two relatives. At the time, d'Escoto said he encouraged Inner City Press to continue with the "speculation," that he found it entertaining.
First, that two d'Escoto relatives, Michael Clark and Sophia Clark, are being paid with UN funds is not speculation: Yeves himself on June 9 confirmed it to Inner City Press. After Inner City Press' exclusive report, it appeared in the Times of London and elsewhere, and numerous journalists who cover the UN said they would have liked to have known it when they quoted Michael Clark, who was brought out for multiple press conferences on behalf of d'Escoto.
Second, if as d'Escoto said speculative and not factual, then it can only be clarified by the asking and answering of questions. But Yeves insisted that he will not add to what d'Escoto said. Which was, it is speculative and entertaining.
D'Escoto claimed that the UN General Assembly and by implication his Office are more transparent than the G-20. Then he and his spokesman have refused to answer or even take questions about how much of the UN budget allocated to them has been spent.
D'Escoto made statement, largely well placed, about the Honduran Army's corruption. But when will his Office and spokesman provide basic information about how much UN and taxpayers' money they have spent? Watch this site.
Footnote: While D'Escoto Brockmann's Spokesman Yeves refused to even listen to the question about how the UN's and taxpayers' funds are spent by his office, he did answer two Press questions before shutting down. He said that d'Escoto is now "really glad" about Obama's statement.
When Inner City Press asked if D'Escoto had any response to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez putting his military on alert and threatening military action, Yeves said he had no comment on that. Then, about the use of UN and taxpayer funds, he said "I am not going to reply to you on that issue." Inner City Press encouraged Yeves to simply post the basic financial information on the President of the General Assembly's web site. We'll see.
