Local Hondurans divided on coup in home country

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Hondurans living in exile in South Florida are divided into two camps today: between adamant support or condemnation of the coup Sunday that toppled a democratically elected but largely unpopular and increasingly leftist president.

On Sunday local Honduran exiles rallied in Miami after they received news of the military coup that ousted Manuel Zelaya. An Hugo Chavez-like constitutional amendment, which Honduras' own supreme court called illegal, to increase Manuel Zelaya's term proved the last straw for many.

At Adelita's Honduran Cafe in Northwest Miami-Dade local exiles mostly voiced their support of the coup. "A Constitution that has been violated and was being violated by President Zelaya," said one man, "so we're calling for our Hondurans to remain calm. We're calling to support President Roberto Micheletti and to allow him, to enable him to govern accordingly, and he has called for elections, as has been called by the tribune of the electoral, which is for November 29."

Stephanie Canizares is one of those who support the coup. "Cause he wanted to change and make it like Chavez," she said referring to Venezuela's leftist leader.

Zelaya had been asleep when, he said, the sound of gunfire awoke him. He would wind up on a military jet and sent to Costa Rica at gunpoint still wearing his pajamas.

From Costa Rica, Zelaya held a defiant press conference. "I remain the president of Honduras," he said through a translator, "despite this small group of ambitious rebels who must be getting something in return for this barbaric kidnapping and brutal attack on our democracy."

Meanwhile, the Honduran congress accepted a resignation letter Zelaya contended he never wrote, which elects their leader Roberto Micheletti as president. "We are going to share in this government, as it's called for in the constitution, together, all of us," Micheletti said.

One day later, the Obama administration and European Union called for Micheletti's government to resign and restore Zelaya as president. Also calling for his return to power, Venezuela's President Chavez, who provided a plane Sunday that took Zelaya to Nicaragua where he will attend a meeting of Central American presidents.

U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) Miami, however, saw some silver-lining to the coup. "I hope that the action that took place in Honduras will slow up some of these so-called 'democratically elected presidents' to consolidate power," she said.

Back at Adelita's Honduran Cafe, a press conference was held that gave reporters a chance to speak with Micheletti via telephone from his home in Tegucigalpa. When asked about the international condemnation of the coup, he said, "They have only heard one version. We invite those agencies to come here and talk to the people of Honduras. That is who we represent. We expect the international community to listen to both sides and most importantly listen to the people."

This marks the first coup in the troubled region in more than 15 years. Another rally is planned in front of the Honduran consulate in Southwest Miami-Dade Monday afternoon, at 5 p.m.

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