Letter from Senator Cornyn

Thank you for contacting me regarding recent political events in Honduras. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this important matter.

As you know, on June 28, 2009, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was arrested by the Honduran military and exiled to Costa Rica. Honduras’ congress then removed Zelaya from power and subsequently selected Roberto Micheletti, the head of the congress, to fulfill the remainder of Zelaya’s term until national elections are held in November 2009.

These decisive actions came in the wake of months of political turmoil due to Zelaya’s defiance of Honduran political and legal institutions. Perhaps most notably, Zelaya attempted to hold a referendum with the goal of amending the Honduran constitution to extend the presidential term limit, thereby extending his own power. This action was in direct violation of the Honduran constitution, which forbids altering the current one presidential term limit and only empowers the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to organize referenda. Therefore, the Honduran Supreme Court issued a ruling declaring Zelaya’s proposal unconstitutional. Nevertheless, Zelaya defied the Supreme Court and scheduled the referendum for June 28—the day on which he was overthrown.

In 1982, the people of Honduras triumphed when the Honduran military was forced to relinquish control of the country after nearly two decades in power and a democracy was established. The Hondurans’ resilient determination to preserve their nation in the midst of trying political times—both then and now—is inspiring. Hondurans should not be expected to stand by and let a Hugo Chavez-style dictator take their hard-fought freedom from them, and the United States has a moral obligation to stand in support of their actions to preserve democracy, liberty, and order. Because the Honduran congress, the Honduran Supreme Court, and the Honduran military have all acted in accordance with the Honduran constitution to uphold the rule of law, I strongly support and commend their efforts.

I am very troubled by the Obama Administration’s calls for the reinstatement of Zelaya, as well as the Organization of American States’ and United Nations General Assembly’s resolutions condemning these recent events. I recently had the opportunity to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding this issue, and urged her to give equal time to both sides of the current conflict, ensure that the Honduran Constitution is not undermined, and that the health of the Honduran democracy and its rule of law are preserved. I have also met with several Honduran leaders, including two former presidents, six current members of the Honduran Congress who supported the deposition of Zelaya, and two individuals who helped to draft the 1982 Honduran Constitution. I am hopeful that Costa Rica’s upcoming mediation will be successful and that the health of Honduras’ democracy will be preserved.

The people in Honduras, Iran, and elsewhere who are currently fighting for the freedom should never be left to wonder which side America will choose. The Obama Administration must realize that despots such as Manuel Zelaya, Hugo Chavez, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should be strongly renounced in favor and support of those who are fighting to obtain the same values, liberties, and privileges that we as Americans hold dear, and that our United States Armed Forces fight to defend.

I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interests of Texans in the United States Senate. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Amen Senator Cornyn! If only the other side of the isle shared your views.