I spent a total of about six months in Honduras, but had relatively little contact with civilians. I left with the impression of a desperately poor yet fiercely proud country that chafed at living in the cultural and economic shadows of both the United States and Mexico. The alliance with the United States seemed like one of temporary convenience and the Hondurans reminded us of their sovereignty at every possible opportunity.

From what I’ve read Zelaya’s own civilian government refused to carry out the proposed referendum, after which he turned to the military which likewise balked at obeying his orders. The ensuing Nixonesque “Saturday Night Massacre” set off the chain of events that resulted in Zelaya’s removal.

In all of the discussion and reporting of the events in Honduras I’ve heard very little about the desires and interests of the Honduran people … most of what I read is about the interests and opinions of Venezuela, Argentina, and other governments thousands of miles away. I doubt that foreign influence sits well with the average Honduran, whether in the form of Yanqui imperialismo or Venezuelan Chavismo.

On a more humorous note, there was one memorable act of terrorism while I was there … someone fired an RPG at a foreign-owned brewery and damaged a storage tank full of Cerveza Port Royal Export. I still think of this as a crime against humanity.