Bienvenidos Mel!

Zelayas' return was the most historic thing I've ever witnessed...

An ousted president returning to thousands of his supporters. Although the idea of 'coming home', gives a sense of resolution or finality, it is not so in this home-coming. That being said, the excitement was undeniable. Every time a plane was spotted in the air, thousands of people would jump to their feet, and surge towards the fences surrounding the air field.

Once we realized that it was a commercial charter...we all sat back down in disappointment. I've never had to wait so long for a dignitary to arrive. He was due in at 11am, and he touched down closer to 2:00pm or 2:30pm. My goodness man! As the rain started to come down, I started thinking about leaving...

The thing that stuck me was the role of Mel Zelaya, as a political figure, in this whole situation. After talking to a handful of people during my stay in the region, it was clear that his position as a political figure is a relatively insignificant part of the political situation in Honduras.

Although there is a widespread hope that Mels' return signals a new chapter of democracy in Honduras, nothing is certain. In fact, his return could even be construed as being more negative than positive by some perspectives. Consider that his return paves the way for Honduras to be re-admitted into the Organization of American States (OAS). This would normalize political and economic relations between the other American states and Honduras. Although this is generally a good thing, it would also mean that the 'Pepe' Lobo regime, and its aggressive neo-liberal economic policies, would become legitimized. This would legitimize and act as an acceptance of the new stats quo for the way business is conducted in Honduras. In other words, the resistance looses legitimacy in denouncing 'Pepe' Lobo when his administration gains legitimacy. This undermines the leverage used by social justice groups to try to soften the harsh economic policies of the regime. I call these policies harsh, because large energy projects, privatization and agro-industrial expansion are often forced on the people of Honduras through intimidation, fear, and at times violence.

Also, the question of what to do next could affect the Resistance. Some say the movement could splinter, yet others say that this has already happened. What IS clear is the demand for the constituyente [process of constitutional reform] seems universal. The problem remains, how can they avoid another crisis similar to the one that led to the crisis in the first place? Another dilemma is that Los Liberales en Resistencia want to take the FNRP to the level of a national political party, but this is opposed by the more radical elements of the resistance. What to do...what to do?

These questions aside, this was not just an important moment for Honduras...this was an important moment for Latin America. It proved that Latin America is not just a market, and that it is its own continent, able to manage its affairs without the guiding hand of the US.

Bienvenidos Mel, y viva la Resistancia Popular!