The Palace of Itamaraty, the Brazilian chancery – in the past acknowledged for its ability, tact and intelligence – contributing to create an unedited “parallel government” pro-Chaves in its embassy in Tegucigalpa, placed the “moderate” president Lula in the eye of an unpredictable hurricane, and makes him, before God and the History, directly responsible for whatever may happen in Honduras
By Armando Valladares, September 23, 2009
The Palace of Itamaraty, the chancery of the “moderate” president of Brazil, Mr. Lula da Silva, by authorizing deposed pro-Chavist president Zelaya to enter its embassy in Tegucigalpa as a “guest”, instead of a “refugee”, involved itself in the internal affairs of Honduras on the most brutal and less diplomatic possible way. Thus, it has contributed to create in Honduras an unedited “parallel government” pro-Chavist, under the protection of the extraterritoriality.
As advised by Brazilian analysts, the Itamaraty diplomacy – formerly acknowledged by its ability, tact and intelligence – has just placed Lula, possibly unintentionally, in the eye of an unpredictable hurricane which may affect the profile of “moderation”, “conciliation”, “dialogue”, and “democratic spirit” cultivated by him in the last years. And, above all, this makes him directly responsible, before God and History, for whatever may take place in Honduras.
Indeed, thus intervening in Honduras internal affairs, the Itamaraty diplomacy assumes the direct responsibility for the consequences of its decision of using the embassy to receive the deposed president as a guest and to create a “parallel government”, including for any acts of violence and bloody events that may take place.
Deposed president Zelaya has used the diplomatic facilities to harangue his followers, contributing to create in the country an explosive situation. The Brazilian president himself, possibly understanding how he was placed in the eye of a hurricane by his chancery, from New York, where he attended the NU General Assembly, asked Zelaya to moderate his speech. And he also requested the respect to the extraterritoriality of the diplomatic facilities in Honduras, while Itamaraty is violating elementary international rules in that country.
With an emphasis even greater than when insisting on the end the “embargo” to the communist regime of Cuba, the Brazilian chancery establishes a historically unedited “embargo” against the Honduran people, simply because this one does not want to fall the Chavist abysm. While I write these lines, President Lula proposes an emergence meeting of the United Nations Security Council to analyze a delicate situation that his own diplomacy, so little diplomatically, has decisively contributed to create. The only thing left to do is that the Brazilian ambassador to the UN asks for a military intervention in Honduras.
As warned by Brazilian political analyst Roberto Lameirinhas in the influent newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, the return of Zelaya, surrounded by a “media show”, will indeed “enlarge the Honduran social fracture”; and those who bet on the return of the deposed president “seem to bet on a popularity that in fact does not exist”, and on an also nonexistent alleged “revolutionary inclination” of the Honduran people.
Undoubtedly, the account of human, social and economic losses is being paid by the Honduran people, subject to an international incomprehension possibly unedited in History. However, the political account, before God and History, in the case Honduras is brutally dragged into the Chavist abysm, to a large extent, will have to be paid by the Brazilian government, its current President and its diplomacy.
If today, in North America, the Kerenskyism favoring the left is represented by President Obama, as proven in my recent article published in El Heraldo, Honduras, in South America, the Kerenskyism perhaps is prototypically embodied in President Lula, of Brazil, who was called by Obama, at the last Summit of the Americas, as his “champion".
If the communist Cuba survives up to our days, to a large extent, this is due, perhaps even more than for the support of Chávez, to the colossal political, diplomatic and economic support given by the Lulist Kerenskyism.
If Chávez has arrived where he is, this is because, to a large extent, the Lulist Kerenskyism, always alleging moderation, spirit of dialogue and need to temporize, gave his approval and publically supported him in the most difficult internal moments, contributing to demoralize the Venezuelan opposition.
If the indigenous-populist governments of Bolivia and Ecuador are carrying out their current turbulences, contributing to the social, political and moral self-demolishment of both countries, this is also due to the Lulist Kerenskyism which provided them with a decisive support in the political and economical fields.
If the international pressures against Honduras have arrived where they are now, this is due to the articulations of the neo-Lulist Kerenskyist imperialism, that, behind the scenes, and even at the stage, with no pudency, has dedicated itself to make pressure on the US government to asphyxiate this small great nation that the partisans of freedom in the whole world fairly classify as the small great David of the 21th century.
The “moderate” Brazilian president integrates, together with President Obama, an “axle of moderation” that, objectively, and regardless the intentions of their protagonists, serves the Chavist “axle of evil” and allows, with its concessive spirit, that the “axle of evil” advances.
Almost 7 years ago, on October 8, 2002, in a renowned TV program with journalist Boris Casoy, the then-presidential candidate Lula da Silva called me the “chiseler of Miami" (in Portuguese, "picareta") because I had contributed to denounce, through a series of articles, on a documented and constantly respectful way, the Lula’s shameful support to Communist Cuba and his policy in favor of the Latin American “axle of evil”. On that occasion, lacking arguments, Lula answered with rudeness.
The external policy of Itamaraty, during the two terms of President Lula at the Government of Brazil, has confirmed these apprehensions. Today, with the precipitation of the Honduran adventure, the Brazilian diplomacy only confirms these apprehensions.
This is the time to proclaim the truths that hurt the contemporary Goliaths, aloud, clearly, arguing and giving irrefutable evidences, all this done on a invariably polite and respectful way. I have undoubtedly used strong words, but I believe that they are proportional to the seriousness of the situation, and they have been always respectful.
In recent statements to the Washington Post, Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow, high advisor of President Obama, acknowledged that for Latin America today the Chavist-type populism is a danger greater than militarism. Ambassador Davidoff said a half-truth. Indeed, from several points of view, the greatest danger is the “kerenskyism”, which prepares the way for the populism, the indigenism and other post-modern “isms” which replace the classical communism.
The heroic resistance of the Honduran people refusing to wear the Zelayaist-Chavist “uniform”, despite the brutal pressures by international leaders, reminds me the epic fact in which a bunch of Cuban political prisoners, despite brutal beatings and tortures, refused for years to wear the “uniform” of regular prisoners. The tyrant Castro could not submit them, and they entered the History as the “resisting prisoners”.
May the Divine Providence protect the “resisting” Honduras, which refuses to wear the Chavist “uniform” and continue to give it strength and inspiration to resist, on the same way David resisted and defended himself against Goliath.
Armando Valladares, former “resisting” Cuban political prisoner, was the US ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, in Geneve, during the Reagan and Bush governments. He just received in Rome an important prize of journalism for his articles in favor of freedom in Cuba and in the whole world.
Agencia Destaque Internacional, Internet, September 23, 2009.