Spotlight: Honduras

The scene at this sweaty central American checkpoint was grand political theater. On July 24, ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, threatened with arrest if he ever again set foot in his homeland, ducked across the border before crowds of media and supporters--and then rapidly strode back into neighboring Nicaragua to set up camp. The action put Honduras' political crisis back in the headlines, and it set tensions boiling and troops firing tear gas on Zelaya's supporters nearby, prompting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to dub the move "reckless."

But Zelaya's resorting to such a circus only underlines the impotence of the international community in reacting to his ouster. More than a month after Zelaya was flown out of the country at gunpoint, the de facto government still refused demands to return him to office. A plan brokered by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias appeared to be heading nowhere, although Honduran lawmakers said they would study proposals of amnesty for players on both sides of the coup, including Zelaya.

The most surprising result so far might be that Latin America's leftists have abandoned their usual line of accusing Washington of meddling and are lamenting that it hasn't done enough. "Do something, Obama. This is in your hands," Venezuelan firebrand Hugo Chávez groaned on his television show. The Obama Administration argues it has taken action by cutting off military aid to Honduras and revoking the diplomatic visas of several officials. But U.S. conservatives have argued against more punitive steps, saying Zelaya was a menace who had to be taken down. The coup was launched as the leftist leader tried to push through a vote allowing Presidents to stand for a second term--an action seen as an effort to extend his power, as ally Chávez has done in Venezuela. The interim government has now charged the exiled Zelaya with crimes including treason for the attempt.

The longer the stalemate continues, the closer the government gets to achieving its goal of holding a new presidential election in November. A fresh vote may allow Honduras to re-establish order and restore its tarnished image. "This was a constitutional succession," de facto President Roberto Micheletti said at a news conference. "I won't allow for people to call this a coup." But many other Latin American leaders see the maneuver as exactly that--and fear it might set a dangerous regional precedent.