Gradual coups in Latin America

Soldiers have arrested the president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, and flown him out of the country. In so doing the military prevented a referendum that was aimed at changing the constitution to allow Zelaya to be re-elected. The left-liberal daily El País condemns the putsch, albeit cautiously: "Without doubt the putsch must be rejected, but the international community must take into account that the authoritarian political leaderships in Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela have become a serious provocation for conservative and centrist forces all over the region. The expropriation of companies, closures of media enterprises, intimidation on the streets, breaking of laws, perpetual re-elections and election frauds are like gradual coup d'états."

» full article (external link, Spanish)

» To the complete press review of Tuesday, June 30, 2009