Every Western Hemisphere leader had a response to this week’s crisis in Honduras (which I describe here). Incredibly, from Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez to Felipe Calderón and Barack Obama, every one of them fell on the same side, something that in a long history of hemispheric relations has happened very seldomly, if ever. Of course, they’re all missing the nuance of the crisis in favor of supporting their chum Zelaya (the overthrown president of Honduras), but the fact remains: the entire hemisphere, Obama and the Castros all agree on at least one issue.
… which means… it IS possible.
Still, Fidel Castro’s comments were characteristically severe: he denounced the military overthrow of the Honduran president as a “suicidal error,” and rather channeled his earlier revolutionary incarnation as he called upon the younger generation in the Honduran military to take over from the leadership that performed the overthrow. “Their resignation should be demanded and younger officers not beholden to the oligarchy should take over the military.”
Events are still unfolding in Honduras, and as they do, it is unlikely that the consensus will endure: each leader may agree on the illegality of the removal, but not every party will agree on how to handle the situation.
