The recent actions of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez say a lot about what's really at stake in the Honduras debacle. It's not about democracy or constitutionality. It's about preserving a tyrant's empire.
Round II of Costa Rican President Oscar Arias' effort to negotiate a peaceful solution to the Honduras crisis begins Saturday, when the ousted president, Mel Zelaya, and the constitutional government that replaced him meet Arias in a bid to make peace.
At issue is whether Zelaya broke the Honduran constitution by trying to hold an illegal referendum and, if not, whether he deserves to be returned to power.
Arias is the logical mediator. He won a Nobel Prize for negotiating a Central American peace accord in 1987. He's also president of the Central American Integration Commission, which is a leading regional organization for keeping the peace in the region. More...
