The political chaos in Honduras, which shows no sign of abating, will be an acid test for Latin America's ability to resolve conflicts and preserve stability through a regional multilateral framework.
But can it live up to the test?
Turmoil in Honduras sparks regional concerns
Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was removed from office in a military coup on Sunday afternoon, just hours after some 200 soldiers surrounded his official residence in the Honduran capital and forced him to board a plane to Costa Rica after a referendum scheduled for Sunday on changing the country's constitution has put Zelaya at odds with the military, the courts and the legislature.
Honduran Congress announced later Sunday that Roberto Micheletti will replace Manuel Zelaya as the country's acting president.
The coup has drawn concern from other Latin American countries.
Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia ,Bolivia, Paraguay, Nicaragua and El Salvador have condemned the coup and refused to recognize the new government. They have also called for Zelaya's immediate reinstatement.
Can collective intervention mechanism work this time?
Shortly after the coup, the regional collective intervention mechanism was set in motion through the mediation of such multilateral bodies as the Organization of American States (OAS), the Union of South American Nations and the Rio Group.
The OAS, for example, held an emergency meeting Sunday, calling on the international community to act to halt the "serious disruption of the democratic process of the continent."
It also plans to call a meeting of foreign ministers to discuss how to respond to the latest political crisis in Honduras.
Latin America was plagued by coups until the 1980s. Since then, most countries in the region have achieved peaceful transitions from military to civilian rule. There is a prevailing consensus in the region that any political differences should be resolved through dialogue and legal means under the constitutional framework.
And any attempt to try to resolve internal disputes through violence or even coups is a violation of the democratic mechanism and runs counter to the Inter-American Democratic Charter signed in 2001.
In recent years, Latin American countries have greatly enhanced their ability to tackle regional issues through multilateral mediation and intervention. When Colombia's cross-border attack against rebels triggered a serious diplomatic crisis with Venezuela, Ecuador and Nicaragua in early 2008, Latin American countries succeeded in brokering reconciliation between the four countries at a Rio Group summit, thus preventing a potential escalation of tensions in the region.
Also when Bolivia's political situation was plunged into turmoil in September 2008, Latin American leaders voiced their support for Bolivian President Evo Morales and warned that any violation of the country's constitution and democratic process would not be tolerated. They also sent observers and diplomats to Bolivia for mediation efforts between the Bolivian government and the opposition, which finally brought the two sides back onto the track of democratic mechanisms.
With their success in resolving a series of crises in the region, the collective mediation and intervention mechanism has entered a period of maturity, playing an active role in safeguarding regional stability and the democratic process as well as boosting regional integration.
The Honduran coup poses a new test for this mechanism. What Latin American countries will do next is now the focus of international attention. Observers are waiting to see how it would work this time and how much success it would achieve.
(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2009)
