Latin American Nations Begin Economic and Political Blockade Against Coup Government

Border Closings, Suspension of Aid, and Cutting of Diplomatic Relations Present a Non-Violent Response to a Violent Coup

Mexico and the countries of Central America have announced various political and economic sanctions against the coup government in Honduras as part of a non-violent and non-military strategy to return democratically elected President Manuel "Mel" Zelaya to power.

Member countries of the Central American Regional Integration adopted a resolution earlier today that requires taking "necessary measures in a staggered manner, including measures related to interregional commerce, against Honduras' de facto government until President Jose Manuel Zelaya is reinstated as president and institutional normalcy is reestablished." In the first direct action against the coup government, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala will close their borders with Honduras for 48 hours. The border closing means that all cross-border commerce will be shut down for 48 hours.

SICA countries also agreed to suspend all political, economic, financial, cultural, sports, tourist, and cooperation meetings with the de facto government. They will also instruct the board of directors of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (a regional development bank) to suspend all loans and grants to Honduras. SICA will also pressure the United Nations to take action.

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras (represented by Zelaya), Panama, the Dominican Republic, Belize, and Nicaragua signed the SICA declaration, which is reprinted here:

1. Immediately call all ambassadors to Honduras from SICA countries for consultations.

2. Instruct the directors from SICA countries in the Central American Bank for Economic Integration to immediately suspend all loans and grants to Honduras.

3. Suspend all political, economic, financial, cultural, sports, tourist, and cooperation meetings with the de facto government.

4. Veto the participation of all Honduran representatives that are not accredited by President Manuel Zelaya in SICA meetings.

5. Fully support the Organization of American States (OAS) resolution regarding the current situation in Honduras dated June 28, 2009, to reactive the reestablishment of constitutional order and request an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council so that it issues a resolution condemning and adopts necessary coercive measures.

6. Request that the UN Secretary General open a session called "Honduras' Political Situation" that leads to a General Assembly resolution condemning .

7. If the constitutional order is not reestablished, SICA member countries will take the necessary measures in a staggered manner, including measures related to interregional commerce, against Honduras' de facto government until President Jose Manuel Zelaya is reinstated as president and institutional normalcy is reestablished.

8. Declare that no government that arises from this constitutional breakdown is recognized.

9. Maintain permanent contact, in particular through the Rio Group, in order to evaluate the situation as it evolves and the measures that will be necessary to adopt in the future in order to achieve the full reestablishment of democratic normalcy.
The consultations with SICA's respective ambassadors to Honduras does not necessarily mean that SICA countries will withdraw their ambassadors and cut off all diplomatic relations. El Salvador, for example, will not withdraw its ambassador. However, other countries have decided to withdraw their ambassadors and cut off diplomatic relations with the coup government. Mexico has withdrawn its ambassador in solidarity with ousted President Zelaya, as have all nations that are members of the Bolivarian Aliance of the Americas (ALBA).

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has announced that he will call a meeting of Petrocaribe on Tuesday to halt oil exports to Honduras. An agreement that President Zelaya signed with Venezuela has allowed Honduras--Central America's second poorest nation--to purchase Venezuelan crude at significantly reduced prices. The agreement was proposed in 2006, and likely saved the Honduran economy when petroleum prices drastically rose in recent years. Honduras imports 100% of its petroleum. Whereas Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua's border closing will only last 48 hours, Chavez says that oil exports to Honduras won't resume until Zelaya returns to power.


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