You've probably heard by now that overthrown Honduran President has left the country, while a new sham elected President, Porfirio Lobo, has been sworn in. More on this over at UpsideDownWorld, which notes that "As the majority of Hondurans boycotted the elections, and dozens of candidates for lower offices withdrew, the vast majority of countries around the world classified the ballot as illegitimate." With this in mind, consider the statement of Canada's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Latin America) Peter Kent, "“Canada congratulates President Lobo as he begins his term. I am confident that he will provide the strong political leadership needed to help Honduras move beyond its lengthy political impasse...“Honduras is beginning the process of renewal, and Canada looks forward to working with President Lobo’s government as it forges a path toward national reconciliation and economic recovery." As always, Canada is in lockstep with the U.S., who've announced they "will restart aid to impoverished Honduras after toppled President Manuel Zelaya flew into exile and the country swore in a new leader." Note how this Reuters report erroneously states that Canada is among the countries that "[do] not recognize Honduran President Porfirio Lobo because the November elections were organized by the de facto government." Such failures to fact-check help to maintain the illusion that Canada acts as a benign counterweight to U.S. policy in the region.
- For more on Canada's real role (in this case, in Honduras) see Todd Gordon and Jeffrey Webber's insightful interview with Carlos Danilo Amador, "Canadian Mining and Popular Resistance in Honduras": "[T]he presence of Canadian mining companies in Honduras, and specifically in this case of Valle de Siria, has caused massive damage to the population and the natural resources. It’s hardly obvious that Canadian capital has come to develop our communities; instead, they have caused enormous damage."