Obama’s Support for Zelaya is Contradictory

Jonathan Liedl / July 10, 2009

During the course of his presidency, President Obama has placed little value in encouraging democratic developments abroad, stating the need to focus on the “substance” of a government, rather than its “form.” While the president’s abandonment of democracy is certainly discouraging, he has raised an important point:

We spend so much time talking about democracy…[b]ut democracy, a well-functioning society that promotes liberty and equality and fraternity, does not just depend on going to the ballot box.

However, although the president recognizes that democracies in name do not always yield democracies in practice, his unwavering support of ousted president Manuel Zeyala directly contradicts this basic understanding. Elected in 2005, Zelaya has proceeded to trample (more…)