Still not a coup?

Hemispheric Briefs:

… the Sec. of State, meeting with Mel Zelaya on Thursday, also said she was still not prepared to label the events of June 28 a “military coup,” rejecting calls from House leaders like Dem. Howard Berman who penned an opinion piece in the LA Times on Thursday. Such a designation would have led to further aid cuts, and, according to the Times, “required certification by Congress.” The Washington Post highlights the fact the U.S. may not recognize November elections. State Dept. spokesman Phillip Crowley says the de facto regime in Tegucigalpa must “sign on to the San Jose accords to get out of the box” in which it currently find itself. Some analysts are critical of the U.S.’s new position on this point. The U.S. statement on November elections “limits our options, a violation of the first law of diplomacy, by taking off the table the one means by which the crisis could naturally be resolved,” says Eric Farnsworth, a Latin America expert at the Council of the Americas. And, finally, the Post also adds that DOS will examine revoking more visas of particular Honduran officials who have supported the regime.

On the other hand, Brazil is now requiring ALL Hondurans to obtain a visa before entering the country.

Greg Weeks sees one theoretical good thing about the coup:  when life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.