IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 619 

Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the people of 

Honduras. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 8, 2009 

Mr. MACK (for himself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, 

Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. 

MCCOTTER, Mr. WAMP, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for 

the people of Honduras. 

Whereas in November 2005, Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales was 

elected as President of Honduras; 

Whereas shortly after being inaugurated as President of 

Honduras, Zelaya forged close ties with Venezuelan 

President Hugo Cha ́vez and Cuban rulers Fidel and Raul 

Castro; 

Whereas, on October 9, 2008, Honduras joined the 

Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas (ALBA), an initiative launched by Cha ́vez which includes Bolivia, Cuba, 

Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Venezuela; 


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•HRES 619 IH 

Whereas in March of 2009, President Zelaya issued a decree 

calling on the National Statistics Institute to hold a popular referendum to determine if the country should include a fourth ballot box during the general elections 

scheduled to be held on November 29, 2009; 

Whereas the fourth ballot box would consult Hondurans 

about whether the country should convene a national constituent assembly to amend the constitution; 

Whereas the Honduras Constitution forbids a president from 

seeking re-election; 

Whereas, on May 21, 2009, the Attorney General of Honduras recommended that the Honduran courts hold that 

President Zelaya’s proposed referendum was illegal and 

unconstitutional; 

Whereas, on May 27, 2009, a Honduran lower court judge 

declared President Zelaya’s proposed referendum illegal; 

Whereas, on June 17, 2009, a Honduran Appeals Court 

upheld the lower court ruling declaring President 

Zelaya’s proposed referendum illegal; 

Whereas, on June 19, 2009, the Honduran Supreme Court 

ordered the Honduran security forces not to provide any 

support for the proposed referendum; 

Whereas, on June 23, 2009, the Honduran National Congress passed a plebiscite and referendum law that prevents referendums from occurring within 180 days of a 

general election; 

Whereas, on June 24, 2009, President Zelaya dismissed the 

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense 

Minister for refusing to provide support for the proposed 

unconstitutional referendum; 


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•HRES 619 IH 

Whereas, on June 25, 2009, the Honduran Supreme Court 

ruled that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and 

the Defense Minister were to be reinstated; 

Whereas, on June 25, 2009, the Honduran National Congress began debate on whether to censure President 

Zelaya for pushing ahead with his proposed illegal referendum; 

Whereas, on June 27, 2009, President Zelaya led a violent 

mob that stormed a military base to seize and distribute 

ballots for the illegal referendum; 

Whereas several sectors of Honduras were opposed to this 

referendum, including the legislature, the judiciary, the 

Attorney General, the Human Rights Commission, the 

Catholic Church, evangelical groups, business associations, and four of the five political parties represented in 

the National Congress, including President Zelaya’s own 

party; 

Whereas, on June 28, 2009, just hours before the polls were 

to open for the illegal referendum, the Honduran military 

arrested President Zelaya pursuant to a court order, and 

later exiled him from the country; 

Whereas the Honduran Supreme Court has stated that the 

military acted on its orders, and the Honduran Congress 

passed a decree removing President Zelaya from office 

and replacing him with the President of Congress, Roberto Micheletti; 

Whereas since his removal, Mr. Zelaya has been flown around 

the hemisphere by Hugo Cha ́vez’s private jets; and 

Whereas since Mr. Zelaya’s inaugural, Honduras has been 

plagued by lowered living standards as poverty, violence, 


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•HRES 619 IH 

unemployment, and inflation, which has remained high: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses its strong support for the people 

3 of Honduras; 

4 (2) condemns Mr. Jose Manuel Zelaya Rosales 

5 for his unconstitutional and illegal attempts to alter 

6 the Constitution of Honduras; and 

7 (3) calls on all parties to seek a peaceful resolu8 tion that is both legal and constitutional. 

Æ 


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