Despite Obama’s comments, the US is refusing to apply any tangible pressure on Honduras. After Obama spoke, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US isn’t ready to formally declare the ouster a military coup, which would force a cutoff of millions of dollars in aid. Clinton also refused to explicitly commit to seeking the democratically elected Zelaya’s return, saying only the US wants to restore what she called *“full democratic and constitutional order.”*
In contrast to the US response, the Honduran coup has been roundly condemned across Latin America and much of the world. In Nicaragua, leaders from countries including Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia gathered in a show of solidarity with Zelaya. In what they called a *“first step”* in punitive action, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua jointly announced the temporary suspension of overland trade with Honduras. Meanwhile at the United Nations, General Assembly President Miguel D’Escoto of Nicaragua condemned the coup.
UN General Assembly President Miguel D’Escoto: *“As a Nicaraguan, I am ashamed that this coup has taken place in Central America during my presidency here at the General Assembly. This is a throwback to another era that we had hoped was now a distant nightmare.”*
