A Step Backward: Obama Administration Lacked Backbone in Response to Honduras Coup d’État

During the first months of President Obama’s term, it looked as though U.S.-Latin American relations would turn a new page. An initial sign was the United States’ participation in several conferences pertaining to the Americas, most importantly those held by the Organization of American States (OAS) soon after Obama’s inauguration. The June 2009 coup in Honduras was one of the first major tests in Latin America for the Obama administration. It was one of the first opportunities to change foreign policy within the region and unfortunately, the United States’ efforts in Honduras ultimately ended in failure. While the Obama administration was initially resolute in its condemnation of the coup, calling resonantly for Zelaya’s reinstatement, it later altered its demands, in practice abandoning hope of restoring Manuel Zelaya to his place as the legitimate president of Honduras. Indeed, in the case of Honduras, President Obama largely failed to provide sufficient support for a democracy in peril.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Robin Burnette