Photo via igougo.com

Honduras leadership crisis threatens ministry in the country

Chaos erupted in Honduras following a military coup d'état. The Honduran Congress wasted no time and has already voted him out of office, replacing him with the president of Congress, Roberto Micheletti, reports MNN.

The Supreme Court also backed the move saying that the military had acted to defend the law against those who were working against the Constitution's provisions.

However, not everyone welcomed the change of leadership. Leaders across the hemisphere denounced the coup and pushed for the restoration of Manuel Zelaya to office.

Honduras' new leaders defied global pressure on Monday to reverse the ouster of the president. The move was the culmination of battle over a referendum slated for Sunday that would lead to a revision of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, as diverse as the response has been internationally, it's equally polarized within the country. Protesters gathered at the presidential offices in a tense standoff with hundreds of camouflage-clad soldiers.

The threat of violence is palpable, and many would rather stay off the streets than risk being caught if the tension blows up.

Tiffany Taylor with Orphan Outreach says the crisis is not only hurting their short-term teams, but it's also hurting their partners on the ground. "We have reports that the electricity has not been working, that there is a curfew in place, and that there are definitely people marching in the street. There's military presence in the street."

Orphan Outreach may be forced to postpone upcoming trips, but they're also very concerned for their seven interns who are still in the country serving. "We had already made a decision for their safety and moved them out of Tegucigalpa, but they are not able to do the ministry that they were called there to do right now."

However, Taylor says any interruption in their work spells big trouble for the most vulnerable. Their teams are the hands and feet of Christ to these people. Disruption to their work could easily become a matter of life and death. "Everyone is expected to stay inside, and unfortunately, the needs for ministry are even greater now when you consider the poorest of the poor people without any electricity. The situation is extremely serious."

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TAGS: Honduras leadership crisis Orphan Outreach ministry Roberto Micheletti threat of violence

[07/01/2009]

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