During his administration Zelaya has, in fact, become closer to Venezuela and Cuba but this has been part of a longer trend starting beginning with previous administrations. The connection to Cuba emerged in the early 1990s after Cold War aid to Honduras was severely cut back. Formal relations resumed in the wake of Hurricane Mitch in 1998 when Cuban medical brigades arrived to assist the victims. The decision to sign on with Petrocaribe, the Venezuelan oil initiative providing subsidized oil to poor countries, was made under the previous president, a conservative with Zelaya signing the final bill. The reason for the turn toward Venezuela lay mainly with the skyrocketing price of oil, a major recession, and the looming threat of a nationwide strike in the transportation industry in 2005.

Zelaya is an unlikely leftist. Son of a military officer, he was born into one of the wealthiest families in his province and was once accused of killing leftist peasants and priests when their bodies were discovered hidden on his ranch. Some of his political tactics have been questionable during his presidency raising some legitimate questions about his commitment to democracy. Being forced from bed at gunpoint in the middle of the night, however, is hardly a democratic move and only serves to undermine the rule of law in that country.

Our role and that of any outside mediation should not hinge on whether we think this government should side with the left or the right. That is a decision for the Honduran people alone. The issue for international observers is whether an open, legal and democratic process is being followed. In this, both sides can be expected to find common ground. If Zelaya is to be a true democrat, he could start by allowing the rule of law to take its course even if this means standing trial for the charges against him –in a fully transparent process.