Honduras coup; Venezuela military on alert

From top: Chavez, Bain, Zelaya, Venezuelan forces.

Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in military coup, and exiled to Costa Rica, this morning. Roberto Micheletti Bain, has replaced Zelaya. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has put the military on alert, vowing to use military force, if necessary, to replace Zelaya.

Honduras has a population of 7.5m, and maintains an active military force of 8,300 with 60,000 reserves. In 2002 there were 5,500 in the army, 1,800 in the air force, and 1,000 in the navy, including 400 marines. Paramilitary public security forces numbered 6,000 personnel. The US maintains a small military presence in Honduras.

Venezuela has a population of 26.5m and has 600,000 soldiers in four service branches--the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), Air Force, and the Armed Forces of Cooperation (FAC), also called National Guardia Nationale.

Should Honduras and Venezuela go to war, then Trinidad and Tobago-eight miles off Venezela’s coastline-will definitely feel the consequences. Perhaps our National Security Council met today and discussed our national defense plans with this latest scenario in mind. Could the NSC spokesperson please address the nation on this issue?

Got preps?

Madagascar: When the population is unarmed

Soldiers storming the presidential palace

The above images are from Madagascar. It is instructive, insofar as it shows what can happen to a country when the citizens are unarmed. The military has arrested the legally elected prime Minister, his wife and bodyguards. The deposed President, Marc Ravalomanana, is now in exile, in Swaziland. The presidency has been handed over to Andry Rajoelina by the military. Other than France, no country recognizes the ‘new’ President, nor his transitional government.

Think it couldn’t happen here in sweet T&T? Think again. Remember 1970 and 1990.

Read more here, here and here.

Military coup in Madagascar

Madagascan soldiers outside the office of President Marc Ravalomanana in Antananarivo on Monday. Photo:Alexander Joe/AFP

Military leaders in Madagascar have handed over control of Madagascar to the president's rival, opposition leader Andry Rajoelina.

Associated Press story here.

There has been escalating social unrest in this Indian Ocean island country for months now.