Clinton presses region to recognize Honduras

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ended a tour of Latin America last week by calling for more countries to recognize the new government of Honduras. Many countries in the hemisphere, including Brazil and Argentina, have refrained from recognizing new President Porfirio Lobo's government because it came to power with an election held under a government installed by a brutal coup last June. Clinton announced that the United States is restoring more than $30 million in aid to Honduras it had suspended after the coup. She said at a news conference in Guatemala: "We support the work that President Lobo is doing to promote national unity and strengthen democracy." Just two days before Clinton's remarks, Human Rights Watch appealed to Honduras' Attorney General to investigate recent killings and other attacks on opponents of the coup, which have raised questions about Lobo's commitment to democracy. The group was moved by reports of multiple acts of violence over the past month targeting coup opponents, including killings, rape, torture, kidnapping, and assault. Threats received by victims and comments allegedly made by their assailants suggest that these abuses may have been politically motivated.