buying support

It is common knowledge in Honduras that support for Zelaya's return is so minimal that his people have resorted to buying support from the poorest classes of society. In this photo one can observe Rafael Alegria with a bag of money that is being handed out to Zelaya supporters. Supposedly much of this money was illegally removed from the Central Bank in the days days before Zelaya's referendum was to take place. (Additional sources are rumored to include Hugo Chavez and Colombia's FARC). The original intent was to use this money to stir up huge marches and manifestations in Zelaya's favor when he called the constituent assembly and dissolved the Congress and Supreme Court on June 28. In other words, Zelaya wanted to make it appear to the world that "the people of Honduras" were "massively in favor" of his constituent assembly and also intimidate what would have been the substantial opposition into accepting that he had gotten his way. Yet another play from the CastroChavez playbook. Since things didn't go as planned on June 28, they are now using the money to buy supporters. People are being paid as much as 500 lempiras (US$25) to participate in the marches for Zelaya.

Pathetic. Desperate. Evil.

Rafael Alegria Peasant leader and staunch Zelaya ally. The accounting must be interesting when you are a guy of modest means who suddenly has access to bags of cash, especially when it's other people's (taxpayers') money.