[[Honduras]] is a country in Central [[America]]. It has been a focal point for political instability, military operations, and the influence of various international actors, particularly in relation to drug trafficking and U.S. foreign policy.[^1] ### 2009 Coup d'état On June 28, 2009, the president of [[Honduras]], [[Manuel Zelaya]], was ousted from his home in Tegucigalpa and exiled at gunpoint to [[Costa Rica]]. The Honduran Supreme Court reportedly ordered the military to detain the president, and the Honduran Congress formally removed Zelaya from the presidency, naming congressional leader [[Roberto Micheletti]] as his successor. The [[United States]] and other countries condemned the coup.[^1] The coup was allegedly designed by [[General Daniel Lopez Carballo]] and [[Romeo Vásquez Velásquez]], both friends of [[Jimmy Hughes]]. [[General Daniel Lopez Carballo]] justified the coup by stating that [[Venezuelan President]] [[Hugo Chávez]] would eventually be running [[Honduras]] by proxy if the military had not acted. Zelaya had been in the process of forming a friendship or alliance with [[Hugo Chávez]], who had reportedly formed an alliance with [[Iran]] and offered military support to [[Iran]] in the event of a war with the [[United States]].[^1] ### U.S. Military Presence and Drug War The [[United States]] operates an airbase in [[Honduras]], the Soto Cano Air Base (commonly known as Palmerola Air Base), near Comayagua. This base is a joint Honduran and U.S. military facility. The [[United States]] has been expanding the infrastructure of the Soto Cano Air Base, which is used as a launching point for its war on drugs efforts in Central [[America]] as well as humanitarian aid missions throughout [[Honduras]] and Central [[America]].[^1] The Honduran Constitution does not permit a permanent foreign presence in [[Honduras]]. A "handshake" agreement between the [[United States]] and [[Honduras]] allows the U.S. military's Joint Task Force (JTF-Bravo) to remain on a "semi-permanent" basis. This agreement, an annex to the 1954 military assistance agreement, can be abrogated with little notice. [[Oliver North]] once used this air base as a base of operations for the [[Contras]] in the 1980s.[^1] ### Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International (FGBMFI) Connections [[Jimmy Hughes]] Ministries, founded by [[Jimmy Hughes]], operates in Zambrano, [[Honduras]], where Hughes ministers to the military and trains military personnel. Hughes, [[General Daniel Lopez Carballo]], and [[Romeo Vásquez Velásquez]] were all members of FGBMFI. The influential FGBMFI has a history of strong military connections and wide-ranging effects on foreign policy in Central [[America]] under the [[Ronald Reagan]] administration.[^1] --- ## Footnotes [^1]: Seymour, Cheri. *The Last Circle: Danny Casolaro’s Investigation into the Octopus and the PROMIS Software Scandal*. First Edition. TrineDay, 2010.