Honduran coup affects IU student’s research trip

Amid a presidential coup in Honduras, one IU student is just trying to do research for his dissertation.

Doctoral student Kevin Coleman has been doing research in Honduras for his dissertation during the past couple of months. But he didn’t realize he was going to end up being in the middle of a coup.

Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted from the country June 28. Since then, thousands of protesters in support of Zelaya and in support of the interim government have organized protests.

Coleman said the coup was a surprise for everyone including himself, but there had been tension building up for a long time.

“No one thought that they could actually overthrow him,” he said.

Zelaya had been trying to have a nonbinding referendum that would change the constitution. Although the Supreme Court ruled the referendum illegal, Zelaya continued to push for it.

Coleman said the coup has both helped and set back his research.

“My research feels a little more important now than it did before,” Coleman said. “But it also has interrupted the research. Archives have been closed. I was able to go yesterday for the first time.”

A curfew has also been imposed in Honduras, which Coleman said has affected his daily life. Local businesses have also been affected by the coup; many are choosing to stay closed.

Coleman said many people seem scared more than anything else.

In an article written by Coleman and published on the History News Network Web site, he said the coup is different than others in the past because it isn’t a division between political parties. Instead, the coup has created division among social classes.
“The population is incredibly divided right now,” he said. “Both the ousted president and the coup president are hugely flawed, and so either one of them is going to have a hard time governing.”
Coleman said he plans to continue his stay in Honduras until his scheduled departure in September.
IU has not released any warning for IU students in Honduras.
Coleman said his adviser has been in contact with him to make sure he is doing fine.
Associate Vice President for Overseas Study Kathleen Sideli said only a few IU medical students are currently in Honduras.
“We have been in touch with the students – they are all fine,” she said.
Of them, some of them have decided to come home earlier than planned; others will continue to stay in Honduras until they are scheduled to leave.
Costa Rica’s president is supposed to act as a mediator between Zelaya and interim president Roberto Micheletti.
“We will be here until the country calms down,” Micheletti told a news conference. “We are the authentic representatives of the people.”
Until a solution between both leaders comes about, Coleman, like the rest of Honduras, will just have to wait.  
– The Associated Press contributed to this report