Honduras has voted and in significant numbers.

A good round-up here.

The US State Department:

We commend the Honduran people for peacefully exercising their democratic right to select their leaders in an electoral process that began over a year ago, well before the June 28 coup d’etat. Turnout appears to have exceeded that of the last presidential election. This shows that given the opportunity to express themselves, the Honduran people have viewed the election as an important part of the solution to the political crisis in their country.

… Significant work remains to be done to restore democratic and constitutional order in Honduras, but today the Honduran people took a necessary and important step forward.

Bad News! And Lies!

The State Department put out something sensible on 29 November. I have just called the FCO Press Office who think that as of now (1900 on 30 November) nothing has been said officially by HM Government. There is certainly Nothing on the FCO website.

But what is this?

Leaders from Latin America, Spain and Portugal discussed their reaction to the vote at a Ibero-American summit in Estoril on Monday.

"There are still many nations, especially in Central America, in vulnerable political situations. Brazil therefore must not recognise nor rethink the Honduran question," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said.

Could it be that the EU has outsourced responsibility for an EU view on this issue to Spain and Portugal, hence the UK’s vacuous official silence?

Memo to next government:

When a country has an election which for all the obvious local difficulties clearly shows an authentic and fair outcome, swing in behind that outcome fast and clear.

Act as a multiplier for democratic European values – don’t wait for the EU (not) to do so!