The paragraph was my own words (It's been edited slightly ... I didn't like the awkward "being" usage, so I tightened it up a bit.). It was based on descriptions from all the sites put into a time-relative context.

One pro-government site (la Tribuna, I think) identified the students as members of FUR, I didn't see it mentioned anywhere else, so I just called them students. A couple of sources mentioned the union ... I think it's a teacher's union? One of the sources also reported that union officials had shown up and were trying to get the protest to wrap up at noon (but it was in only one place, and the translation was a bit unclear - so I didn't include it in my summary).

I don't know about the commenter over on Raj's site. There are a lot of political operatives working the media right now, so it wouldn't surprise me if he was a member of a specific pro-establishment organization. At the same time, none of the reports I came across specifically named the businesses that were attacked, so that's a bit of new information (for me). My guess is he's actually in Honduras and turned something he saw on TV into something he experienced (happens all the time online).

Checking out his site, he seems to be a missionary or something. I've got nothing against the religious. He's certainly not pro-Zelaya, but neither does he seem to be engaged in propaganda. I thought this bit was very well-written and seems to be from the heart....

I have been reading a lot about the last thirty years here in Honduras. It is not untrue that the "economic elite", which includes most politicians, has not done much to advance the plight of the poor. There are very few social programs, salaries have been kept very low, education is still horrible, and, as we have witnessed for years, the poor have very little to no opportunity to change their plight. The reality is that all government here has been as corrupt as it comes and the rich get richer and the poor?.... well, we know the answer to that.

Mel's administration has attempted to change some of this. I hate that this is true, but it is. The higher minimum wage, as you have heard me say before, is ultimately a better thing for the poor. It's implementation has been horrible, but hte idea of higher salaries is a good thing There has also been an attempt to raise educational standards and improve teacher salaries. Unfortunately, the man is also a criminal that is running drugs, stealing money, and using fear and intimidation to push his agenda. That agenda also included an attempt to re-write the constitution and more than likely eliminate term limits. The economic elite, which is the status quo, does not want things to change as they are satisfied. If Mel wasn't such a crook, then the things he talks about would actually be good for a larger portion of the people of Honduras. Real help for the poor will only come through real social change. A constitutional re-write might have to happen for that to become a reality, but it needs to be done the right way and through legal channels, which Mel did not do. Things have always been broken here. The status quo is not working and the poor continue to suffer. Real change is needed. Will it happen? I tend to doubt it. I don't think the rich and affluent, that dominate politics here, will ever "give up" what they have so that things could really change and benfit the poor.

I am glad that this country does not want a man like Mel as it's president and that they have done something to remove him. He is not the answer... for sure! I hope that those who run this country (the rich politicians) will be willing to explore ways that can really bring about change. I'm not so sure they will because it will take some real change that will be difficult to accomplish. I fear that if they don't do it, we will be in for more of what has always been and there will continue to be no hope for so many of the people I have grown to care for so deeply.

Do I sound like a crazy man?

On a different note, There was an incident on Aug 4 where presidential candidate Elvin Santos was attacked on campus. Several of his aides were injured. Some blamed it on the FUR but the candidate himself says the attack was carried out by foreign agents trying to provoke violence. Which got me to thinking ... there are many images on the sites I linked (disappearing from the main pages now with the earthquake taking over), several pics of those guys with the molotovs. I can't shake the feeling that they carry themselves far differently than most of the other protestors - I'm not sure if they are planted (maybe agent provocateurs, maybe trained leftists) ... I don't know, but they struck me as "not right". Pondering the possibility of professional interference, I can't figure out which side would benefit from that sort of violence, any thoughts?