In the end, it was the US

With just under a month before scheduled elections in Honduras, and three months remaining before Mel Zelaya's presidential term expired, the Obama administration begrudgingly took leadership of negotiations and hammered out an agreement to return democratic order to the shunned nation. The administration could no longer position itself as just another member of a coalition of concerned nations in the region and I think they served themselves well by allowing for more home-grown efforts, such as those of the OAS and President Arias of Costa Rica, the opportunity to succeed first.

In the end, it was not economic sanctions or revoked visas that allowed for a breakthrough but enagaement and a self-acceptance of Washington's unique ability to get people to pay attention to their demands. This should serve as a timely reminder of the necessity of US power in the region and an argument for sustained engagement in the region, a point that Eric Farnsworth makes over at Americas Quarterly.

The New York Times has this to report:

During a half-hour telephone call last week, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took a leading role, making it clear to Mr. Micheletti that the United States was growing impatient with the stalemate and demanding that democracy be restored. Mr. Micheletti later joked with his aides that she stuck so close to her message it appeared she had a limited vocabulary. “I kept trying to explain our position to her,” he said, according to officials close to the talks, “but all she kept saying was, ‘Restitution, restitution, restitution.’ ”

Honduras is not out of the penalty box yet, leaders in Congress are saying they're not a rubber stamp and both camps continue to bicker to the detriment of the fragile agreement. Though one can be certain that the presidential candidates, whose legitimacy depends on a quick resolution, would sure like to be.