Honduras Holds Controversial Elections

While Manuel Zelaya, Honduras' ousted president, continues to remain holed up in the Brazilian embassy, the Central American country held its scheduled presidential elections Sunday. The Honduran military detained President Manuel Zelaya on June 28, after he called for a referendum some thought ran counter to the country's constitution. Zelaya sneaked back into the country two months ago, and has called for a boycott of the vote. Although the Obama administration has intervened to find a solution, many from the international community say they will not recognize the election's winner in a country long run by violent governing. The U.S.'s failed attempts at diplomacy have led some to question its commitment to democracy. Many of Zelaya's supporters, comprised mostly of Honduras' poor, said they would not cast a ballot in Sunday's elections, though voters from working- and middle-class areas turned out to vote. In anticipation of rioting or protests, Honduran police and soldiers were dispatched to guard polling booths.