Horus Corea returned to his hometown of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to conduct interviews for his independent study and see his family.
Four days later, Corea witnessed a political clash that led to protests and the exile of the Honduran president.
Corea, a graduate student in foreign languages and linguistics, said he has seen protests throughout Tegucigalpa, the capital city, including some within five blocks of his neighborhood. Some of those demonstrations have become violent leading to Honduran soldiers pointing guns at protesters, he said.
“I was told not to come because there were people saying things about the coup on the streets,” he said. “I prefer to see and sense the things, so I make my conclusions.”
The Honduran Army stormed the presidential palace on June 28 and forced President Manuel Zelaya into exile. Later that day, the Congress voted to recall Zelaya from office and Robert Micheletti, leader of the Congress, was sworn-in as interim president.
Micheletti has said Zelaya illegally defied the Honduran Supreme Court by calling for a constitutional referendum that was supposed to take place June 28, according to the New York Times.
Corea said water, electricity and landline telephone service have been restored to his home after they were cut the day Zelaya was removed from office. He said some TV and radio stations remain off air.
In Carbondale, Carlos Castillo, a graduate student also from Tegucigalpa studying English, said keeping up with events in Honduras is difficult because coverage is missing in American media.
Castillo said he worries for his family’s safety because they do not tell him what is going on in Honduras via telephone in fear of being kidnapped.
“They are peaceful people,” he said of his family.
Thomas Saville, associate director for study abroad programs, said the university does not have any students studying in Honduras this summer.
Three Honduran students have been admitted to the university for the fall semester, said Carla Coppi, associate director of International Students and Scholars, but those students should not have trouble traveling to Carbondale because the U.S. government is sponsoring them.
Coppi said no one has contacted her with concerns about the situation in Honduras affecting students.
