Unless something monumental happens in the Western Hemisphere in the next 31 days, the big regional story for 2009 will be how tiny Honduras managed to beat back the colonial aspirations of its most powerful neighbors and preserve its constitution.
Yesterday's elections for president and Congress, held as scheduled and without incident, were the crowning achievement of that struggle.
National Party candidate Porfirio Lobo was the favorite to win in pre-election polls. Yet the name of the victor is almost beside the point. The completion of these elections is a national triumph in itself and a win for all people who yearn for liberty.
We still have to make it another month to see if Zelaya tries a real coup with guns backed by Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua, but so far so good.
And how will the Hondurans view us after we stood with the despots for so long?
UPDATE: Luckily for us, the Hondurans have no place else to go:
Honduras' president-elect is not worried that many countries do not recognize his election. Washington supports Porfirio Lobo, and that's what matters most to this Central American nation.
Let's not lose this victory.
