How Many Hondurans Supported Coup?

By Ken Silverstein

Take a look at this story:

Did a CID-Gallup poll last week indicate that a plurality of Hondurans support the military coup against democratically elected President Zelaya? Yes, according to the Washington Post (July 9), the Wall Street Journal (July 10), the Christian Science Monitor (July 11), and Reuters (July 9), which all reported that the poll showed 41% in favor of the coup, with only 28% opposed.

But in fact the poll showed that 46% — a plurality — were “opposed” to the coup, according to the New York Times (July 10), the Associated Press (July 11), and the president of CID-Gallup, in an interview with Voice of America on July 9th. . .

Of course, even if a poll had showed a plurality in favor of the coup, that would not legitimize the coup. But the opinion of the population, even if difficult to discern in the repression following the coup, is without question a key fact in understanding the situation. To misreport such a key fact is to substantially misinform. To fail to correct such a mistake compounds the error.