Obama explains why he backs Chavista thug Zelaya

"America supports now the restoration of the democratically-elected President of Honduras, even though he has strongly opposed American policies," the president told graduate students at the commencement ceremony of Moscow's New Economic School. "We do so not because we agree with him. We do so because we respect the universal principle that people should choose their own leaders, whether they are leaders we agree with or not. "

The president's remarks came in the midst of a speech in which discussed "America's interest in democratic governments that protect the rights of their people" and supported Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's call for judicial reforms in his country.

The military removal of Zelaya as president - and the appointment of Roberto Micheletti  as interim President by the Honduran legislature - came after Zelaya attempted to rewrite his nation's constitution to end term limits to continue his rule, despite the fact that term limits in the constitution is one of eight "firm articles" that cannot be changed.

After the Honduran Legislature refused to call a constitutional convention to rewrite the constitution, Zelaya called for a referendum to do so, which the Honduran Supreme Court and Attorney General declared unconstitutional.  Zelaya, allied with leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez , fired top military commander Romeo Vásquez Velásquez for refusing to carry out the referendum.  Every branch of government sided against Zelaya and Congress began discussing impeachment proceedings. Acting on orders from the Honduran Supreme Court, soldiers arrested Zelaya on June 28 and sent him into exile in Costa Rica.