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Interim Honduran president used to live in Tampa

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By HOWARD ALTMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 29, 2009

TAMPA - No matter the story, there always seems to be a Tampa connection.

Like Sunday's coup in Honduras.

Turns out the country's new interim president, Roberto Micheletti, used to own Haddad's, a small clothing store in Tampa back in the 1970s.

And his younger brother, Aldo Micheletti, lives in Tampa.

"I heard about it through CNN and Univision last night," said Micheletti, 60, who owns a video production company in Tampa. "My brother didn't want the job, but he had to take it."

Micheletti said his brother was president of the Honduran congress. Under that nation's laws, he had to become the interim president once Manuel Zelaya was ousted Sunday. Micheletti said his brother will serve a seven-month term until an election to replace Zelaya can be held.

The news, said Aldo Micheletti, came as a shock.

"I was surprised," he said. "Very surprised. I didn't expect it to happen so soon. My brother had run for the presidency before but had lost in the primary."

World leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, have called for the reinstatement of Zelaya, the leftist leader who was arrested in his pajamas Sunday morning by soldiers who stormed his residence and flew him into exile. Roberto Micheletti has vowed to resist the pressure, saying "80 to 90 percent of the Honduran population is happy with what happened."

Aldo Micheletti said that despite international condemnation, the Tampa Honduran community is ecstatic.

"Everyone I talked to is happy about what happened," he said. "They are very relieved at what happened. Anything is better than Zelaya."

Micheletti said he worries about his brother.

"I am very concerned about my brother's safety," he said. "They threatened to kill my brother the last two or three years – Zelaya and his buddies. He had a few attempts already on his life. But he is a fighter. He tells you what he thinks."

The new president of Honduras was always like that, his brother said.

"He was a troublemaker, but people loved him," he said. "I remember one time in school, he got into a fight. He kicked the guy's older brother, kicked five guys. I never saw anything like it. He is a fighter who will fight for you to the death."

He will do the same for Honduras - or the United States, Aldo Micheletti said.

"He loves the United States," he said. "He thinks it is the best system in the world. He does not want any changes to Honduras. He doesn't want it to wind up like Cuba or Venezuela."

Though now wary of Zelaya, Aldo Micheletti said his family and the ousted president were once close.

"We were all hopeful of Zelaya," he said. "My brother was a good friend. He came to my mother's funeral in June."

Aldo Micheletti said he came to Tampa in 1970 and has been here since. He said his brother came in 1973 and lived here until 1976, when he sold Haddad's and moved to New Orleans, where he opened another clothing store.

"The people were asking for him," he said. "They liked him, and he got into politics."

Aldo Micheletti said he has no plans to visit Honduras anytime soon.

"He is only going to be president for five months," he said. "He is going to turn over power to whoever wins the election."

Though the brothers haven't spoken in two years, Aldo Micheletti said he keeps tabs on his older sibling via his sister, Maria Elena.

"She said so far, he is fine," Micheletti said this afternoon. "I just talked to her an hour ago. She said the country is fine, people are doing business. People were so stressed out the last few weeks, but a weight has been lifted from their backs."

Micheletti has a message for his brother.

"I just want to tell him to hang in there," he said. "Hopefully things will turn out better. I pray for him. I am very concerned."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Tribune editor Howard Altman can be reached at (813) 259-7629.

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