Obama Called Negrito "Little Negro"

July 8. 2009

President Barack Obama was singled out for more criticism again today, in the unlawful ouster of the President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, when many world leaders condemned the illegal coup. He was called a "Negrito" on TV, meaning little Negro, by interim foreign minister, Enrique Ortez, which drew the ire of the U.S. ambassador. The Honduran ambassador has since apologized.

Dude, why did you have to call him "Negrito" - why not "big ears" like everyone else. Seriously, why go racial and why pretend he is the only one that said something, when heads of state all over the world, were lining up to denounce the ouster, because at the end of the day, it is not civil being chucked out of office in that manner and it is downright dangerous.  

Embassy Row

Thursday, July 9, 2009

INSULT IN HONDURAS

After an international censure over a military coup, the last thing Honduras needed was for its interim foreign minister to utter a racial insult against President Obama.

Enrique Ortez scrambled Tuesday to issue a written apology to Mr. Obama, hours after U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens blasted the foreign minister publicly for remarks made after the June 28 coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

Mr. Ortez, in a television interview in Honduras, called Mr. Obama "a little black man who does not know anything." In Spanish, he used the word, "negrito," which is considered a racial slur.

Mr. Llorens on Tuesday denounced Mr. Ortez in language that cast aside diplomatic niceties.

"As the official and personal representative of the president of the United States of America, I convey my deep outrage about the unfortunate, disrespectful and racially insensitive comment by Mr. Enrique Ortez about President Barack Obama," he said in a statement the U.S. Embassy released to reporters in Honduras.

"These comments are deeply outrageous for the American people and for me personally."

Later that day, Mr. Ortez told reporters that he had sent a letter of apology to Mr. Obama. He said the letter expressed his "most profound apologies for an unfortunate comment."

Mr. Ortez added that he made the remark before he was appointed foreign minister of the interim government but after Mr. Obama had denounced the coup.

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