The dictatorship in Honduras, which overthrew the elected government of Manuel Zelaya in a military coup on June 28, has stepped up its reign of terror.

A state of siege remains in place. The most recent targets of the repression have Radio Globo and Channel 36 -- the two main media outlets opposing the coup and giving the mass resistance movement in the Central American nation a voice.

The continual repression has affected the size of anti-coup protests.

However, the ongoing resistance has caused further cracks to open within the pro-coup forces as support for the resistance spreads.

The fifth Summit of the Americas was held over April 17-19 in Trinidad and Tobago, bringing together representatives from all countries of the Americas except Cuba.

A far cry from the first of its kind, convened by the U.S. in 1994, it revealed how much has changed in the hemisphere.

The region is now marked by the dispute between a push for greater independence from U.S. economic and political power (which includes a revolutionary, anti-capitalist bloc) and U.S. imperialism.

The latter is trying to undergo a facelift, led by President Barack Obama, to repair the damage done to U.S. regional relations by the actions of the previous Bush administration.

Having captured the imagination of progressives across the globe with scenes of indigenous uprisings confronting right-wing governments and multinationals, Bolivia has become a key focus point of discussion within the left regarding strategies for change.

However, starry-eyed notions and schemas rather than reality have often influenced the views of left commentators on the revolutionary process unfolding in South America's poorest nation.

At the centre of this debate is the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), led by indigenous President Evo Morales, and its strategy for refounding Bolivia.

After three years of the Morales government it is possible to draw some tentative conclusions about this social experiment.

"Bolivia is on the verge of exploding," Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned on April 21.

Speaking on the eve of an extraordinary summit of the Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas (ALBA) that was partly called to discuss the situation in Bolivia, Chavez stated that the landlocked Andean country was "once again under fire âe" for daring to dream of retaking the path of dignity, liberty and real independence."

"The empire wants to put a brake on the integration of South America," Chavez said, arguing that Bolivia has been chosen as its immediate target.