TEGUCIGALPA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of supporters of Manuel Zelaya on Thursday continued to protest the military coup that ousted the president and drew worldwide condemnation.

A pro-Zelaya protestor rallies in front of the UN Bureau to Honduras in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, July 2, 2009. (Xinhua/David De La Paz) Photo Gallery>>>

    Meanwhile, an explosion was heard late Thursday near the Tegucigalpa airport. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

    Zelaya's supporters demanded that the interim government led by Roberto Michelleti return power to the deposed president. Some of the supporters clashed with the military.

    Micheletti supporters also took to the streets and accused the international community and neighboring Latin American countries of "unfair" condemnation of the coup and sanctions against Honduras.

    The protesters demanded that the international community stop interfering in their domestic affairs and voiced opposition to Zelaya's plan for returning to Honduras this weekend.

Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya waves to the supporters upon his arrival in San Salvador, capital of EL Salvador, July 2, 2009. (Xinhua/Oscar rivera) Photo Gallery>>>

    Zelaya was forced onto a plane and sent to Costa Rica by the military early Sunday. That action came after a referendum scheduled for the same day on changing the country's constitution put Zelaya at odds with the military, the courts and the legislature.

    Meanwhile, the situation in commercial areas of central Tegucigalpa largely returned to normal Thursday. A few automobiles could be seen on the streets, but traffic was constantly disturbed by protesters distributing political leaflets.

    Heavily armed soldiers patroled the capital city in military trucks and Red Cross ambulances were at the ready in case of any violence.

    Bank operations in the city's financial areas remained normal, though security forces were beefed up.

    Supplies in the city's largest supermarket La Colonia were reduced but orders remained normal, store workers said.

    At the same time, ousted President Zelaya arrived in El Salvador late Thursday after attending the inauguration of Panama's new president Ricardo Martinelli in Panama City.

    Zelaya said Thursday that Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and Guatemalan Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchu have been invited to join him when he returns to Honduras this weekend.

    That sets up a potentially explosive conflict with local officials who have vowed to have Zelaya arrested on charges ranging from corruption to treason.

Honduran interim government says open to early election

    TEGUCIGALPA\PANAMA CITY, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Honduran interim government Thursday said it was open to an early election to resolve the country's political crisis, while ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya insisted he had no fear of returning home.

    Roberto Micheletti, Hondura's interim president, told reporters that as long as it was within the law, he would have no objections to bringing forward a Nov. 29 presidential election in an effort to resolve the country's political problem caused by the ouster of Zelaya. Full story

L American congress leaders to accompany Zelaya back to Honduras

Supporters of Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya stage a rally in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, July 1, 2009. Honduras' President Zelaya said he will postpone his return to Honduras 72 hours to the weekend, instead of Thursday, as originally planned. (Xinhua/David De La Paz) Photo Gallery>>>

    QUITO, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The heads of nine Latin American legislatures promised to accompany ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya back to his country, Ecuadorian congress leader said Thursday.  Full story

Honduras interim gov't declines to negotiate with OAS

    TEGUCIGALPA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Honduras' post-coup government will not negotiate with the OAS and allow ousted President Manuel Zelaya to return to office, the interim government said Wednesday. 

    "Anyone who has violated the law cannot be reinstated," the newly-appointed foreign minister Enrique Ortez Colindrez told the media.

    "Honduras' sovereignty cannot be negotiated with the Organization of American States (OAS), nor with anyone," said the minister, who was named by the acting president Roberto Micheletti immediately after the coup.  Full story

Interim Honduran president accuses Venezuela of intervening affairs

    TEGUCIGALPA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Interim Honduran President Roberto Micheletti Wednesday accused Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez of intervening Honduras' affairs.

    "The intervention of the government of Hugo Chavez is clear and definite in the situation that Honduras is experiencing," Micheletti said.   Full story

Honduras president postpones return home after OAS ultimatum

The ousted President of Honduras Manuel Zelaya speaks during a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, June 30, 2009. Manuel Zelaya expressed his gratitude toward the international community and tearfully described the last moments in his home country before being thrown onto a plane and whisked away. (Xinhua/Gu Xinrong) Photo Gallery>>>

     WASHINGTON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said here on Wednesday that he would postpone his plan to return home after the Organization of American States (OAS) gave the country an ultimatum to restore him to power.  Full story

Coup-deposed Honduran president vows to return despite arrest warrant

    TEGUCIGALPA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Tuesday vowed to return to the country despite an arrest threat that could put him in jail for 20 years.

    Zelaya has won wide international supports, and he will make a high-profile comeback flanked by the president of the UN General Assembly, the secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS) and presidents of Argentina and Ecuador on a flight to Honduras on Thursday.   Full story

General Assembly condemns military coup in Honduras

    UNITED NATIONS, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution to condemn the military coup in Honduras and demand the immediate restoration of the government of ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

    The resolution also asked all the countries not to recognize the military regime that took power by force.  Full story

Backgrounder: key facts about Republic of Honduras