TEGUCIGALPA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Jose Miguel Insulza,
secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS), arrived in the
Honduran capital around Friday noon, in an attempt to help resolve the political
crisis in the country following the Sunday coup that ousted President Manuel
Zelaya.
The OAS chief arrived by a Brazilian Air Force
aircraft at Hernan Acosta Mejia Military Base in Tegucigalpa at about 12:50 p.m.
local time (1850 GMT). He is expected to meet with officials and representatives
from Honduras' court, parliament, government and unions, seeking the
reinstatement of President Zelaya.
Through these meetings, Insulza will try to find out
what has taken place in the nation since Zelaya was seized at his residence in
the early hours of Sunday by hooded and heavily-armed soldiers, who then forced
him to board a plane to Costa Rica.
A group of 20 police accompanied by prosecutors were
also waiting at the base to arrest Zelaya, in case he came with the OAS chief.
Officials from the post-coup government accuse Zelaya of abuse of power, treason
and usurpation of functions.
Insulza's first meeting was with Supreme Court
officials, who had barred Zelaya from holding a non-binding referendum on
altering Honduras' constitution. Zelaya's forced exile came just hours before
the nation was due to hold the referendum, in defiance of the Supreme Court's
instructions.
On Tuesday, the OAS gave Honduras' post-coup
government 72 hours to restore Zelaya or face expulsion from the regional body.
The nation currently has less than 16 hours to comply.
Insulza will return to the OAS' Washington
headquarters later on Friday and will host an emergency meeting with OAS
officials on Saturday, the day when the ultimatum expires.
Also arriving in Honduras for the same purpose was
Guatemala's Rigoberta Menchu, winner of 1992's Nobel Peace Prize.
Ecuadoran president ready to accompany
Zelaya back to Honduras
QUITO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa said Friday that he
is ready to accompany Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya to return to
Tegucigalpa this weekend.
"It was an invitation from Honduras' President Manuel
Zelaya," Correa said in a radio interview, adding that "the Honduras
dictatorship has its hours numbered." Full story
Honduras' Zelaya leaves El Salvador
after brief visit
MEXICO CITY,
July 3 (Xinhua) -- Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted on Sunday from Honduras'
presidency, left El Salvador Friday night after a whistle-stop visit, according
to news reaching here.
Zelaya, who arrived from Panama, met briefly with El
Salvador's President Mauricio Funes and left on a private plane, Salvadorian
presidency communication minister David Rivas said, without specifying where
Zelaya went.Full story
Supporters of Zelaya, interim
government continue protests in Honduras
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.
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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. Full Story
L American congress leaders to
accompany Zelaya back to
Honduras
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.
Fernando Cordero said he would seek to "accompany
President Zelaya" on his return, together with eight other legislature leaders
from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, the Andean Parliament
and the Latin American Parliament. Full Story
Neighbors trade embargo on Honduras
ends
TEGUCIGALPA, July 2
(Xinhua) -- The 48-hour trade embargo imposed by Honduras' three neighbors in
response to a military coup came to an end on Thursday, with a cost to the
nation worth 16 million U.S. dollars.
El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua had all halted trade
with Honduras after Sunday's military coup against President Manuel Zelaya. Full story
Honduras' UN ambassador does not
recognize new gov't
TEGUCIGALPA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Honduras' ambassador to the United Nations,
Jorge Arturo Reina, on Thursday told a radio station here that he does not
recognize Roberto Micheletti's government, which came to power via a Sunday
coup.
"I do not abide by it, by whatever name it may be called,
because I do not recognize the legal legitimacy of those who have sent it," he
said of a letter firing him sent by the Micheletti government, which took office
on Sunday just hours after soldiers seized President Manuel Zelaya and forced
him to board a plane to Costa Rica. 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. 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
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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
