CRISIS IN HONDURAS
Honduran
Crisis In Deadlock As
Post-Coup Government Unwilling To Reinstate
Ousted President
Tegucigalpa - The ongoing
political crisis in Honduras has reached an
impasse as the post-coup government is
unwilling to accept the mediation of the
Organization of American States (OAS) to
reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya.
OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza,
who arrived here on Friday to mediate for
the reinstatement of Zelaya, was quoted by
local media on Friday evening as saying that
Honduras' interim government did not want to
restore the ousted president.
"Unfortunately ... the conditions are not
there for Zelaya's return," Insulza told a
news conference after talks with officials
in the country, adding the OAS would
continue to recognize Zelaya.
The OAS does not officially recognize the
post-coup government and has given Honduras
until Saturday noon to reinstate Zelaya or
face expulsion.
Insulza told the news conference that the
OAS would decide on Saturday whether to
suspend Honduras' membership from the
regional organization.
The OAS chief said he would immediately
recommend the suspension of Honduras from
the regional group due to its post-coup
rulers' refusal to reinstate Zelaya.
Earlier on Friday, Enrique Ortez Colindres,
the foreign minister of the post-coup
government, told media that the government
would not negotiate with the OAS.
"We have a very firm position that we do not
negotiate Honduras' sovereignty," Ortez
said.
Ortez said Insulza had implicitly recognized
the government by visiting the nation.
"From the moment he arrived in Honduras, he
was already speaking to the Honduras
government and this servant of the
government," said Ortez.
"The world knows Insulza is in Honduras and
under the protection of Roberto Micheletti's
government," he added.
Micheletti took power on Sunday just hours
after Zelaya was seized from his bed by
hundreds of heavily armed soldiers and
forced to board a plane to Costa Rica.
Ortez on Friday repeated that Micheletti
would not be willing to step down.
The Micheletti government has also said that
previously scheduled elections will go ahead
on Nov. 29 and that Micheletti will hand
over power to a new president on Jan. 27.
Meanwhile, according to earlier reports,
Zelaya left El Salvador Friday night after a
short visit there.
Zelaya, who arrived in El Salvador 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.
Earlier on Friday, Zelaya spoke to
Salvadorian broadcaster Radio Cadena Mi
Gente, calling on Hondurans not to allow
themselves to be defeated by the armed
forces and what he called "a few
power-hungry politicians."
Zelaya is planning to return to Honduras
this weekend, a week after he was forced
into exile to Costa Rica.
Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa said
Friday that he was ready to accompany Zelaya
to return to Tegucigalpa this weekend.
However, Micheletti has said that Zelaya
should not return to the country, saying
that "There is nothing to negotiate, there
is a new government in power and he should
respect."
The United Nations, EU, OAS and many foreign
government leaders have condemned the
military uprising and refused to recognize
Micheletti's government.
In addition, Honduras' neighbors halted
cross-border trade for several days and the
Central American Bank for Economic
Integration stopped disbursements of any new
loans to the Micheletti government.
On Friday, the U.S. embassy in Honduras also
called on political forces in the country to
resolve the current crisis through peaceful
dialogue.
"We call on all political and social groups
to use dialogue to lift Honduras out of the
constitutional crisis in which it currently
finds itself, using peaceful, balanced and
democratic means within the rule of law and
without recourse of violence," the embassy
said in a statement.
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