Honduras under curfew as ousted president returns
Ousted President Manuel Zelaya sneaked back into Honduras on Monday
almost three months after he was toppled in a coup, and took refuge in
the Brazilian embassy to avoid arrest by the de facto government.
The move forced de facto leaders in Honduras to impose a 15-hour
curfew according to an official announcement on local media.
Soldiers try to block crowds of supporters from greeting Manuel
Zelaya at the border with Nicaragua. He steps into Honduras at
least briefly despite being threatened with arrest. |
A national march against the coup in Honduras kicked off
Wednesday, with demonstrators leaving from every corner of the
country and marching up to 15 hours a day to demonstrate their
support for the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya. |
"Due to events which have occurred in past hours, there will be a
curfew across the country from 4:00 pm (5:00 pm ET) Monday to 7:00 am
(8:00 am ET) on Tuesday", a presidential spokesman said in the
announcement.
Zelaya's ouster on June 28 in a dispute over presidential term limits
plunged Honduras into its worst political conflict in decades, and was
condemned by US President Barack Obama, the European Union and Latin
American Governments.
Zelaya had been in exile mostly in Nicaragua while a de facto
Government that backed the coup against him became more entrenched in
office, defying international calls to allow the leftist president to
return.
But his sudden appearance in Honduras on Monday increased pressure on
the country's ruler Roberto Micheletti to cede power and increased the
chance of violent protests or a standoff at the embassy.
"I am the legitimate president chosen by the people and that is why I
came here", Zelaya told Reuters by telephone from inside the Brazilian
embassy.
Several thousand Zelaya supporters gathered outside while a military
helicopter clattered overhead and a small group of police stood some 100
meters away. The United States called for restraint in Honduras, one of
the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere and a staunch U.S. ally
during Cold War conflicts in Central America.
Micheletti, a conservative, wants Zelaya arrested on charges of
corruption and trying to change the constitution, but the president was
defiant.
"I still haven't known fear in my 57 years", he said.
Soldiers toppled Zelaya and sent him into exile after he upset
Congress, the military and conservative opponents, who accused him of
wanting to change the constitution to allow presidents to seek
reelection. Honduran business leaders also distrusted his alliance with
Venezuela's socialist president, Hugo Chavez Zelaya was due to leave
office in January after elections in November but denied he was seeking
to extend his rule.
US urges restraint
The move forced de facto leaders in Honduras to impose a 15-hour
curfew |
Obama has cut aid to Honduras since the coup and pushed for Zelaya's
return but refused Zelaya's demands for tougher sanctions against the
coup leaders. His administration called on all sides to remain calm
following Zelaya's return. "At this point, all I can say is reiterate
our almost daily call on both sides to exercise restraint and refrain
from, any activities that could provoke violence", said State Department
spokesman Ian Kelly.
Latin American leftist Governments have accused the US administration
of not doing enough to force Zelaya's return to power.
Micheletti, whose Government is not recognized internationally,
earlier on Monday vowed to have Zelaya detained.
"The moment that we know he has entered the country we are going to
go ahead with his arrest. We have search and capture teams to carry out
his arrest", Micheletti told Reuters before news broke that Zelaya had
taken refuge in the embassy. His Government later imposed a night-time
curfew across the country 'to conserve calm'.
Honduras is a major coffee producer but exports so far have not been
affected by the crisis.
In New York, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said he was
hopeful Zelaya's return could start a new stage in negotiations to end
the Honduran crisis. The head of the Organization of American States,
Jose Miguel Insulza, said Honduras' de facto rulers 'should be
responsible for the safety of President Zelaya and the Brazilian
embassy'.
It was not clear if Brazil's Government knew of Zelaya's plan to take
refuge at the embassy before he arrived.
Gustavo Palencia and Edgar Garrido, Reuters |