Zelaya restitution, result of popular struggle

Venezuela: Restoration of constitutional order in Honduras and restitution of President Manuel Zelaya will be the result of the long people’s anti-coup resistance, Presidential Spokesman Rasel Tome said on Friday.

In remarks to Prensa Latina by phone, Tome also highlighted the role of Latin American people’s solidarity and the widespread condemnation of the coup of June 28. Tome, a Zelaya’s aide and also a leader of the Liberal Party’s anti-coup trend, declared himself moderately optimistic about the likelihood of reaching a negotiated solution to the crisis triggered by the coup.

According to the latest reports, representatives of Zelaya and of the de facto President Roberto Micheletti have signed an eight-point agreement that paves the way to the former’s conditional return to his post. The parties started talks on October 7, sponsored by the Organization of American States, but eight days ago they reached stalemate in the point regarding Zelaya’s restitution until its signing.

The agreement leaves the decision to reinstate Zelaya on Congressional hands after consulting the Supreme Court of Justice, which approved his overthrow in late August. Tome said that with this agreement one of the thorniest issues of the negotiation based on the so-called San Jose Agreement, proposed by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, is solved. He announced the start of a popular mobilization in all the country’s department to urge Congress to rectify the mistake made by the majority by stripping Zelaya of the presidency and promoting Micheletti to the post.

He said that most Congress incumbents aspire to re-election and want electoral results to be recognized by the international community, which made the polls conditional on the restoration of democracy.

Tegucigalpa, Prensa Latina