HONDURAS was isolated last night as the international community lined up to denounce a coup which ousted its president, Manuel Zelaya.
Latin America, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union piled diplomatic pressure on the new government to quit just a day after the Honduran army seized the president in his pyjamas and bustled him into exile.
The capital Tegucigalpa remained tense, with soldiers and armoured vehicles surrounding the presidential palace but making no effort to clear nearby barricades manned by about 200 pro-Zelaya protesters.
The left-wing leader was ousted early on Sunday in a joint move by the army, judiciary, congress and disaffected members of his own party. The architects of central America’s first military overthrow in 16 years said it was a necessary and legitimate action to remove a power-hungry president who had broken the constitution.
Congress swore in its speaker Roberto Micheletti as the new interim president. He urged the international community to respect Honduran sovereignty and said he would step down after presidential elections in November.
“We respect everybody and we only ask that they respect us and leave us in peace because the country is headed toward free and transparent general elections. I’m sure that 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the Honduran population is happy with what happened today.” He said outsiders had no right to interfere. “Nobody scares us.” Mr Zelaya met left-wing allies at an emergency summit in neighbouring Nicaragua.
The summit depicted his downfall as a plot by right-wing elites to row back socialism in the region.
Factfile:
The Central American country borders El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
It was home to Mayan culture in the fourth century.
It was named by Columbus (The word Honduras means "depths").
Won independence from Spain in 1840.
Capital is Tegucigalpa.
Currency lempira.
Population stands at 7.8 million.
Languages Spanish/local dialects.
Life expectancy is 69.4 years.
Infant mortality is 24/1,000 of live births.
Adult HIV rate is 0.7 per cent.
Adult literacy is 80 per cent.