LATIN AMERICAN dignitaries, possibly including Argentina’s president, Cristina Kirchner, are expected to accompany Manuel Zelaya in a dramatic return to Honduras tomorrow to try to reverse a military coup which ousted him from power.
The toppled president hopes a tide of international support will help him to face down the army generals, supreme court judges and political rivals who bundled him into exile on Sunday.
An uncertain greeting awaits him. Clashes between security forces and pro-Zelaya protesters in the capital, Tegucigalpa, have left dozens injured and the new government has threatened to arrest Mr Zelaya on sight.
“I am going to Tegucigalpa on Thursday. The president elected by the people is coming,” the left-wing leader said at an emergency summit of regional allies in Nicaragua. “If they send troops to repress demonstrations or to kill me, then let them try before the eyes of the world.”
José Miguel Insulza, secretary general of the pan-regional Organisation of American States (OAS), agreed to accompany Mr Zelaya.
Reports from Buenos Aires said Mrs Kirchner, one of South America’s highest-profile presidents, would also join him. Her office did not immediately reply to requests seeking confirmation.
Before the coup, Mr Zelaya (57), an ally of Venezuela’s socialist president, Hugo Chávez, had cool relations with Washington and a low international profile. Honduras, an impoverished country of seven million, exports coffee and bananas but has little economic clout. The international community – including the US – swiftly rallied to Mr Zelaya as the victim of an illegal overthrow that evoked grim memories of central America’s cold war-era upheavals.
The UN general assembly yesterday condemned the coup and demanded Mr Zelaya’s return to power. He was due to address the assembly yesterday before an OAS meeting in Washington.
Several Latin American countries have suspended trade with Honduras and the World Bank has “paused” lending, piling further pressure on the isolated government in Tegucigalpa to back down. The strongest language has come from Mr Chávez, who urged Hondurans to rebel and reinstate his ally.
The capital remained tense after three days of clashes between security forces and protesters. At least two dozen people were reported to have been arrested. The authorities have shut down several TV and radio stations and those that remain on air have ignored the crisis.
The new government said no coup had taken place and Mr Zelaya had been constitutionally removed by the army with congressional and supreme court support.
Congress swore in its speaker, Roberto Micheletti, as interim president. He urged the international community to respect Honduran sovereignty and said he would step down after presidential elections in November. The newly appointed foreign minister, Enrique Ortez, said Mr Zelaya might not be arrested if he made no attempt to regain power. “He can come in, but only if he leaves his presidency behind him.” – (Guardian service)