Fresh protests break out in Honduras

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Xinhua

Fresh protests break out in Honduras
2009-07-23 11:04:24

TEGUCIGALPA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Fresh protests broke out Wednesday in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, as the deposed Honduran president Manuel Zelaya and the de facto government started a new round of mediation talk in Costa Rica.

A clash was reported between high school students and the police in the Kennedy district, the most populated area of the capital city.

Witnesses said a group of riot police tried to expel the students who were staging a peaceful pro-Zelaya demonstration.

Also on Wednesday, Zelaya's supporters rallied in different places of Tegucigalpa for a massive protest.

Some 200 women protestors gathered in front of the U.S. embassy, demanding "less talking and more action at the international field against this coup."

People also marked an artistic and cultural day at the Autonomous National University of Tegucigalpa to show support to the deposed leader.



Read more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/23/content_11758193.htm

[Judi Lynn]

1. Thousands march in Honduras as impasse hardens

Thousands march in Honduras as impasse hardens
Irish Sun
Thursday 23rd July, 2009
(IANS)

The impasse over Honduras' political future hardened further Wednesday as thousands of supporters of the de-facto government marched through the streets.

They answered the call of Roberto Micheletti, declared head of the de-facto government after President Manuel Zelaya was ousted and exiled June 28, by Congress, the Supreme Court and the military.

Mediation overtures by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias have come to a standstill as Micheletti and Zelaya hurled mutual verbal attacks at each other and vowed that they would not share power in a reconciliation government, as Arias has proposed.

Although the Organisation of American States (OAS) has suspended Honduras' membership until Zelaya, the democratically elected leader, is restored, cracks started forming in the alliance as countries chose sides.

Micheletti's de-facto foreign minister, Carlos Lopez Contreras, declared that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has expressed his 'affection' for the conservative Micheletti government.

Lopez declared that Colombia is a friend because, like Honduras, Colombia is a victim of 'common external aggressors such as (Venezuelan President) Hugo Chavez'.

More:
http://story.irishsun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/2411cd3571b4f088/id/522262/cs/1/

[cal04]

2. Return of ousted Honduras president Manuel Zelaya 'impossible'

Article from: Agence France-Presse
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25824087-12377,00.html

THE interim foreign minister of Honduras rapidly extinguished hopes of a last ditch deal to resolve the deep crisis there, insisting that ousted President Manuel Zelaya could not return.

Shortly beforehand, crisis mediator and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias proposed that Mr Zelaya return Friday, in an expansion of a first plan already rejected by the de facto leaders who backed the army's expulsion of the Honduran leader on June 28.

"The return of Mr Zelaya as president ... impossible," interim foreign minister Carlos Lopez Contreras said on CNN's Spanish edition in Costa Rica.

Everything else was up for negotiation, he added.

De facto leader Roberto Micheletti said in Honduras that he would withhold comment until the negotiators returned from Costa Rica.




Honduras in crisis as talks fail
(UKPA) – 7 minutes ago
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jdYXpqtMbjPWj-Erx8MWuxRPPDWA

Talks on resolving the Honduran political crisis appear headed for failure after the interim government indicated it would reject a mediator's final proposal for returning ousted President Manuel Zelaya to power.

Mr Zelaya, who is in neighbouring Nicaragua, declared the mediation effort a failure and vowed to return to Honduras on Friday without an agreement. He said he would travel to northern Nicaragua on Thursday and try to cross the border by land the next day accompanied by his wife and children.

"The coup leaders are totally refusing my reinstatement," Mr Zelaya said during a brief news conference in the Nicaraguan capital Managua. "By refusing to sign, (the talks) have failed."

[Judi Lynn]

7. Zelaya's followers block Honduras' border paths prior to his return

Zelaya's followers block Honduras' border paths prior to his return
2009-07-24 06:50:56

TEGUCIGALPA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Followers of ousted Honduras President Manuel Zelaya on Thursday blocked the main paths of the country and entrances to public institutions.

Juan Barahona, president of local Workers' Unitary Federation (UFT) told Xinhua that since early morning Thursday, protesters hadclosed the country's access to the North.

Ambrosio Ord ez, interim traffic vice minister, confirmed on Thursday that the exits of Santa Rosa de Copan in the northwest, San Pedro Sula in the north, Santa Barbara in the west, Tocoa in the Atlantic and Danli in the east were all blocked.

Syndicate members from different governmental dependencies haven taken over the entrance to the Honduran Institute of Social Security, one of the main public hospitals of the country.

Zelaya's supporters have formed a "People's Resistance" movement to demand the deposed president's return to power.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/24/content_11762524.htm

[David__77]

3. I hope the military and police have enough patriots who will revolt.

They should arrest their coup supporting officers and protect the people! There should be no one bit of forgiveness or amnesty for these people!

[IDFbunny]

4. No more bloodshed

I would hope that an agreement is made were Zelaya can come back and all is forgiven, and everybody can go forward again with elections in November. Retaliation and revenge should be forsworn otherwise this gets worse.

[David__77]

5. I don't want bloodshed either, but I do want the coup to be crushed.

The best outcome would be like what happened in East Germany in 1989 - no bloodshed, but the utter collapse of the state authority, and no amnesty.

The constitutional discontinuity was caused not be Zelaya but by the coup authorities. There should be an election on whether or not to hold elections to a constituent assembly to devise a new law for the country. The people can decide.

[IDFbunny]

6. The coup authorities are

Micheleti, the supreme court, and every congress person voting for Zelaya's removal (which I think was all of them including his own party). You propose hanging the entire congress, supreme court judges, and all the officers for treason? That's the entire government.

I still hope of a peaceful solution where things can go back to the way they were before this really gets ugly. Zelaya especially should forswear retaliation against the entire government if reinstated. The government should drop the charges, quash the arrest warrant.

[David__77]

8. I don't believe they have a death penalty.

I think that the they should face consequences, including deprivation of political rights certainly at a minimum. And the officers corps should be cleaned out.

A peaceful, just solution would be ideal. But the just part is key.