ZELAYA states the obvious -- Army rulers aim to kill him

[magbana]

Zelaya states the obvious -- army rulers aim to kill him
Posted by: "Fred Feldman" [e-mail]
Wed Jul 22, 2009 7:08 am (PDT)


Honduras' Zelaya says he faces assassination by coup leader
+ - 15:42, July 22, 2009

Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya said on Tuesday that he has
the risk of being assassinated by coup leader upon his return.

Zelaya, who was whisked out of Honduras during a military coup on
June 28, accused Romeo Vasquez Velasquez, head of Honduras' armed
forces, of plotting a murder against him.

Romeo Vasquez said after the coup that Zelaya was exiled to avoid
"deaths and injuries," noting that arresting Zelaya "could have
caused deaths and injuries" if his supporters had tried to free him..

"I believe they have the intention to do it. They are hiring armed
groups. He (Vasquez) has clearly said that he will have me killed
before my return or after I enter Honduras," Honduras' Radio Globo
reported, quoting Zelaya who was forced into exile in Nicaragua.

Rejecting reconciliation with Zelaya, the interim government leader
Roberto Micheletti had threatened to arrest the deposed president
once he set foot on the Honduran soil.

"If Romeo does not kill me, I will go to my town to visit my family,
and any direct harm will be the responsibility of General Romeo,"
said Zelaya.

Zelaya has said he will return to Honduras within a few days if Costa
Rican President Oscar Arias fails to help reach an agreement between
the rival sides.

Zelaya's previous attempt to fly home on July 5 in a Venezuelan
aircraft was thwarted by Honduran troops, who blocked the runways in
Tegucigalpa, capital of the Central American nation.

"They would dare to do that ... to place a sniper and say that the
rebel groups did it. We foresee all these possible consequences,"
Zelaya said.

Zelaya repeated his plan to return to Honduras but did not give a
specific date or itinerary.

A new round of negotiations aiming to solve the Honduras crisis ended
in a stalemate Sunday as both sides failed to reach agreement on
Zelaya's return, a key issue of any compromise plan.

Both sides agreed to resume talks on Wednesday.

In Honduras, most people are waiting earnestly for the result of the
negotiations as fears of the country's possible return to its
war-plagued past spread and the political crisis' impact on the
economy becomes evident.

Source: Xinhua

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/6707261.html