ZELAYA RULES OUT US TALKS ("If Wash. wants to talk w/me, it should send a rep. here, to Ocotal")

[magbana]

Haven't seen this in the US press.
magbana

Zelaya Rules out Talks in USA

Constitutional President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya Ocotal, Nicaragua, Jul 27.- Honduran President Manuel Zelaya ruled out on Monday to travel to Washington to meet with US State Secretary Hillary Clinton, after demanding a firm stance by the United States against the coup leaders.


"If Washington wants to talk with me, it should send a representative here, to Ocotal," said Zelaya, who has been four days at the border between Nicaragua and Honduras in an effort to return to his country.

The president asserted that he has not thought of leaving the demonstrators alone, those who got to the border check point in Las Manos to support him and show their solidarity.

Zelaya considered that the United States should clarify its stance towards the usurpers of power in Honduras, after warning that Clinton is not using the term coup d'etat or taking any action against repression in his country.

Clinton should realize that this coup is being maintained there with the approval of many US rightwing circles in power, including several senators, said the president.

Honduran legal government Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas demanded that the US State Secretary established a significant difference between those who want peace and those who are causing violence.

"Those who are carrying rifles and those who are demonstrating peacefully can not be grouped on the same side," asserted Rodas in an answer to Clinton's statements that said Zelaya's decision to return to Honduras was bold and provocative.

If US State Secretary can not see this difference, then we are not talking about the same democracy or the same conflict, Rodas said.

The foreign minister is accompanying Zelaya in his effort to return to Honduras, from where both were forcibly taken out on June 28 by pro-coup military troops.(Prensa Latin)"
http://www.cadenagramonte.cubaweb.cu/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=691:zelaya-rules-out-talks-in-usa-&catid=3:world&Itemid=14

[Judi Lynn]

1. Looks as if he has made someone uncomfortable enough to make a token gesture, at any rate.

It will help they have suspended the visas to the U.S. for the Pinochettis.

[Peace Patriot]

2. I was thinking that yesterday, in the context of the discussion about Zelaya crossing

the border and continuing into Honduras at the risk of arrest. If he is arrested, he loses contact with media and the world, as to helping prevent a pogrom against his supporters. Similarly, if he goes to Washington, the supporters gathered at the border and others in the country will be more vulnerable. The coupsters probably won't outright shoot them, en masse, but they have begun to pick them off, individually, for kidnap, torture and death. They are no doubt planning to escalate and want to arrest large numbers of people for removal to some place secret for intimidation, imprisonment, torture and/or death. Zelaya's presence at the border is likely needed to fend off this slaughter.

[magbana]

4. And, that is why I so strongly challenged Giordano because he dissed

Zelaya for not barging forward. Yeah, straight into a jail cell or worse.

Incredible numbers of people coming through the mountains to get to the Zelaya encampment. At great risk.

[flamingdem]

5. Yes, he made a surprisingly dumb call on that, Giordano es muy macho or something nt

[flamingdem]

3. He said this yesterday when angry at Clinton for not inviting him to Washington officially

but that was before they cut off the four Visas for the golpistas.

I think he will become more positive shortly.

[magbana]

6. I agree with Downwinder -- it was the open letter to Obama that did it. It is . . .

Obama he should thank for the revocation of the visas. I'm sure a directive was communicated to State Dept. to start cleaning up this b.s.

[Downwinder]

7. Lets look from Obama's position.

If he gets on either side of what should be an internal affair, he is going to lose South American support. He has to maintain a hands off position.

It's up to the Honduran people, they have a very courageous and astute leader and First Lady.

[flamingdem]

9. I believe this was an ultra right attack, Cuban Americans etc., are out to disable Obama

and this was an attempt to entangle him in a chaos where they could paint him as a Chavista or weak.

In the end Hillary was probably trying to protect him.

[Downwinder]

10. They showed the ineptness as at The Bay of Pigs.

[flamingdem]

11. True! And they'll be angry snakes after this, to Hialeah with the lot of 'em nt

[flamingdem]

8. I agree. Obama knows what's up. He needs straighten out Hillary pronto. nt