Honduras' Micheletti backs off Brazil deadline

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - De facto Honduran leader Roberto Micheletti on Wednesday backed away from a deadline set for Brazil to decide on the fate of ousted leader Manuel Zelaya, who has been holed up at the Brazilian embassy for more than a week after sneaking back from exile.

Zelaya, who antagonized conservative elites and business leaders with his ties to Venezuela's socialist government, was overthrown by the army in June, triggering Central America's worst political crisis in years.

The de facto government gave Brazil a 10-day deadline last week to decide whether to hand over Zelaya to face treason charges or grant him asylum. Troops have ringed the mission for the past week and the government threatened to close the embassy if Brazil did not comply.

Micheletti has come under increasing pressure from the international community and even local supporters to resolve the crisis and lift an emergency decree that suspended civil liberties and shut two media outlets loyal to Zelaya.

Micheletti's foreign minister had said Brazil would lose its diplomatic mission if there was no resolution. But Micheletti backed away from the ultimatum, telling Reuters in an interview he had not been consulted before the announcement


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5900YJ20091001

[L. Coyote]

1. Micheletti "had not been consulted before the announcement"

Micheletti backed away from the ultimatum, telling Reuters in an interview he had not been consulted before the announcement ....

Okay, next question: "Who is the dictator behind the dictator?" Will the real General please stand up!

[L. Coyote]

2. Nicaraguan FM at UN: "there are plans to assassinate Mr. Zelaya"

Nicaraguan FM Addresses Honduran Political Crisis at UN
http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2009/october/01/ca03.htm


UN - Nicaragua's foreign minister, Samuel Santos Lopez, has addressed the political crisis in neighboring Honduras, condemning the removal of President Manuel Zelaya and expressing unconditional support for the deposed government.

Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lopez urged the U.N. body to be aware that there are plans to assassinate Mr. Zelaya. He did not elaborate on the alleged plots.

The foreign minister vowed not to recognize the results of what he called "any electoral farce" in Honduras. He called for the establishment of real democracy in the Central American nation.

........

[L. Coyote]

3. Costa Rica's Arias Warns Honduran Elections Won't Be Recognized Under Interim Government

Costa Rica's Arias Warns Honduran Elections Won't Be Recognized Under Interim Government
By Jennifer Kay, AP - http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2009/october/01/cr04.htm


CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Costa Rica's President Oscar Arias on Tuesday commended the interim president of Honduras for saying he will reverse an emergency decree suspending civil liberties in Honduras.

But he warned that the results of the upcoming Nov. 29 presidential election in Honduras would not be internationally recognized if it is held while interim President Robert Micheletti's government is in charge.

Arias said Micheletti's government "has not moved an inch" in negotiations to return ousted President Manuel Zelaya with limited authority.

He called the June 28 coup that propelled Micheletti to power a "dramatic, historical backward step" that needs to be corrected through free and transparent elections under Zelaya's government.

"It's the assurance of the continuity of democracy in Latin America," Arias said. "The cost of failure of leaving a coup d'etat unpunished is setting up a bad precedent for the region."

Arias spoke at the Americas Conference ..........

[L. Coyote]

4. Advance Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS) is to arrive in Tegucigalpa

http://media-newswire.com/release_1101086.html


(Media-Newswire.com) - An Advance Mission of the Organization of American States ( OAS ) is to arrive in Tegucigalpa this Friday, October 2, with the goal of paving the way for the visit of a Delegation of Foreign Ministers and the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, which would arrive in Honduras next week.

The Advance Mission will be headed by Víctor Rico, OAS Secretary of Political Affairs, and will be made up of a group of high-level officials of the Organization who will be joined in Tegucigalpa by John Biehl, Advisor to the Secretary General and Head of the OAS Office in Uruguay.

[L. Coyote]

5. UN rights council condemns abuses in Honduras coup (AP)

UN rights council condemns abuses in Honduras coup
(AP) – 37 minutes ago - http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jrS3qbttP9AUG_f3XZ770NtEDiuQD9B2CNCO2


GENEVA — The U.N. top rights body is condemning abuses following the June 28 coup in Honduras.

The 47-nation U.N. Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed Thursday a proposal by Latin American countries, including Cuba, calling for an immediate end to all human rights violations.

The Geneva-based council, of which the United States is a member, also called for the restoration of the ousted government of President Manuel Zelaya.

Honduras' interim leaders suspended some civil liberties Sunday and empowered police and soldiers to break up unauthorized public meetings, arrest people without warrants and restrict the news media ...

[David__77]

6. No surprise.

What were they going to invade it? I don't think so.