Nicaragua, El Salvador close borders with Honduras

[Judi Lynn]

Nicaragua, El Salvador close borders with Honduras
2009-11-29 06:06:21

TEGUCIGALPA, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Nicaragua and El Salvador closed on Saturday their customs posts on the Honduras border and will open them again on Monday to avoid any possible incidents linked to Honduras' Sunday elections, Honduras police officers said.

Nicaragua sealed its El Espino, Guasaule and Las Manos border posts beginning at 6 a.m. local time (1200 GMT), police spokesman Orlin Cerrato told media. El Salvador will do the same thing at noon local time (1800 GMT), he added.

At the same press conference, Rene Maradiaga Panchame, the head of the National Police's General Directorate of Special Investigations, said that Nicaragua had taken the measure "to avoid any possible problems or speculation."

Roberto Micheletti, who became Honduras' president after the June 28 coup, responded to the news by blaming Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez accusing him of trying to apply boycotts to Hondurans "right to be free."

Hondurans are going to the polls amid a crisis that has seen the nation pushed out of the Organization of American States. Only three nations recognize the elections as they are currently configured: the United Sates and its close allies Colombia and Panama.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/29/content_12557398.htm