Military ordered to turn back Zelaya's jet

Published: Sunday, July 5, 2009 11:44 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras braced for confrontation Sunday as ousted President Manuel Zelaya insisted on coming home to reclaim his post, urging his supporters to mass at the airport for a showdown with the interim government in power since the army sent him into exile a week ago.

The interim government said it ordered the military to prevent the landing of a plane carrying Zelaya or any unidentified plane.

"The government of President (Roberto) Micheletti has order the armed forces and the police not to allow the entrance of any plane bringing the former leader," the foreign minister of the interim government, Enrique Ortez, told The Associated Press on Sunday.

At the main Tegucigalpa airport, soldiers outnumbered travelers and commercial flights were canceled after a final morning departure. Access roads were cut off by police checkpoints, with soldiers standing guard alongside.

The poor Central American country's Roman Catholic archbishop and its human right commissioner urged Zelaya to stay away, warning that his return could spark bloodshed. The interim government said it would arrest Zelaya and put him on trial despite near-universal international condemnation of the coup that removed him as he campaigned to revise the constitution.

Story continues below

In Washington, the Organization of American States suspended Honduras as a member late Saturday. Micheletti preemptively pulled out of the OAS hours earlier rather than comply with an ultimatum that Zelaya be restored.

On Saturday, Zelaya posted an audio message on the Internet urging loyalists to greet his arrival in a peaceful show of force.

"We are going to show up at the Honduras International Airport in Tegucigalpa ... and on Sunday we will be in Tegucigalpa," Zelaya said in the taped statement carried on the Web sites of the Telesur and Cubadebate media outlets. "Practice what I have always preached, which is nonviolence."

Zelaya supporters gathered Sunday morning at a university on the south side of the capital and planned to march to the airport.

"We have no pistols or arms, just our principles," said Rafael Alegria, a prominent pro-Zelaya protest organizer. "We have the legitimate right to fight for the defense of democracy and to restore President Zelaya."

In comments to a local radio station, Zelaya said he would be accompanied by Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, several foreign ministers and 300 journalists.

Recent comments

Once again the US meddling in foreign politics was in the throes of...

America stay out of this | July 6, 2009 at 5:12 a.m.

The State Department really bungled this. They could have prevented...

Matt in VA | July 5, 2009 at 3:43 p.m.

Stay away "Mel" You are not wanted.

Catracho Americano | July 5, 2009 at 1:32 p.m.

Image
Esteban Felix, Associated Press

Supporters of ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya burn a mock coffin of the country's interim President Roberto Micheletti near the international airport in Tegucigalpa, Saturday.

previousnext

Latest comments

Shanme on you PETA flakes. You are putting and the rats ahead of the good and...

Maybe the UofU is in rebuilding this team again, they just don't look as...

A wonderful event! Is the Timpview High School in Provo? We live near Provo's...

RSL will play for MLS Cup tonight

Today we add a major league title to our state!

RSL dancing with soccer stars

A difference between soccer and hoops is that in basketball, if you've got...

Re: From what I've seen According to the BBC News, handgun crime in the...

Lest we forget! There are some of us left who still remember. We need...

Utes turn attention to rivalry

why there are so many negitive comments on this board from ute fans about...

Wendover airfield's legacy lost?

Out of all of the AAF WWII training bases, Wendover has the greatest...

Anyone who has been a fan of college football since before 2008 knows that...

Advertisements