Coup leaders 'increasingly isolated'

ArticleData Array ( [Article] => Array ( [article_id] => 1045552 [headline] => Coup leaders 'increasingly isolated' [abstract] => Honduran coup leaders faced further isolation after blocking ousted President Manuel Zelaya from flying into the capital's airport where soldiers killed two of his supporters.
[keywords] => Honduras, Zelaya, el salvador [content] =>

Honduran coup leaders faced further isolation after blocking ousted President Manuel Zelaya from flying into the capital's airport where soldiers killed two of his supporters, according to police.

Zelaya's attempt to return to the polarised nation one week after he was kicked out of power came as tensions reached breaking point, with tens of thousands of his supporters massed at the heavily-militarised airport.

As soldiers fired shots and tear gas at rock-throwing protesters, two people died, according to police. The local Red Cross reported one death.

Military blocks plane

Moments later, Zelaya's plane swooped over the runway as military vehicles blocked it from landing.

"I'm doing everything I can," Zelaya said live on Venezuela's Telesur television. "If I had a parachute I would immediately jump out of this plane."

"From tomorrow the responsibility will fall on the powers, particularly the United States," Zelaya added.

International pressure was set to increase on the heels of aid freezes, ambassador withdrawals and temporary trade blockages.

Dispute to effect oil prices

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Zelaya's key backer, has said he suspended key shipments of oil to Honduras, which he said would drive up petrol prices.

To add to the country's isolation, the Organisation of American States (OAS) voted to suspend Honduras late Saturday, in the first such move since the exclusion of Cuba in 1962.

Members of the pan-American body slammed the leaders of the coup which saw the army remove Zelaya at the height of a dispute with the courts, politicians and the army over his plans to change the constitution.

Opponents claimed these plans included an attempt to stand for a second term.

Regional talks

After the dramatic attempt to land in Tegucigalpa, Zelaya met with OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza and the presidents of Argentina, Ecuador and Paraguay in neighbouring El Salvador late Sunday, before heading to Nicaragua.

Insulza said at a joint news conference that he was prepared to continue working on resolving the crisis.

"I'm prepared to continue with all the diplomatic steps," Insulza said.

"We don't aim to intervene but to comply with the norms that all the countries have adopted."

Hopes for dialogue

In a first sign of possible dialogue, interim leaders said they had put forward an offer for dialogue in "good faith" with the OAS, after they previously said they were pulling out of the body ahead of the suspension.

But interim president Roberto Micheletti - who took over hours after Zelaya was whisked away - also said that no-one would pressure him.

Zelaya warned against further violence in the Central American nation.

"I call on the armed forces to lower their rifles against the people ... I ask, beg and order them not to repress the Honduran people any more," Zelaya said in El Salvador.

It was unclear exactly how many people had been injured and detained in past week's clashes, amid growing indignation from international rights groups.

Night time curfews - which suspend some freedoms guaranteed by the constitution - and media blackouts have heightened tension in one of Latin America's poorest countries.

Curfews in place

Interim officials extended a night-time curfew on Sunday to begin at 6:30 pm instead of 10:00 pm to avoid gatherings on the streets.

The interim government insists that the president violated the law by attempting to go ahead with a referendum last Sunday after the Supreme Court ruled against it.

But they have failed to convince any foreign governments that the coup was a "constitutional succession."

Amid growing public impatience, many observers wondered how long they would still be able to try to hunker down and hold out until scheduled elections in November.

 

[start_date] => 06 July 2009 | 06:43:42 PM [comments_allowed] => 1 [source] => AFP [commentCount] => 0 [video] => [image] => Array ( [caption] => A supporter of Zelaya protests in the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa (Getty Images) [useRegularImage] => 1 [media_library_id] => 99512 [site_id] => 1 [media_library_group_id] => 0 [media_usage_id] => 0 [filename] => site_1_rand_1603478954_honduras_protester_coup_0607_b_getty.jpg [title] => honduras_protester_coup_0607_B_getty_1603478954 [description] => file:site_1_rand_1603478954_honduras_protester_coup_0607_b_getty.jpg [type] => [height] => 338 [width] => 450 [source] => [video_hi] => [video_lo] => [section] => [display_order] => 0 [create_date] => 2009-07-06 18:49:56 [active] => 1 [media_usage] => Article Large [usageWidth] => 300 [usageHeight] => 225 ) [imagePath] => http://media.sbs.com.au/news/upload_media/ [audio] => [reporter] => [relatedLinks] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [id] => 1045272 [label] => Twitter abuzz over Honduras unrest [display_order] => 3 [type] => Article ) [1] => Array ( [id] => 1045432 [label] => Zelaya in El Salvador as protests turn deadly [display_order] => 4 [type] => Article ) ) [relatedArticles] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [article_id] => 1045272 [headline] => Twitter abuzz over Honduras unrest [abstract] => Users around the world have flocked to Twitter, voicing their concerns and sharing witness photos over protests in Honduras.
[content] =>

Users around the world have flocked to Twitter, voicing their concerns and sharing witness photos over protests in Honduras, as ousted President Manuel Zelaya attempts to return to the country.

Today military vehicles blocked the airport runways to prevent Zelaya from returning to the country.

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the airport, and two demonstrators were reportedly killed in clashes with the military.

Similar to the aftermath of Iran's controversal election last month, online communities in Central America and beyond have voiced concern over the situation in Honduras via Twitter.

While SBS cannot verify the accuracy of user-generated content ciruclating on Twitter and other sites, #Honduras is in the top 10 trending topics on Twitter, showing the topic is generating alot of interest.

One user, @jaymieJoane slams the political ousting of Zelaya as "a huge step back for democracy > no nation has recognized the "new government".

She also criticised the United States, who she says should be doing more to prevent government coups and political unrest.

"The western hemesphere (sic) is the sphere of influence of the US so y (sic) isn't the US doing anything about the Honduras coup haha".

User @estherbrol sent around this YouTube link, showing what appears to be the Bishop of Honduras releasing a statement with English captions.

"Facing the situation of recent days we have used the information found after searching competent instances of The State Supreme Court of Justice, National Congress, Attorney General, Executive Branch, Supreme Electoral Tribunal and many other civil society organisations. All of those documents show that all Honduran Democratic Institution are operating and in place and the execution of their mandate have occurred in strict adherence to the law", said Oscar Andres Cardenal Rodriguez.

See the video here

But user @Garreton – a Chile based journalist – disagrees.

He says "Who is lying? A coup happened, if #Zelaya was outside law, then should have been tried in country not by coup and sent away".

User @notq – whose location is listed as Arizona, posted this graphic picture of what appears to be a boy killed in Honduras.  The photo is linked to a user by the name of RodrigoMx.

(Warning: Graphic) See the picture

The caption under the picture reads " A fatally wounded supporter of Manuel Zelaya is carried away after he was apparently shot by Honduran soldiers outside of the international airport in Tegucigalpa".

Both 'Honduras' and 'Zelaya' are among the top 10 search terms in Twitter.

It's expected more users around the globe will share their thoughts on the issue over the next few hours, while more amateur photos and video is expected to be posted.
 

[content_type_id] => 3 [site_name] => World News Australia [articledate] => 6 July 2009 [articletime] => 6 July 2009 [display_order] => 3 ) [1] => Array ( [article_id] => 1045432 [headline] => Zelaya in El Salvador as protests turn deadly [abstract] => Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya arrived in El Salvador for regional talks, as two protesters are killed in Honduras' capital.
[content] =>

Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya arrived in El Salvador late Sunday for talks with the head of the Organization of American States and other regional leaders.
  
He was due to meet here with OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza and Presidents Cristina Kirchner of Argentina and Rafael Correa of Ecuador, the presidency announced.
  
Zelaya arrived here after making a failed attempt to return to Honduras where he was ousted in a military coup a week ago.
  
His plane had tried in vain to land at the airport in Tegucigalpa, but at least half a dozen military vehicles blocked the only runway at the airport, while tens of thousands of his supporters demonstrated outside.

Tear gas fired

Troops fired tear gas and shot on angry protesters trying to break into airport, killing two and injuring at least two others, police said, ahead of Zelaya's much-anticipated arrival.
  
In a dramatic climax to the day's tensions, at least half a dozen military vehicles from the same army that sent Zelaya away in his pajamas one week ago blocked the runway as Zelaya's plane circled overhead.
  
Zelaya spoke live from the airplane on Venezuela's Telesur television, rebroadcast on CNN in Spanish.
  
"I'm doing everything I can," Zelaya said. "If I had a parachute I would immediately jump out of this plane."

US 'must take responsibility'
  
Zelaya said he would denounce the situation in Honduras to the international community.
  
"From tomorrow the responsibility will fall on the powers, particularly the United States," Zelaya added.
  
Zelaya was due to join the presidents of Argentina, Ecuador and Paraguay, who shortly beforehand landed in El Salvador, according to local press, along with the head of the Organization of American States, Jose Miguel Insulza.
  
The pan-American OAS suspended Honduras in an emergency session the previous night, after the interim leaders refused to reinstall Zelaya.

Troops 'nearing Honduran border'  

Interim leader Roberto Micheletti ramped up tensions Sunday by alleging that Nicaraguan troops were moving toward the countries' joint border, a claim Nicaraguan military immediately denied.
  
"We have been informed that in the sector of Nicaragua, some troops are moving toward the border," Micheletti said in a televised news conference.
  
In Managua, Nicaraguan general Adolfo Zepeda shot back that the information was "totally false." 
 

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