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A few minutes ago, Manuel Zelaya, the ousted President of Honduras, headed back to Honduras on a Venzuelan (surprise!) jet, according to the Associated Press. The Constitutional President, Roberto Micheletti, has instructed the Honduran military to prevent the jet from landing with the former president.
Thousands of protesters descended on the airport in the Honduran capital in anticipation of the showdown, some of them pressing against several hundred soldiers with riot shields. Police helicopters hovered overhead, and commercial flights were canceled.
Micheletti also alleged that Nicaragua is moving troops to their border in an attempt at psychological intimidation, and warned them not to cross into Honduras, “because we’re ready to defend our border.”
Zelaya is flying back to Honduras on a Venezuelan jet, the Nicaraguan army is on Honduras’ border, and where is our President? I guess he’s taking his instructions from Daniel Ortega these days;
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega called on the White House to hold firm against Honduras coup.
Ortega recalled that after two months as president, Barack Obama suspended all form of cooperation with the de facto government in Madagascar.
The least we can expect of Obama is to act with the same firmness now, he pointed out.
The Sandinista leader told pres that the struggle against the coup continues, seeking the reestablishment of constitutional order through the return of President Manuel Zelaya to complete his mandate.
From El Universal, my Calle J translation;
The director of Civil Aeronautics of Honduras, Alfredo San Martin, assured the media today that the airplane that transports the demoted president of Honduras Manuel Zelaya from Washington [DC] will land in El Salvador because it does not have authorization to land in Honduran territory. San Martin indicated to the press that, because of the refusal of the Honduran authorities, the plane ” was turned aside to El Salvador, and will not land in Tegucigalpa”.
The Honduran chancellor, Enrique Ortez, among others announced that his Government would not allow the landing of the airplane of Zelaya, reasons, for ” prudence” , he indicated.
So where, exactly, is our President? I guess he’s in his Russia mode and can’t switch back to American mode right now.
UPDATE: Fausta confirms that Zelaya’s plane landed in El Salvador and Honduran police have allowed protesters pass onto the airport after they promised not to commit any acts of violence.
UPDATE: Noticias 24 reports that Zelaya’s plane is attempting to land in Honduras;
The channel TeleSur reports that the airplane which President Zelaya has been flying over the Toncontín airport is unable to land due to the obstacles that the military placed.
Vehicles of the troops were deployed along the runway, while helicopters flew over the airport to prevent the demoted president of Honduras from landing.
The pilot of the airplane, in a contact with Telesur, indicated that they requested the authorization to land but it was not granted to them, threatening that they would intercept them.
And to answer MD’s comment below;
Zelaya, from the airplane, called for the President of the US, Barack Obama to take a firmer position in the conflict and to collaborate to speed his return to the power.
President Chávez, minutes later, made the same plea and said that “there is no longer any doubt that the “gorilla government” [he said “gorilla” not “guerrilla” and he refers to the new Honduran government] had the support of the North American Empire”.
Why would Chavez and Zelaya want US intervention if they weren’t already assured of the outcome.
UPDATE: BBC reports at least one dead at the airport in clashes with the police.
