Honduran interim government announces to quit OAS

2009-07-04 12:20:44  

·Honduras' interim government announced Friday that the country decided to quit from OAS. ·Honduras will face freezing of loans from Central American Bank of Economic Integration. ·Other international help and donations can be suspended.

    TEGUCIGALPA, July 3 (Xinhua) --

Honduras' interim government announced Friday that the country decided to quit from the Organization of American States (OAS).

    In a letter to the OAS read by Honduras' Vice Minister of International Relations Martha Lorena de Casco, it said "This government believes that inside the organization (of the OAS), there is no room for Honduras, for the states that love its freedom and defend its sovereignty."

    The reading of the letter was made in presence of Honduran Acting President Roberto Micheletti.

    Honduras will face freezing of loans from Central American Bank of Economic Integration (CABEI), while other international help and donations can be suspended.

    The interim government's announcement came after OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza said in Tegucigalpa Friday that he would recommend the suspension of Honduras from the regional group due to its post-coup rulers' refusal to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

    The OAS has given the Honduran interim government until noon on Saturday to restore Zelaya to power, or face expulsion.

    Insulza, who is on a fact-finding mission in Honduras, said Zelaya must be reinstalled to lead the country.

    "Zelaya is the only one that we recognize as Honduran President, and he must be returned to his position as soon as possible," Insulza said at a press conference.

    "Honduras is exposed to an international sanction, because the world unanimously has declared this action as a violation of democracy. I have spoken with several people, and apparently no one wants to accept responsibility for what happened last weekend."

    "I'm going back to Washington and I will report what I found out here to the OAS Assembly. We will discuss it and then we're going to make a decision," Insulza said.

    Enrique Ortez Colindres, foreign minister of Honduras' post-coup government, told media that the government would not negotiate with the OAS.

    "We have a very firm position that we do not negotiate Honduras' sovereignty," Ortez said.

    Honduran soldiers stormed the presidential palace and flew Zelaya into exile in Costa Rica early Sunday.

    Later, the country's legislature voted to appoint Roberto Micheletti, head of the legislature, as acting president to serve out Zelaya's term, which ends in January.

OAS chief: Honduras' membership to be suspended

2009-07-04 10:17:42  

    TEGUCIGALPA, July 3 (Xinhua) --

The secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS) said here Friday he would immediately recommend the suspension of Honduras from the regional group due to its post-coup rulers' refusal to reinstate ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

    OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza was speaking to reporters after he failed to persuade the interim government of Honduras to reinstate Zelaya, who was deposed after Sunday's military coup.

    The OAS has given Honduras' interim government until noon on Saturday to restore Zelaya to power, or face expulsion.

Honduran post-coup gov't claims no negotiations with OAS

2009-07-04 10:16:50  

    TEGUCIGALPA, July 3 (Xinhua) --

Enrique Ortez Colindres, the foreign minister of Honduras' post-coup government, told media on Friday that the government will not negotiate with the Organization of American States (OAS).

    "We have a very firm position that we do not negotiate Honduras' sovereignty," Ortez said.

    OAS secretary-general Jose Miguel Insulza arrived here on Friday to mediate for the reinstatement of ousted President Manuel Zelaya. But there are reports quoting him Friday evening as saying that Honduras' interim government does not want to restore the ousted president.

    Ortez said Insulza had implicitly recognized the government by visiting the nation.

    "From the moment he arrived in Honduras, he is already speaking to the Honduras government and this servant of the government, who is opening doors," said Ortez.

    "The world knows Insulza is in Honduras and under the protection of Roberto Micheletti's government," he added.

    Micheletti took power on Sunday just hours after Zelaya was seized from his bed by hundreds of heavily armed soldiers and forced to board a plane to Costa Rica.

    The OAS does not officially recognize the Micheletti government and has given Honduras until Saturday noon to reinstate Zelaya or face expulsion. Ortez on Friday repeated that Micheletti would not be willing to step down.

    Ortez said that "soon all the international community will understand we have respected the rule of law."

    On Wednesday, the Micheletti government said that Italy had recognized its legitimacy, just after Italy announced it had withdrawn its ambassador in protest.

    The Micheletti government has also said that previously scheduled elections will go ahead on Nov. 29 and that Micheletti will hand power to a new president on Jan. 27.

Editor: Zhang Xiang