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2009-09-25 Caribbean-Latin America
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Curfew lifted in Honduras
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TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- If it weren't for the deposed president holed up in the Brazilian embassy, life would be almost back to normal in Honduras on Thursday. After days of paralyzing curfews, most children returned to school, airplanes began landing at the airport, borders were open and downtown streets were again crammed with taxis, buses and vendors hawking newspapers, snacks and bubble gum.
Some schools remained closed, but the busy streets were a dramatic shift after the past three days, when Hondurans have been forced to scramble through looted stores for food and police have blasted water cannons and tear gas at violent demonstrations.
Thursday morning, there remained just one tense part of the capital. Hundreds of troops and police continued to ring the Brazilian Embassy, where an increasingly exhausted President Manuel Zelaya, his family and about 70 supporters, have been sheltered since he sneaked back into Honduras on Monday.
Zelaya was forced out of Honduras at gunpoint June 28 after the Supreme Court endorsed charges of treason and abuse of authority against the leader for repeatedly ignoring court orders to drop plans for a referendum on whether the constitution should be rewritten. Interim President Roberto Micheletti has vowed to arrest Zelaya if he leaves the shelter of the diplomatic mission.
Zelaya told Radio Globo in Honduras on Thursday that "calm will not return to the country as long as its president is locked up."
International leaders, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and President Obama, have called for Zelaya's reinstatement ever since he was ousted, and his surprise arrival has prompted new calls for Micheletti to step down.
Rene Zepeda, the interim government's information minister, said Honduras has no intention of breaking ties with Brazil so it can go after Zelaya inside the compound. But he added: "Brazil should make Zelaya be quiet and provide the conditions so that he can dialogue with our government instead of unleashing violence in Honduras."
About 3,000 Micheletti supporters marched toward the Brazilian Embassy and stopped in front of soldiers guarding the compound Thursday. The group of smartly dressed lawyers, wealthy homemakers and others held signs saying "Get out Brazil!" as they chanted "We want elections not intervention!"
A coffee shop handed out espresso to the participants, who ended their protest without incident.
Micheletti has said the conflict will be resolved when Hondurans elect their next leader Nov. 29, although the U.S. and other countries have said they may not recognize the vote if Zelaya is not reinstated.
Former President Jimmy Carter, whose nonprofit center in Atlanta is dedicated to resolving conflicts, has been in touch with the Honduran government to express concern about the current situation, Carter Center spokeswoman Deanna Congileo told The Associated Press in an e-mail.
Micheletti invited the Nobel Peace laureate to mediate new talks but Congileo said Carter is simply supporting efforts made by the Organization of American States and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias - another Nobel Peace laureate who moderated, previous U.S.-backed talks.
Those negotiations broke down after Micheletti's government refused to accept a plan that would allow Zelaya to return to the presidency with limited powers and prohibit him from attempting to revise the constitution. Zelaya's term ends in January. Micheletti announced in a statement Thursday that he told Carter he hopes Arias visits Honduras to hold talks with him and Zelaya.
Zelaya supporters, meanwhile, marched through working-class neighborhoods to rally backers. Police arrested about 20 people for blocking roads and other disturbances, police spokesman Victor Lopez said.
It's still unclear whether demonstrators were killed in the previous day's protests, which turned violent. Zelaya has told various media outlets that 10 protesters were killed by police, he has given no details and authorities dispute this. Local hospitals report several people have been treated for gunshot wounds. 
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Posted by Steve White 2009-09-25 00:00||
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