Deposed Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya has arrived in the Dominican Republic, beginning his exile and ending seven months of turmoil in Honduras. Hundreds of supporters, many waving flags, watched him leave the airport in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa.| "Goodbye! Don't come back! Goodbye!" |
Newly-elected President Porfirio Lobo had offered him safe passage. Under a deal struck by the two men, Mr Zelaya agreed to fly to exile as a way to avoid prosecution in Honduras on charges that he violated the constitution while in office.
Mr Lobo said the measure - first proposed months ago in failed mediation talks in Costa Rica - was needed as part of a process of reconciliation.
Mr Zelaya travelled to the Dominican Republic on the presidential plane, accompanied by the country's president, Leonel Fernandez, who attended the swearing-in ceremony for Mr Lobo hours before.
Mr Zelaya was taken to the Tegucigalpa airport in a convoy of around 15 vehicles.
He has spent the past four months sheltering in the Brazilian embassy, after returning in secret in September. With opinion divided in Honduras and internationally, several nations have refused to recognise the legitimacy of the November election.
Mr Lobo's first act upon taking office was to sign a decree giving amnesty to the soldiers, politicians and judges who brought about the June ousting.