Honduran Military Told To Turn Back Zelaya's Jet
WILL WEISSERT and NESTOR IKEDA - Associated Press
Sunday, July 5, 2009; 5:25 PM
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Honduras' exiled president flew toward home in a Venezuelan jet in a high-stakes attempt to return to power on Sunday, even as the interim government ordered the military to turn away the plane.
"I am the commander of the armed forces, elected by the people, and I ask the armed forces to comply with the order to open the airport so that there is no problem in landing and embracing with my people," Zelaya said while en route. "Today I feel like I have sufficient spiritual strength, blessed with the blood of Christ, to be able to arrive there and raise the crucifix."
Interim President Roberto Micheletti refused to withdraw his order to prevent the plane from landing, and said he would not negotiate with anyone until "things return to normal."
"We will be here until the country calms down," Micheletti told a news conference. "We are the authentic representatives of the people."
Thousands of protesters descended on the airport in the Honduran capital in anticipation of the showdown, vastly outnumbering about 250 officers. The officers fell back to form a line at a ramp leading to the facility, and some protesters pressed against their riot shields as others waved Honduran flags and posters of Zelaya, chanting "Honduras! Honduras!"
There was no immediate violence. 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." A spokesman for Nicaragua's army called his allegation "totally false."
Honduras' civil aviation director said Zelaya's plane was ordered not to enter Honduran air space.
Zelaya won wide international support after his military ouster a week ago, but the only prominent escort aboard his plane was the U.N. General Assembly president after Latin American leaders backed out, citing security concerns.
At least three other planes left the Washington area separately, carrying Latin American presidents, the secretary-general of the Organization of American States and journalists. They were trailing Zelaya to see what happens in the skies over Honduras before deciding where to land.
Flying with Zelaya were close advisers and staff, two journalists from the Venezuela-based network Telesur, and U.N. General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, a leftist Nicaraguan priest and former foreign minister who personally condemned Zelaya's ouster as a coup d'etat.
The Telesur crew enabled Zelaya to speak in a live interview from the air. "No one can obligate me to turn around," Zelaya declared.
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Honduras warns Nicaragua over border troop movement
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) – Honduras' interim President Roberto Micheletti on Sunday warned Nicaragua to respect its border and said it was willing to defend itself after reporting small groups of Nicaraguan troops were moving near the border.
Micheletti said the Nicaraguan troops could be acting without authorization of commanders along their mutual border to the south of Honduran capital Tegucigalpa. But he said they had not crossed over the border.
The comments came as ousted President Manuel Zelaya attempted to fly home a week after he was ousted in a coup. Zelaya is a left-wing ally of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, both U.S. adversaries.
(Reporting by Patrick Markey; editing by Mohammad Zargham)