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Honduras Turns Away Zelaya's Plane; Protester Killed

By the Associated Press

Posted Jul 5, 2009 6:49 PM CDT
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(AP) – Ousted president Manuel Zelaya says he can't land at the main Honduras airport because soldiers are blocking the runway with several military vehicles. Groups of police and soldiers are also facing off against thousands of Zelaya supporters around the airfield. Speaking live from the plane carrying him back to Tegucigalpa, Zelaya asked that soldiers return their allegiance to him, "in the name of God, in the name of the people, and in the name of justice."

But the politicians who ousted him aren't backing down, and violence broke out among the huge crowd surrounding the airport, with at least one person killed so far. The man was shot in the head by gunfire from inside the airport as people tried to break through a security fence. Security forces fired warning shots and tear gas, and some Zelaya supporters threw rocks and set a fire. A spokesman said the Red Cross was treating about 30 people for injuries.

Honduran national police leave their positions as thousands of supporters of ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya march towards the international airport in Tegucigalpa, Sunday, July 5, 2009.
Honduran national police leave their positions as thousands of supporters of ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya march towards the international airport in Tegucigalpa, Sunday, July 5, 2009.   (Eduardo Verdugo)
Honduras' interim President Roberto Micheletti speaks during a press conference at the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa, Sunday, July 5, 2009.
Honduras' interim President Roberto Micheletti speaks during a press conference at the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa, Sunday, July 5, 2009.   (Rodrigo Abd)
Supporters of ousted Honduras President Manuel Zelaya sit in front of a line of advancing soldiers during a protest outside of the entrance to the international airport in Tegucigalpa, July 5, 2009.
Supporters of ousted Honduras President Manuel Zelaya sit in front of a line of advancing soldiers during a protest outside of the entrance to the international airport in Tegucigalpa, July 5, 2009.   (Dario Lopez-Mills)
Supporters of ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya protest outside the entrance to the international airport in Tegucigalpa, Sunday, July 5, 2009.
Supporters of ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya protest outside the entrance to the international airport in Tegucigalpa, Sunday, July 5, 2009.   (Dario Lopez-Mills)
Hondura's interim President Roberto Micheletti gestures during a press conference at the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa, Sunday, July 5, 2009.
Hondura's interim President Roberto Micheletti gestures during a press conference at the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa, Sunday, July 5, 2009.   (Rodrigo Abd)
Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya speaks with the media after he participated at the Organization of the American States (OAS) assembly on Sunday July 5, 2009.
Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya speaks with the media after he participated at the Organization of the American States (OAS) assembly on Sunday July 5, 2009.   (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
A jet owned by PDVSA with Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya on board departs from Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. Sunday, July 5, 2009.
A jet owned by PDVSA with Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya on board departs from Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. Sunday, July 5, 2009.   (Jose Luis Magana)
A fatally wounded supporter of ousted Honduras President Manuel Zelaya is carried away after he was apparently shot by Honduran soldiers outside of the international airport in Tegucigalpa, Sunday July 5, 2009.
A fatally wounded supporter of ousted Honduras President Manuel Zelaya is carried away after he was apparently shot by Honduran soldiers outside of the international airport in Tegucigalpa, Sunday July...   (Eduardo Verdugo)
A supporter of ousted Honduras President Manuel Zelaya sits in front of a line of advancing soldiers during a protest outside the entrance to the international airport in Tegucigalpa, July 5, 2009.
A supporter of ousted Honduras President Manuel Zelaya sits in front of a line of advancing soldiers during a protest outside the entrance to the international airport in Tegucigalpa, July 5, 2009.   (Dario Lopez-Mills)
Thousands of supporters of ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya march towards the international airport in Tegucigalpa, Sunday, July 5, 2009.
Thousands of supporters of ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya march towards the international airport in Tegucigalpa, Sunday, July 5, 2009.   (Eduardo Verdugo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 6 comments
jwilsonte
Jul 6, 2009 12:46 PM CDT
its there country mind our own business u.s. just has to tell rest of world how to live the world has to be sick of it
ChickenChopper
Jul 6, 2009 12:05 PM CDT
good times...
Kookey90
Jul 6, 2009 9:45 AM CDT
Zelaya, what part of "Persona Non Grata" do you not understand? You were very lucky to get out of Honduras alive.

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Latin America • Honduras • coup d'etat • Manuel Zelaya

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