Honduras Turns Away Zelaya's Plane; Protester Killed

Ousted president and 70 others trapped inside Brazilian embassy

(NEWSER) - Security forces in Honduras barricaded ousted president Manuel Zelaya inside the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa overnight, cutting off water, electricity, and telephone service to the building. Zelaya and about 70 other people are enduring a de facto siege, reports the Guardian; troops are stationed on nearby rooftops, speakers are blasting high-pitched noise at the building, and soldiers have set up a three-mile perimeter after yesterday's violent scenes that left about 20 people injured. More»

Interim gov't may hold Zelaya-free election in effort to end political crisis

(NEWSER) - The interim government installed by the military coup in Honduras is considering holding an early election to defuse the country's political crisis, Reuters reports. Roberto Michelletti, who heads up the caretaker government, says he is "in total agreement" with moving forward November's presidential election, in which ousted president Manuel Zelaya will not be allowed to stand. More»

Condemnation of Honduran coup parries accusations of US complicity

(NEWSER) - President Obama confounded Hugo Chávez’s attempts to implicate Washington in the Honduran coup by calling for President Manuel Zelaya’s reinstatement, Simon Romero writes for the New York Times. When the coup was announced, Chávez immediately suggested that the US was financing Zelaya’s opponents or, as happened during a coup against Chávez himself in 2002, knew of the coming putsch and did nothing to stop it. More»

(AP) - Honduras' ousted president, bolstered by international support, said he will return home to regain control and urged soldiers to stop cracking down on thousands of supporters who have protested his overthrow. Flanked by Latin American leaders who have vowed to help him regain power, Manuel Zelaya said yesterday he would accept an offer by the OAS secretary-general to accompany him back to Honduras. More»

US recognizes result, though deposed president was never restored

(NEWSER) - Conservative Porfirio Lobo has emerged as the winner in yesterday's Honduran election, and appears set to take the central American nation's disputed presidency as it continues to reel from the crisis sparked by last summer's coup. After initially condemning the coup, Washington shifted gears to support this weekend's election, which most of Latin America refused to recognize, the New York Times reports. More»