Honduras standoff talks shift back to Washington
Güncelleme Tarihi:
The Associated Press
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Temmuz 08, 2009 00:00
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - Diplomatic efforts to restore Manuel Zelaya to Honduras' presidency shifted back to Washington on Tuesday, as supporters of the ousted leader threatened to escalate protests and disrupt business across the poor Central American nation.
A day after failing to land in Honduras to confront the interim government that ousted him in a coup, Zelaya boarded a plane bound for Washington. He was set to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. officials said, as Hürriyet Daily News went to press Tuesday afternoon.
Zelaya told a news conference Monday night that he hopes to ensure U.S. support for diplomatic efforts to see him restored to power. "We hope to get support for these pronouncements," Zelaya said before heading to the airport in Managua.
The talks come as the Obama administration weighs how to respond to the military coup that sent Zelaya into exile June 28. The U.S. government is looking for a peaceful resolution, and senior officials said Washington tried to dissuade Zelaya from Sunday's attempt to fly into the Tegucigalpa airport, which led to clashes between the army and his supporters.
President Barack Obama reiterated his support for efforts to restore Zelaya to Honduras' presidency - even as he pointed out that Zelaya has strongly opposed American policies. In a speech in Moscow on Tuesday, the president said that's evidence that the U.S. does not dictate another country's leaders. "We respect the universal principle that people should choose their own leaders, whether they are leaders we agree with or not," he said.
As Zelaya left nearby Nicaragua on Monday, 2,000 of his supporters rallied near the presidential palace in the Honduran capital. But anger was high over the death of a teenager shot by soldiers Sunday. "We're going to change strategies," protest organizer Rafael Alegria, 57, said Monday. "We cannot live under the current state."
Zelaya told a news conference Monday night that he hopes to ensure U.S. support for diplomatic efforts to see him restored to power. "We hope to get support for these pronouncements," Zelaya said before heading to the airport in Managua.
The talks come as the Obama administration weighs how to respond to the military coup that sent Zelaya into exile June 28. The U.S. government is looking for a peaceful resolution, and senior officials said Washington tried to dissuade Zelaya from Sunday's attempt to fly into the Tegucigalpa airport, which led to clashes between the army and his supporters.
President Barack Obama reiterated his support for efforts to restore Zelaya to Honduras' presidency - even as he pointed out that Zelaya has strongly opposed American policies. In a speech in Moscow on Tuesday, the president said that's evidence that the U.S. does not dictate another country's leaders. "We respect the universal principle that people should choose their own leaders, whether they are leaders we agree with or not," he said.
As Zelaya left nearby Nicaragua on Monday, 2,000 of his supporters rallied near the presidential palace in the Honduran capital. But anger was high over the death of a teenager shot by soldiers Sunday. "We're going to change strategies," protest organizer Rafael Alegria, 57, said Monday. "We cannot live under the current state."