World

Isolated Honduras hunkers down

by 158 | July 11, 2009 at 02:20 pm

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Honduras is an interesting situation.

The elected president Zeyala was forced into exile by the army and threatened with arrest if he returns but congress voted to remove him and the supreme court ruled Zeyala had violated the constitution by trying to hold a referendum on allowing a president to be reelected. Many call this a coup but it is not that simple.

That has left little wriggle room for talks brokered by Costa Rica aimed at defusing one of the worst crises in Central America since the Cold War. The talks have resulted in little apparent progress, aside from an agreement to keep talking.

"Here we are, with irreconcilable positions, but I believe that these positions will ease as we advance in the dialogue," Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, who is acting as mediator in the Honduras crisis talks, told CNN Espanol in an interview.

Arias, who won the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in ending Central American conflicts, said talks held so far between the rival delegations had been frank but respectful.

Zelaya's term was due to end in January and local commentators suspect the interim government is seeking to buy time to make his reinstatement obsolete.

The United States, facing a major test of President Barack Obama's promise of a fresh start in relations with Latin America, has joined many regional governments in strongly condemning Zelaya's ouster but has urged him against trying to return unilaterally to avoid stoking tensions and violence.