Supporters of Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya sing the national anthem during a march in
Tegucigalpa. Foto: Reuters / Edgard Garrido
APRODEV, the Association of World Council of Churches related Development Organisations in Europe, Thursday strongly condemned the coup
d'etat carried out by the military in Honduras on Sunday 28th of June and the following repression and violations of human rights that have taken place.
"This situation undermines
the process of democratization in the region and the peace and stability in Honduras," it says in the statement from APRODEV directed to the European Union and its member states. Curfew and further restrictions In Honduras the National Congress has approved a decree to crack down on opposition during a nightly curfew imposed after the coup. The decree
allows security forces to hold suspects for more than 24 hours without charge and formalizes the prohibition of the right to free association at night, writes Reuters.
Online news Read daily online news from Honduras and the background for "a predicted coup d'etat:
www.revistazo.com
Pro-Zelaya protesters clashed with security forces near the presidential palace on Monday and demonstrators applauding the coup that installed interim President Roberto Micheletti took
to the streets on Tuesday. Protesters in favor of Zelaya marched again on Wednesday.OAS ultimatum to Honduras
Supporters of Honduras' interim President, Roberto Micheletti light candles on the sidewalk
during a demonstration in front of the local United Nations office in Tegucigalpa. Foto: Reuters / Edgard Garrido
The Organization of American States (OAS) gave Honduras an
ultimatum on Wednesday to allow ousted President Zelaya back into office by this weekend or face suspension.
But the Honduran interim government vowed there was "no chance at all" of ousted President
Manuel Zelaya returning to office.
Enrique Ortez, interim foreign minister, said Zelaya would be arrested if he came home and that the interim authorities were sure Zelaya had been removed in a legal
process.
The interim President Roberto Micheletti said to the BBC Mundo and other journalists in Tegucigalpa that his government would give a very thorough explanation to the international community
for the reason why Manuel Zelaya was removed from power.
"There has been no coup d'etat, this is a constitutional matter, " Micheletti said to BBC Mundo.
World leaders from U.S. President
Barack Obama to European Community Foreign Ministries and Latin American leaders have told the new rulers of the Central American country to restore Zelaya, who was toppled by the Honduran army on
Sunday and sent into exile after a dispute over presidential term limits.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Supporters of Honduras' interim President, Roberto Micheletti hold a poster during a demonstration in front of the local United Nations office in Tegucigalpa July 1, 2009. TThe Honduran interim government defied ...
