(For full coverage of Honduras crisis, see [ID:nN22361272]) * De facto government under pressure over civil liberties * Ousted president Zelaya and de facto leader deadlocked * OAS hopeful a deal can be brokered to end standoff (Updates with protests, OAS comments, details) By Esteban Israel and Miguel Angel Gutierrez TEGUCIGALPA, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Honduran police cracked down on supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya on Wednesday as the country's de facto leader came under pressure to lift curbs on civil liberties and end a post-coup crisis. Zelaya, who riled conservative elites and business leaders with his ties to Venezuela's socialist government, was overthrown by the army in June. But he sneaked back into the country and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy a week ago. Seeking to end the standoff, the Organization of American States plans to send a delegation of foreign ministers to Honduras next week to try and broker negotiations between Zelaya and de facto leader Roberto Micheletti. The crackdown on Zelaya's backers came after Micheletti imposed a decree suspending civil liberties, shut two media stations loyal to Zelaya and warned Brazil it had 10 days to hand him over to authorities or grant him asylum. Riot police surrounded the National Agrarian Institute in Tegucigalpa on Wednesday and cleared out 57 Zelaya supporters, who had taken over the office and holed up there since the overthrow of Zelaya, a logging magnate who sports cowboy hats. "This is part of the decree to clear out government buildings," police spokesman Orlin Cerrato said. "We are looking at other institutions that were taken over." Security forces fired tear gas to disperse a group of journalists protesting the closure of Radio Globo, one of the two stations shut down by the emergency measure. Micheletti said on Wednesday he is considering calls to roll back the decree, but Radio Globo and Cholusat Sur TV, two pro-Zelaya media suspended under the decree, remained shut. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has joined an international chorus calling for Micheletti to lift the restrictions and stop threatening Brazil's embassy, which has been ringed by troops for the past week. The de facto government also faces pressure from some local political supporters to restore civil liberties and negotiate. The electoral court chief on Wednesday urged Micheletti to reconsider the emergency decree. OAS SEES DIALOGUE The two sides are deadlocked over how to resolve the crisis in Central America's No. 2 coffee producer. Zelaya insists he must be reinstated, but Micheletti says the deposed leader must face treason charges and insists that a new leader will be picked in a November election. An OAS representative in Tegucigalpa preparing for the delegation from the region's top diplomatic body said there were positive signals before the visit, however. "I have found a willingness on both parts to sit down and talk ... and for a real dialogue," John Biehl, advisor to OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, told reporters. Regional powerhouse Brazil has rejected Micheletti's deadline and called for more pressure. The United States has demanded Honduras roll back the measures, but has also criticized Zelaya's return without a prior as "foolish". Soldiers ousted Zelaya at gunpoint on June 28 and sent him into exile after the Supreme Court ordered his arrest. His critics say he broke the law by pushing for constitutional reforms they say would have lifted term limits. Zelaya denies wanting to stay in power. Micheletti appears to determined to hold out until presidential elections on Nov. 29. But several countries, including the United States, have suggested they might not recognize the vote without a prior agreement. OAS consensus on how to handle the Honduran crisis faltered this week when the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Bahamas and Peru proposed dropping Zelaya's return to power as a precondition for legitimate elections. Key Honduran business leaders, who backed the coup, have said he could be allowed to return but without executive power. They suggested he could be placed under house arrest until the end of his term in January when he would face corruption charges. Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, who sought to broker a deal shortly after the coup, has called for Honduras' presidential candidates to step in to negotiate an agreement and ensure the next president gets international recognition. (Writing by Patrick Markey in Tegucigalpa; Editing by Kieran Murray)
Riot police prepare to release tear gas towards supporters of Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya during a protest outside Radio Globo station in Tegucigalpa September 30, 2009. The de facto government ...
