by the El Reportero’s news services
Roberto Micheletti
On 28 September cracks appeared in the de factoregime that has been in power since the 28 June coup d’etat against the elected president, Manuel Zelaya.
The de facto president, Roberto Micheletti, was yesterday forced to backpedal on his draconian measures to suspend civil liberties after congress, the supreme electoral court and the main presidential candidates for the scheduled general elections on 29 November protested.
The Micheletti regime is beginning to lose some support from within because of its intransigent refusal to negotiate a resolution and to agree on a compromise that would allow the elections to have international legitimacy.
The international community’s insistence, however, on Zelaya’s restitution to oversee that electoral process looks no closer to being fulfilled.
In other related news:
Honduran Resistance under Siege
The National Front against the coup d’Etat stated that demonstrations for restoring constitutional order will continue Tuesday in the country, despite the suspension of guarantees established by the Constitution.
The decision was confirmed in a release of that vast alliance from people’s organizations, which has reached today its 94th consecutive days against the June 28 military coup.
The de facto government decreed the state of siege this weekend, after authorizing the police and armed forces to disperse protests, practice detentions and close opposition mass media.
The Front agreed during an assembly held Sunday with leaders of the country to stage a march in the capital today, but when rallied they were besieged by riot police groups.
The coup government decreed the state of siege for 45 days in an attempt of impeding popular mobilization, but people also staged protests within the country, according to popular leaders’ reports.
De facto President Roberto Micheletti closed Monday Radio Globo station and the television’s channel 36 Cholusat Sur, the capital’s only two media covering anti-coup rallies.
The radio station managed to transmit signals again, through internet.
UN Ready to aid drought-hit Nicaragua
The United Nations readies efforts to aid Nicaragua suffering a drought caused by climate phenomenon El Nino, informed an offi cial source.
According to Alfredo Missair, resident coordinator of the United Nations System in Nicaragua, his agency will supply 20 million dollars of aid.
The official added that he evaluates a series of contingency plans to prevent a food crisis.
The UN intends to cooperate in future emergency situations although, he said, we never work only in cases of emergency but later participate in recovery and later development.
The work of the international agency will be to collaborate and complement actions of the government and later will have to receive support from the international community, indicated Missair.
Arias warns Honduran elections won’t be recognized
Costa Rica’s President Óscar Arias on Tuesday commended the interim president of Honduras for saying he will reverse an emergency decree suspending civil liberties in his country.
But he warned that the results of the Nov. 29 presidential election in Honduras would not be internationally recognized if it is held while interim President Robert Micheletti’s government is in charge.
Arias said Micheletti’s government “has not moved an inch” in negotiations to return ousted President Manuel Zelaya with limited authority.
He called the June 28 coup that propelled Micheletti to power a “dramatic, historical backward step” that needs to be corrected through free and transparent elections under Zelaya’s government.
