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Interim Honduran Leader: Ousted President May Get Amnesty

By VOA News
13 July 2009

Interim Honduran leader Roberto Micheletti says the country's ousted President Manuel Zelaya may get an amnesty if he agrees to face justice at home.

Mr. Micheletti told the Reuters news agency in an interview Sunday Mr. Zelaya would have to appear before Honduran authorities "peacefully" to receive an amnesty. But the interim president again ruled out the possibility of Mr. Zelaya regaining his post as he demands.

The Honduran military deported Mr. Zelaya to Costa Rica in a June 28 coup on orders from the Supreme Court, which accused him of trying to change the constitution illegally to seek another term. Honduran lawmakers backed the ouster and named Mr. Micheletti interim president.

Mr. Zelaya said Sunday he supports efforts by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias to mediate in the crisis. But the ousted president told Caracas-based television network Telesur that he will not sit at the same table with the coup leaders.

Representatives of Mr. Zelaya and Mr. Micheletti met in Costa Rica Friday, but the talks ended without agreement.

In his interview with Telesur, Mr. Zelaya denounced the Honduran coup leaders as "ogres," accusing them of scaring away investors and destabilizing society. He tried to seek U.S. support by meeting in Washington Saturday with the top U.S. official for Latin America, Thomas Shannon.

The Obama administration has said it considers Mr. Zelaya to be Honduras's only constitutional president and has called for the restoration of democracy.

Mr. Micheletti, in his interview with Reuters, blamed Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for violence that erupted in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, earlier this month.

Honduran troops blocked an attempt by Mr. Zelaya to return in a plane provided by Mr. Chavez on July 5 and fought with thousands of Mr. Zelaya's supporters at the airport. At least one demonstrator was killed. Mr. Chavez is a key ally of the deposed Honduran leader.

Mr. Micheletti also said his interim government may hold elections earlier than the scheduled date in November to return the country to democratic rule.

On Sunday, the interim government lifted a nationwide curfew that had been in effect since the June 28 coup, saying it had helped to restore calm.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.