Friday, July 24, 2009

Honduran Army Shuts Border As Zelaya Plans Return

Ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya smile during a news conference in Esteli, Thursday, July 23, 2009. Zelaya headed toward his nation's border Thursday to prepare a risky return home, an attempt to reverse an ouster that is testing the vitality of democracy in Latin America. (AP Photo/ Esteban Felix)

From Yahoo News/AFP:

ESTELI, Nicaragua (AFP) – The Honduran army closed the border with Nicaragua Friday just hours before ousted President Manuel Zelaya planned to return to take back power in a showdown with the country's coup leaders.

"I'm walking toward the Honduran border. I hope that a good portion of the Honduran people can get through the barriers," Zelaya said on arrival in the Nicaraguan town of Esteli late Thursday, as scores of supporters flocked to greet him on the other side of the frontier.

Read more ....

Update: Honduras fortifies security as leader plans return -- AP

My Comment: For a President who only had a few months left in his term, his attempt to find a way to stay in power has resulted in the chaos and mess that Honduras is in today. The country appears to be split, with even with the Police in the capital city of Tegucigalpa now on strike.

I do not know what the end game will be .... but it appears that a confrontation is about to unfold. My only concern is .... will there be foreign power intervention. Venezuela's Chavez has made it clear that he is willing to fly his military into the country .... I doubt that he will do this, but his government and others have the potential to inflame this situation by providing weapons, money, and "supporters" to the cause. Will Honduras's neighbors permit this .... honestly, I do not know the answer, but if they do, Latin America is about to enter a new and dangerous phase.

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