Honduras Denies Entry to OAS Delegation

 The de facto government of Honduras yesterday denied entry to a delegation from the Organization of American States.  The delegation was turned back at Tegucigalpa Airport.

The Financial Times notes that refusing entrance to the OAS Delegation is "a move likely to further isolate the de facto government headed by Roberto Micheletti."  The elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, has made his way back into the country and is currently enjoying the protection of the Embassy of Brazil.  It seems that 65 of his family members, supporters, and journalists are also there in the Brazilian Embassy.

Today's New York Times has a longer version of the story.  It also notes that the de facto Honduran government has given a 10-day deadline to Brazil to either grant political asylum to President Zelaya or "hand him over for trial on a catalog of charges including treason and abuse of authority."  If Brazil does not comply, according to Carlos Lopez Contreras (foreign minister of the de facto government), then the Brazilian embassy "will lose its diplmatic status."  The foreign minister said that "[a]s a courtesy, we are not planning to invade the place."

The Brazilian government discounted the threat to its embassy and the President of Brazil said that Brazil would not reply to "an ulitmatum from a government of coup-mongers."

(mew)