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Ousted Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya and his political opponents have signed off on an agreement that will allow him to return to office and create a power-sharing government. Zelaya has been holed up in the Brazilian embassy in Honduras for weeks during the impasse. Anchor Katy Clark finds out more from someone who’s also been in the embassy all this time, Andres Conteris, of the US-based group “Democracy Now en Espanol.”
- BBC coverage
- FAQ Honduras crisis
- The World’s William Troop on Zelaya’s return to Honduras in September
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KATY CLARK: There was one other item on Secretary of State Clinton’s agenda today – Honduras. While still in Pakistan, Clinton announced a breakthrough for the Central American nation. Ousted President Manuel Zalaya and the interim leader Roberto Micheletti have agreed to a US broker deal. The agreement calls on the Honduran congress to decide if Zalaya should be reinstated as president. The agreement also binds both sides to recognize the result of this month’s presidential election. Neither Zalaya nor Micheletti are candidates. Zalaya was ousted from Honduras in coup four months ago. He slipped back into the country in September. That’s when he took refuge with supporters at the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa. Andreas Conteris is one of the people inside the embassy. He’s with the US based Democracy Now en Espanol. Andreas we spoke to you a few weeks ago and you were clearly in support of Mr. Zalaya’s reinstatement. What is the mood inside the embassy today as we speak?
ANDREAS CONTERIS: Well the mood here is one of I would say cautious celebration. Because it clearly is a step forward in terms of what many, many Hondurans want – their president to be reinstated. But it’s also the overwhelming majority of the international community that has been demanding that President Zalaya be restored as the democratically elected leader of this country. So the accord is definitely a step in that direction. However there may be a number of loopholes in it which will permit the coup regime to continue to stall for quite a bit of time which is now a very precious commodity before the elections coming up November 29th.
CLARK: The election is coming up very soon as you say. What do you expect will happen?
CONTERIS: It really depends on when President Zalaya is allowed to be restored as the president of the country. As I said, the delaying tactics could continue even though there is a signed accord which could last for at least two or three more weeks. But if that doesn’t happen. If he’s allowed to be president again soon, then he will have a lot more influence in terms of encouraging the electorate to look at his point of view in terms of which candidate he might support.
CLARK: And I’m just wondering you’ve been in the Brazilian embassy in Honduras for some 38 days now. How are conditions?
CONTERIS: Well conditions initially were very difficult because there was no way to prepare for hundreds of people moving into a building that is not set up for housing whatsoever. Over time some of us have been able to get air mattresses. But actually most of the people here have been sleeping on the floor – hard floors. And food for a while was hard to come by but then lately it’s been more regular. Both electricity and water has been cut off on occasion. But also really what has been done by the military and police have been what could be described as psychological warfare tactics. Using all-night loud music and animal grunts. The first morning we were victims of what is known as long-range audio devices. A very high pitched shrieking sound which is used as a weapon. So it’s been really difficult in that sense. But more recently we’ve acclimated to the situation and now we’re definitely ready to move on from here.
CLARK: Well Andreas is there much celebrating going on at the moment?
CONTERIS: Actually there has been some celebrating here last night. At the embassy there was celebrations. There was some fireworks that went on in the city of Tegucigalpa itself. So yes there is definitely jubilation and joy at this step in the process. But it’s important to point out that it’s also met with quite a bit of caution because it’s really uncertain how quickly the process will move forward for the president to be reinstated.
CLARK: Andreas Conteris is with Democracy Now en Espanol. He spoke to us from the Brazilian embassy in Honduras where ousted President Manuel Zalaya is holed up today. Thank you.
CONTERIS: Katy, it’s been a pleasure.
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