Honduras wants to prevent landing of ousted president (1st Lead)

Jul 5, 2009, 15:09 GMT

A view of Tegucigalpa\'s airport guarded by memkbers of the Hondurean Army as supporters of ousted Honduras\' President Manuel Zelaya participate in a protest rally in the city on 04 July 2009. Zelaya has vowed to return to Honduras 05 July 2009 accompanied by a handful of Latin American leaders, stirring up fears of a violent showdown in the polarized nation, while rallies both against and in favor of the new president continue. EPA/GUSTAVO AMADOR

Tegucigalpa - The Honduran government set up after last week's coup intends to prevent at all costs the landing of ousted President Manuel Zelaya, who was planning to return to the country Sunday.

'I have ordered that his return cannot be allowed, come what may,' Enrique Cortez, designated as the foreign minister of the interim government, said early Sunday.

All roads leading to Toncontin airport in Tegucigalpa were being blocked by police, and flights had reportedly been suspended.

Hours earlier, in Washington, the Organization of American States (OAS) voted unanimously to suspend Honduras' membership over last week's coup.

The vote by 33 member nations made Honduras the second country to be suspended from the hemispheric bloc, after Cuba in 1962, which may subject it to cuts in economic aid as well as political isolation.

After the special session in the OAS Washington headquarters, Zelaya announced his intention to return to Honduras on Sunday, a week after he was sent into exile by soldiers.

'I will go to the country because it needs for peace to return,' Zelaya said at the OAS headquarters in Washington.

Carlos Sosa, a former Honduran ambassador before the OAS, said in a press conference that Zelaya was planning to arrive in Honduras 2000-2100 GMT, although he would 'not necessarily' be landing in Tegucigalpa.

It remained unclear Sunday who would be accompanying the ousted president in his trip.

Not all countries in the Americas thought that travelling now was the best decision. The US, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Caribbean nations expressed reservations over the lack of sufficient security guarantees, and said it could worsen the unrest in the Central American country.

OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza, who visited Tegucigalpa himself Friday, said Zelaya would face serious risks and should try to obtain 'guarantees' for his safety before travelling.

'There are risks. It is risky, the risk of being arrested and the risk of clashes,' Insulza said. 'It is not a safe return.'

Insulza stressed that Zelaya's return would be purely his own decision, as the OAS took no official position. However, the head of the organization noted that he was willing to accompany Zelaya if that was deemed necessary.

The de facto government said last week that Zelaya would be arrested if he arrived back in the country.

Zelaya was ousted in a coup by soldiers acting on orders from the country's Supreme Court, ostensibly to prevent him from attempting to change the constitution and seek a second presidential term.