Honduran leader Micheletti arrives in Costa Rica for talks (Extra)

Jul 9, 2009, 16:56 GMT

San Jose - Honduran de facto leader Roberto Micheletti arrived Thursday in Costa Rica for talks, mediated by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, with ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya.

Micheletti, the former Congress speaker designated to head the Honduran government set up after the June 28 coup that ousted Zelaya, said he was optimistic that a way out of the ongoing Honduran political crisis could be found.

'I have faith that there can be a solution,' Micheletti said.

Zelaya was less conciliatory when he arrived in San Jose late Wednesday. 'He is a criminal who has beaten down our people and the rights of our democracy,' Zelaya said Wednesday night of Micheletti.

Zelaya, whose ouster was condemned by the international community, stressed that he had not come to San Jose for negotiations on his reinstatement as president.

'I want to clarify that our presence here is not due to any negotiation,' he said. 'It's as if you are invited to negotiate with a criminal who raped your family.'

The talks involving Arias, who was awarded the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in bringing peace to Central America, were set to begin Thursday afternoon in Arias' home in the Rohrmoser neighbourhood of San Jose.