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Honduras Talks End with No Agreement





By VOA News
11 July 2009

Milton Jimenez (l), member of the delegation of ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya, talks to Costa Rica's President Oscar Arias after negotiations San Jose, Costa Rica, 11 Jul 2009
Milton Jimenez (l), member of the delegation of ousted Honduras' President Manuel Zelaya, talks to Costa Rica's President Oscar Arias after negotiations San Jose, Costa Rica, 11 Jul 2009
Talks between the ousted and interim governments of Honduras have ended, with no solution in sight.

Representatives of toppled President Manuel Zelaya and interim President Roberto Micheletti failed to reach an agreement Friday during their second day of talks in Costa Rica.

Costa Rican President Oscar Arias is mediating the negotiations. He said the two sides have agreed to meet again.

Friday's talks took place one day after President Arias met separately at his home with Mr. Zelaya and Mr. Micheletti, who have refused to talk together.

The Costa Rican leader has been quoted as saying that resolving the crisis "could possibly take longer than one might have imagined." After the talks Thursday, the two rivals continued to maintain their unconditional right to lead Honduras.







The United States supports Mr. Zelaya and has refused to recognize the interim government, but is supporting the Costa Rica negotiations.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has criticized the talks and the Costa Rican president's decision to meet with Mr. Micheletti, referring to him as a "usurper."

Mr. Chavez' close socialist ally, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, also has made his views known. In an article published late Friday, Mr. Castro warned that Mr. Zelaya must be returned to power or Latin America could be swept by a wave of military coups. He attributed the threat to right-wing military leaders trained by the United States.

Mr. Zelaya is one of several leftist leaders in Latin America who have become allies of President Chavez and Mr. Castro.

The caretaker government has accused Mr. Zelaya of illegally trying to change the constitution in order to extend his term. The issue has deeply divided the country, where supporters of both sides have held competing demonstrations.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.



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