MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Honduras’ deposed president headed toward his nation’s border Thursday to prepare a risky return home.
The interim government that sent Manuel Zelaya into exile vows to arrest the president if he sets foot in Honduras. Zelaya said he would try to return home Saturday, saying U.S.-backed attempts at mediation had broken down.
Accompanied by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, Zelaya drove a white Jeep out of the Honduran Embassy in Nicaragua, heading toward the northern town of Esteli, where he said he would spend today preparing for his return. Embassy officials broke into applause and chants of “Long live Mel!” using his nickname.
Zelaya said he hoped soldiers at the border will stand down when they see him. He called on supporters to meet him at the border, although he has not yet said exactly where he plan to cross into Honduras.
“I think the guns will be lowered when they see their people and their president,” Zelaya said at a news conference shortly before leaving.
All governments in the Western Hemisphere have condemned the coup, and say Zelaya’s return to power is crucial to the region’s stability.
Honduras’ Supreme Court ordered Zelaya’s arrest before the June 28 coup, ruling his bid to hold a referendum on whether to form a constitutional assembly was illegal. The military decided to send Zelaya into exile instead. Zelaya’s opponents have argued that the president was trying to change the constitution to extend his term, which Zelaya denies.
