TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — They can’t both be right.
Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya says a deal that could have returned him to power is defunct. Roberto Micheletti, who took power after a coup, says the same deal has been successfully accomplished.
The Obama administration, caught in the middle of a power struggle in this tiny Central American nation, was pressing Friday for the survival of an accord it hailed as “a historic victory for democracy.”
“No, it’s not dead, but may be sleeping for the time being,” said State Department press spokesman Fred Lash. “Both sides need to return to the table and negotiate the formation of a government of national unity.”
On Friday, with the U.S.-brokered pact’s future seriously in doubt, Lash said the question of whether the U.S. will recognize upcoming elections “remains nebulous.”
With a presidential election just three weeks away, the U.S. and the rest of the international community — which cut off most foreign aid and diplomatic ties after the coup — are seeking a resolution. But the key players seemed less inclined to find common ground.
“The negotiations have come to an end,” Zelaya said. “We have declared that there is no possibility of recognizing that accord.”
Last week’s accord called for a national unity government with backers of both sides to oversee elections. Congress would decide whether to reinstate Zelaya — and the ousted leader had assumed that would happen.
Micheletti negotiator Vilma Morales said the interim government does not consider the accord broken and plans to continue implementing it.
