MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Zelaya and Micheletti closer to a solution for the Honduras crisis

Zelaya sacked one of his negotiators for being too radical

Ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya sacked Tuesday one of his negotiators at the dialogue table with the de facto government, following his refusal to sign an understanding by which Zelaya desists from calling a constitutional assembly.

Juan Barahona, a fire-brand union leader was replaced by attorney Rodil Rivera, one of Zelaya’s closest aides at the start of a decisive round of talks to find a solution to the political and institutional crisis of the country since the elected president was ousted in a midnight coup and flown out of the country last June 28th.

Rivera thus joins Victor Meza and Mayra Mejía former Home and Labour secretaries as member of the negotiating team.

“I didn’t sign, I didn’t agree. We must never give up the initiative of calling a constitutional assembly. But we continue to support President Zelaya”, said Barahona who promised to double street-rally efforts in support of a new constitution.

Barahona is one of the outstanding leaders of the belligerent Front or Resistance Against the Coup which organizes daily street demonstrations in Tegucigalpa in support of the reinstitution of Zelaya and convening an assembly to reform the constitution since the current document only serves the “interests of the oligarchy”.

This was precisely what triggered the coup against Zelaya who was ousted for promoting a popular vote to decide on convening a constitutional assembly and which was voted illegal by Congress, the Supreme Court of Justice, the Attorney General’s office and other government offices.

The military allege they ousted and flew Zelaya to Costa Rica on orders from the Supreme Court, following the “formality” of impeaching the president.

Barahona insists that only the return to office of Zelaya holed in at the Brazilian embassy since three weeks ago can legitimize the coming presidential elections scheduled for November 29th, so far not supported by the international community if they are held under the de facto government headed by Roberto Micheletti.

Micheletti insists that the elections are the solution to the conflict and Zelaya apparently has accepted and endorsed them as long as he is reinstated in office.

In spite of the strong support from the international community the de facto regime of Mr Micheletti also has influential friends in Washington where they have launched a lobbying campaign both in Congress and in the State Department.

The conservative Republicans believe the long hand and wallet of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez are behind the Honduras crisis and are conditioning certain foreign affairs legislation to a more dual approach to the issue from the Obama administration, according to news reports in the New York Times.

Honduras under Zelaya joined the ALBA or Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas, a brain child of President Chavez against Washington.