MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Honduras Lobo moving “in the right direction”, but no US aid restoration yet

Honduran President Porfirio Lobo (AP)

Newly-inaugurated Honduran President Porfirio Lobo is taking his country “in the right direction,” but the United States has not decided whether to restore aid to Honduras, said Arturo Valenzuela, US assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs.

“We haven't made any determinations yet; the US will evaluate the situation before restoring assistance” said Valenzuela, in Honduras for President Lobo's inauguration Wednesday, which ended months of political crisis triggered by the June 28 overthrow of former president Manuel Zelaya.

Zelaya's ouster sparked international condemnation and prompted several countries, including the United States, to suspend assistance to the country. But as the country's interim de facto leadership moved forward with elections that saw Lobo declared Honduras' next president, several governments have softened their stances.

“The new president of Honduras has taken the country in the right direction,” Valenzuela said. He added there was “a lot of enthusiasm” in Tegucigalpa as Lobo was inaugurated, and pledged that the United States would be “evaluating” the situation.

“Things are moving pretty much in the right direction” said Valenzuela pointing out that he held “a very cordial meeting” on Tuesday with Zelaya.

The ousted leader left Honduras on Wednesday for the Dominican Republic after spending months in the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa in a failed bid to seek reinstatement.

Conservative “Pepe” Lobo, 62, began his four year mandate at a ceremony with the presence of many local officials but very few foreign leaders (less than twenty five foreign delegations were present). The day before the newly elected Congress voted an amnesty for all those involved in the June 28th coup.

In a similar ruling the Honduran Supreme Court president Jorge Rivera, acting as “special magistrate” absolved the Honduran military commanders involved in the coup, of all criminal responsibilities.