Live from Honduras

By Circles Robinson,  photos Luis Miranda

HAVANA TIMES, July 8 — A friend of mine is in Honduras reporting on the situation in the streets 10 days after a military coup deposed President Manuel Zelaya and installed a de-facto government, unanimously repudiated by the United Nations and the Organization of American States.

Luis Miranda reports that while not the over 200,000 people demonstrating for Zelaya’s return as on Sunday, somewhere between 10 and 15 thousand marched Tuesday headed by Zelaya’s wife Xiomara, who came out of hiding.

He notes that demonstrations continue throughout the country, with roadblocks and university takeovers. It was announced on Tuesday in Washington that Zelaya and coup leader Roberto Micheletti will meet on Thursday with mediator Costa Rican President Oscar Arias in San Jose.

“The march in Tegucigalpa began at the Pedagogical University and passed by important points of the capital: the private business headquarters, the US embassy, and ending at the Public Ministry where there were moments of tension with the Army and Police guarding the building,” said Miranda.

The protesting population demanded the resignation of the Supreme Court justices that supported the coup and criticized the soldiers “for protecting the assassins.”

“At the precise moment we were in front of the Public Ministry, and just before the march was to break up, we could hear on the loud speakers the words of President Mel Zelaya live from Washington. He had concluded his meeting with Hillary Clinton and said he had accepted her proposal for a “dialogue” with Micheletti mediated by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.”

The announcement from Zelaya drew mixed reactions. “Some demonstrators felt deception, believing that sitting down with the coup leader would partially legitimatize him,” said Miranda.

Meanwhile, Micheletti said he would “not negotiate a return of Zelaya to the presidency.”

“Several civic organizations are aware that their struggle goes beyond the return or no of President Zelaya, and are awaiting developments,” said the eye witness from Tegucigalpa, Honduras.