Honduran ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya has pledged to return home on Wednesday, Argentina”s state channel Canal 7 reported.
Zelaya was ousted in a military coup on June 28 and flown out of the country by the interim government. He attempted to fly into the country on July 5, but was stopped after police and troops blocked the runway.
“I intend to return to Honduras after 72 hours has expired which was requested by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias at mediation talks,” Zelaya said without giving a date for his planned return.
Arias, who is leading the mediation effort, requested a 72 hour break after proposals for Zelaya to return to Honduras and lead a coalition government until presidential elections in October, were rejected by Roberto Micheletti, the interim president as being “unacceptable.”
Zelaya has not said whether he will attempt another landing in Honduras but stressed, “We have a long border with Salvador, as well as borders with Guatemala and Nicaragua.”
Zelaya also said he believed that U.S. President Barack Obama”s administration had nothing to do with the coup, but did not exclude the involvement of “certain U.S. political forces.”
“Neither Obama”s administration, nor Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are behind the coup, but there are some conservative forces in the United States, such as former assistant secretary of state Otto Reich, who are against Obama and in support of the coup [in Honduras],” Zelaya said.
