Central America

Both parties to the Honduras dispute say progress was made during crisis talks. The delegations reportedly reached partial agreement on a proposal submitted by Costa Rican President Óscar Arias. His proposal involves the formation of a government of national unity and elections to be held at the end of next month, as they were planned.

Panama announced it will sign an agreement with the United States before October 30th to establish military naval stations in Bahia Piña and Punta Coca, on the Pacific Coast. Panama is a member of the Mérida initiative, promoted by the US government to combat drug trafficking. The two governments also discussed how to approach the political crisis in Honduras.

Zelaya has remained in the Brazilian embassy since defiantly returning to Honduras one week ago. Coup leaders have now given Brazil a ten-day deadline to hand over Zelaya or face the embassy’s closure. Brazil has rejected the ultimatum and says Zelaya will stay as long as he needs. On Friday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning the embassy siege.

The World March for Peace promotional organizations in Guatemala, together with the council authorities of the City of Esquipulas, host city for the peace agreements negotiated between Central American countries in 1986 and 1987, extend an invitation to the members of the international team that will arrive in that city next December.

After Manuel Zelaya took refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Honduras, the de facto government unleashed a strong chain of increasingly violent actions. With tear gas and mustard gas, they leveled homes and offices of social organizations illegally arresting people. Meanwhile demonstrations of people mounted throughout countries in Latin America denouncing the violence.

The mega-concert featured the Columbian star Juanes, the Puerto Rican Olga Tañon and Miguel Bosé from Spain. It was a historic Sunday in Havana’s Plaza de la Revolución, with more than a million people singing together for peace, love and the brotherhood of all peoples. The objective of the event was to promote peace in the world.

So say “Grupo Cultural Aruko Wakía” from Costa Rica, a cultural group that seeks to transmit messages of universal convergence on diversity and tolerance among peoples through music. In their words: “to be a part of this world together with other creatures and peaceful beings and to fill this wonderful gift, our Planet Earth, with life”.

About 776 million adults, mostly women, are illiterate, and 75 million children are outside the schools system, the UN Secretary General stressed on the occasion of World Literacy Day, and went on to explain that only education allows individuals to exercise their rights as citizens and human beings. Mr. Ban called upon all to redouble the commitment to universal literacy.

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OEA), José Miguel Insulza, assured that the body would not recognize the electoral process proposed by the de-facto Government of Honduras. He stated that the elections would only be valid if the constitutional president Manual Zelaya were allowed to return.

The ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is in Washington, where he will meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday. Zelaya criticized the Honduran coup regime for blocking his return and going ahead with an election campaign. Zelaya’s meeting with Clinton comes days after a State Department review advised that his ouster be officially declared a “military coup.”