The new Honduran regime has severed diplomatic ties with Argentina in response to the expulsion last week of Honduran ambassador to Buenos Aires, Carmen Eleonora Ortez Williams, because of her support for the military coup.
The Honduran army ousted President Manuel Zelaya on 28 June and put him on a plane to neighbouring Nicaragua. He was replaced by the Speaker of Congress, Roberto Micheletti , who is now interim president. The coup took place just before Hondurans voted in a non-binding referendum on removing limits to presidential terms in office. If the plebiscite had garnered enough votes, it would have enabled President Zelaya to seek re-election. The conservative opposition was fiercely opposed to the referendum, which it described as illegal.
The Organisation of American States condemned the coup and demanded that Mr Zelaya be allowed to return to Honduras and serve out his presidential term. A delegation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is currently in Honduras to investigate reports that supporters of the ousted president have been mistreated. Amnesty International released a report today saying that the Honduran authorities have conducted “mass arbitrary arrests” and used violence against protestors.
