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Zelaya returns to Honduras border | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Exiled Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has returned to the country's border with Nicaragua for the second day running, demanding to be allowed home. | |
He says he will set up camp on the Nicaraguan side to keep up pressure on the interim Honduran government. | |
Speaking into a megaphone, he demanded to be allowed to see his family, from whom he has been separated for a month. | |
On Friday, he made a symbolic crossing into Honduras but withdrew minutes later after being confronted by troops. | |
The US, which opposed Mr Zelaya's dismissal and expulsion last month, has described his current attempts to return home as "reckless". | |
The interim Honduran President, Roberto Micheletti, dismissed the brief return as a publicity stunt, saying Mr Zelaya's action was "ill-conceived and silly". | |
The interior minister said that if the ousted president had dared go any further, he would have been arrested. | |
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Zelaya came back to the Honduran border but did not cross it | |
Stalled border | |
During Saturday's return to the frontier, the cowboy-hatted exiled president vowed to wait near the border. | |
Zelaya made a show of entering Honduras: he put one foot in, and left Mario PerdomoInterim Deputy Security Minister Zelaya road show reaches border | |
"Today we are going to set up camps here, with water and food. We are going to stay here this afternoon, tonight and tomorrow morning," he told a crowd of 150 supporters. | |
But he said he would not attempt another crossing for fear of soldiers attacking his supporters, the AP news agency reports. | |
Much of southern Honduras has been paralysed by the crisis, the BBC's Stephen Gibbs says from Honduras. | |
A curfew remains in place day and night and supporters of Mr Zelaya, describing themselves as a resistance movement, have blocked main roads, our correspondent says. | |
Dozens of trucks have been parked for several days in the approaches to the border, unable to make the crossing. | |
And there is no sign as to when, or how, this will all end, our correspondent adds. | |
Symbolic crossing | |
Mr Zelaya's brief crossing into Honduras on Friday lasted less than 30 minutes, with the ousted leader posing next to a sign reading "welcome to Honduras" before walking back to Nicaragua. | |
"I am not afraid but I'm not crazy either," he told Venezuelan-based TV network Telesur. "There could be violence and I don't want to be the cause." | |
Our correspondent said military personnel, apparently unsure how to react, retreated about 20m as Mr Zelaya stepped under a chain marking the border at Las Manos. | |
But Interim Deputy Security Minister Mario Perdomo said authorities did not bother to arrest Mr Zelaya because he barely entered Honduras. | But Interim Deputy Security Minister Mario Perdomo said authorities did not bother to arrest Mr Zelaya because he barely entered Honduras. |
"Zelaya made a show of entering Honduras: he put one foot in, and left," Mr Perdomo told Associated Press news agency. | "Zelaya made a show of entering Honduras: he put one foot in, and left," Mr Perdomo told Associated Press news agency. |
"And he did this in a dead zone of the frontier, which we tolerated." | "And he did this in a dead zone of the frontier, which we tolerated." |
People living close to the border were ordered to stay at home to "keep the peace". | |
But thousands of Zelaya supporters ignored the curfew and gathered near the border, prompting police to fire tear gas. | |
At the same time, thousands of supporters of the interim government gathered in the northern Honduras city of San Pedro Sula, holding signs reading "Zelaya can return, but to jail". | |
'Reckless' | 'Reckless' |
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticised Mr Zelaya's action, calling it "reckless" and "not conducive to the broader effort to restore constitutional order". | US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticised Mr Zelaya's action, calling it "reckless" and "not conducive to the broader effort to restore constitutional order". |
Anti-Zelaya supporters protested about his planned return | Anti-Zelaya supporters protested about his planned return |
Talks in Costa Rica aimed at resolving the political crisis collapsed two weeks ago with no agreement reached, but Mr Zelaya told reporters he was willing to return to negotiations. | Talks in Costa Rica aimed at resolving the political crisis collapsed two weeks ago with no agreement reached, but Mr Zelaya told reporters he was willing to return to negotiations. |
Mr Zelaya has been in exile since 28 June, when a coup forced him from power. | |
Mr Zelaya had planned to hold a non-binding public consultation to ask people whether they supported moves to change the constitution. | Mr Zelaya had planned to hold a non-binding public consultation to ask people whether they supported moves to change the constitution. |
His critics said the move was unconstitutional and aimed to remove the current one-term limit on serving as president and pave the way for his possible re-election. | His critics said the move was unconstitutional and aimed to remove the current one-term limit on serving as president and pave the way for his possible re-election. |
He insists he remains the democratically-elected leader of Honduras and had previously attempted to return home on 5 July. | He insists he remains the democratically-elected leader of Honduras and had previously attempted to return home on 5 July. |
On that occasion, his plane was prevented from landing when the Honduran military blocked the runway. | On that occasion, his plane was prevented from landing when the Honduran military blocked the runway. |