PRESS CONFERENCE ON SITUATION IN HONDURAS

 

General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann today strongly condemned the attempted coup against the democratically-elected Government of President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras, calling it a serious threat to democratic rule there, according to a statement delivered late today at a Headquarters press conference. 

Through the text read out by the President’s Spokesman, Enrique Yeves, Mr. d’Escoto expressed his deep concern and hope that the rule of law was respected.  He appealed to the different parties to resolve their differences through peaceful dialogue.

Also according to the statement, the Permanent Representative of Honduras to the United Nations, Jorge Arturo Reina Idiaquez, had reported to President d’Escoto that the coup was an attempt to circumvent a plebiscite aimed at enhancing the right to free elections.  The Assembly President was closely following the developments and hoped that the constitutional democratic rule prevailed.

In further remarks to correspondents, Mr. d’Escoto expressed his deep concern about “what seems to be transpiring in Central America”.  He added:  “We were hopeful in Latin America in general, and in Central America in particular, that those ugly days of military coups and these kinds of things and interruption of democratic processes would be something left in the past.”  He hoped that the situation would be resolved soon for the good of the people of Honduras and of the whole region.

Mr. Reina Idiaquez, reading a statement on behalf of the “Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América”, denounced the coup against the constitutionally-elected Government in his country and called on the international community to reject “this attempt to break constitutional democratic order”.

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For information media • not an official record