Source: Bloomberg News
A plane carrying deposed President Manuel Zelaya was blocked from landing in Honduras as he tried to enter the country and resume power. He vowed to return as the jet he was traveling in headed to Nicaragua.
At least one person was killed near the airport in the capital, Tegucigalpa, as security forces blocked the runway with trucks and clashed with demonstrators. Six people were injured, five by gunshots, according to aid workers at the scene. Telesur, a television network owned by Venezuela’s government, reported that at least two Zelaya supporters were killed.
"Stop this massacre in the name of God," Zelaya said in an interview on Telesur as his plane circled the airport.
Zelaya, 56, will now regroup with supporters as he continues his quest to return to power after being deposed June 28. The Honduran armed forces, lawmakers and courts have rallied behind interim President Roberto Micheletti, who said today: "I won’t be pressured by anyone."
The acting government put two vehicles on the runway, leaving too little space for the Venezuela-owned jet to land, Zelaya said on Telesur by phone from the plane. He said his plane was landing in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua.
Zelaya had originally planned to return to Honduras on July 2. He delayed his trip as the Organization of American States and regional leaders tried to reach a compromise that would restore him to office.