Yesterday, the interim government of Honduras imposed to Brazil a ten days ultimatum to define the status of Manuel Zelaya. The ousted president has now been under Brazilian protection for more than a week. An interim government press release has recently communicated that additional means will have to be taken. “Not a single country can tolerate a foreign embassy to be at the origin of such violence and disorder” it stated. According to the press release, “the results of those calls violence have damaged the public and private sphere in our capital. It has also bothered our citizens”.
The press release comes after Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that the ousted president could stay in the embassy “as long as his security is not restored”
Today, the interim government went one step further in repressing the opposition. A decree, published this morning by the authority, restricted for 45 days the liberty of circulation and expression and forbade unauthorised public meetings.
As a result, Radio Globo and Canal 36, two important Honduran radio and TV channels supporting Zelaya were censored.
“We are looking for new fight strategies, because this decree reduces our opportunities and cuts off our communication with others” said Obdulio Fuentes, leader of the National Confederation of Honduran Farmers.
The Commitee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) shared its disappointment regarding this new rule. “Honduran citizens have the right to be correctly informed on what is happening in their country in such delicate moment” said Carlos Lauría, coordinator of the American CPJ program.
The Brazilian representative in the Organisation of American States, Ruy Casaes said that the new actions of the interim government show that it is not ready for dialogue.
Manuel Zelaya, who can still be found in the Brazilian embassy, claimed that he was ready to “face any risk in order that Honduras go back to peace and that coup will not be repeated in any country of Latin America”.