OAS secretary general condemns Honduras decision to forbid entry of OAS officials

Published on Monday, September 28, 2009
WASHINGTON, USA -- The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, on Sunday condemned the decision taken by Honduran authorities of the de facto government to forbid entrance into the country to a delegation of OAS high officials whose main objective was to pave the way for the visit to Tegucigalpa of a Mission composed of the head of the OAS and of Ministers of Foreign Relations of various regional countries. OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza. OAS Photo “We lament this decision and consider it incomprehensible, since it was the very same de facto Government of Honduras that had agreed to the visit of the Mission of Foreign Ministers as well as to the OAS delegation whose objective was to prepare for it,” said Secretary General Insulza. “Actions like those taken today by the Honduran authorities of the de facto regime seriously hamper efforts to promote social peace in Honduras and to find solutions to the current political conflict based on dialogue and national reconciliation,” said the head of the topmost hemispheric body. “I will inform the Permanent Council tomorrow, so that it may decide on the Organization’s future actions,” Insulza added. Nevertheless, the Secretary General affirmed that the OAS will remain committed to “the search for a peaceful solution to the crisis that currently affects the Honduran people.” Play Video Honduras' de facto Government has stepped up its pressure on ousted President Manuel Zelaya by threatening to close Brazil's embassy. The move aims to quell opposition and reaffirm the interim government's refusal to allow Zelaya to return to power. Zelaya was overthrown in a coup in June, but secretly returned from exile last week. He and his family took shelter in Brazil's embassy. De facto Honduran Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez blames Brazil for escalating the crisis by agreeing to house Zelaya. Carlos Lopez said, "It was Brazil who broke relations with the current government by ignoring it. What we are simply doing is reciprocating that it is impossible to shut us off and ignore us. We cannot leave the situation with Brazilian personnel in Honduras open indefinitely."