Clinton and Chavez weigh in on Zelaya’s stealth return to Honduras
(Read article summary)Correspondent
The United States and Venezuela weighed on the escalating political drama in Honduras Monday. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for dialogue between ousted President Manuel Zelaya and the de facto government, while Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged it to hand power back to Mr. Zelaya.
In a surprise turn of events Monday, Zelaya snuck across the border and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy, where, under international law, Honduran officials cannot arrest him. His return comes three months after he was forced out of the country at gunpoint by his political opponents.
Some observers fear violence between Zelaya's supporters and those loyal to the interim government, headed by Roberto Micheletti. Mr. Micheletti imposed an emergency curfew Monday and insisted all was calm.
Reuters reported on Ms. Clinton's comments to the media, after she met the Costa Rican president, who is trying to help resolve the political crisis.
"It's imperative that dialogue begin ... (that) there be a channel of communication between President Zelaya and the de facto regime in Honduras," Clinton said after she meet Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, who sought to broker a resolution to the crisis that followed Zelaya's June 28 ouster.
"It's also imperative that the return of President Zelaya does not lead to any conflict or violence but instead that everyone act in a peaceful way to try to find some common ground," she told reporters.
