AP-Zelaya and Lobo to meet in Santo Domingo, DR on Monday

[VanW]

edit: here's the full AP story:

"SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – The leader of the Dominican Republic says ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya will meet with his elected successor Monday in this Caribbean nation.

President Leonel Fernandez told reporters Friday that Zelaya and Porfirio Lobo were expected to talk about ways to resolve the political crisis that has gripped Honduras since the June 28 coup that removed Zelaya. He said Zelaya would arrive Sunday night and Lobo would fly in Monday.

There was no immediate comment from Honduras' interim government on whether it would allow Zelaya to leave the Brazilian Embassy, where he has taken refuge for nearly three months, to go to the meeting.

Honduran officials and Zelaya have been at odds this week on terms of a deal that would let him leave Honduras without fear of arrest on the charges of treason and abuse of power that led to his ouster.Zelaya told The Associated Press he was grateful to Fernandez for seeking to arrange the meeting. "We are analyzing his proposal, and we are in communication with President Fernandez," he said.

Lobo, who won Honduras' Nov. 29 presidential election, has said he supports granting amnesty both to Zelaya and to all of those involved in the coup that deposed him."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091211/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_honduras_coup_1

[VanW]

1. Spanish version:

Efe | Santo Domingo
Actualizado viernes 11/12/2009 17:29 horas

El presidente electo de Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, y el depuesto mandario Manuel Zelaya, han acordado una reunión que se llevará a cabo en los próximos días. La República Dominicana ha sido el lugar elegido para abrir un diálogo político con el objetivo de buscar una solución a la crisis que atraviesa el país centroamericano.

El encuentro ha sido anunciado por el presidente dominicano, Leonel Fernández, que se reunirá con ambos por separado. Está previsto que este domingo sea Zelaya el que cambie impresiones con Fernández, mientras que el próximo lunes le tocará el turno a Lobo.

El presidente dominicano confía en que esta fórmula "permita la superación de la crisis" que sufre Honduras desde el golpe de Estado que desalojó a Zelaya del poder el pasado 28 de junio.

El depuesto presidente hondureño ha llegado a afirmar que es es "amigo personal" del virtual vencedor de las elecciones, Porfirio Lobo, pero dijo que le separan "diferencias políticas muy grandes".

http://www.elmundo.es/america/2009/12/11/noticias/1260570324.html



The president-elect of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, and the deposed president Manuel Zelaya, have agreed to a meeting to be held in the coming days. The Dominican Republic has been the place chosen to open a political dialogue aimed at finding a solution to the crisis facing the Central American country.

The meeting has been announced by the Dominican president, Leonel Fernández, meeting with both separately. It is expected that Zelaya on Sunday will exchange views with Fernandez, while next Monday it will be with Lobo.

Dominican president is confident that this formula "allows the overcoming of the crisis" that plagues Honduras since the coup that ousted Zelaya from power on 28 June.

The deposed President of Honduras has said that he is a "personal friend" of the virtual winner of the elections, Porfirio Lobo, but that there are "large political differences."

[rabs]

2. Have not seen anything on Z going to DR yet ...

but Globo TV reported today that Z. must be out of the embassy by Jan. 27 when Lobo takes over.

------------------------

Zelaya will leave Brazil Embassy by Jan. 27
(AP) – 11 hours ago

BRASILIA, Brazil — Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya says he will leave the Brazilian Embassy in Honduras by Jan. 27, when his presidential term ends, according to an interview broadcast Friday.

Zelaya said in the telephone interview with Globo TV that he wants to leave soon but did not say where he will go. He has been holed up in the embassy in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa for three months under threat of arrest if he sets foot outside the building.

Zelaya's comments aired a day after Honduras' coup-installed government said he is free to leave the country, but not as president.

The top-ranking Brazilian official at the embassy also told Globo TV that Zelaya must leave by Jan. 27. Francisco Catunda did not say where Zelaya might go, saying only that it would be "another destination."

Officials at Brazil's presidency and at the nation's foreign ministry did not immediately return telephone messages left Friday seeking comment.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[VanW]

3. Well, it looks like Pres. Fernandez of DR made the announcement

Of course...things might change!!


I'm guessing that this is Plan B after the Mexico trip was scuttled. It's not clear if the same issue, Zelaya's status as refugee vs President, will block this one. It sounds like some kind of deal has been reached, though.

And the headline is a little misleading. The article in El Mundo says that Fernandez will meet with them separately, and there's no indication that Zelaya and Lobo will meet at all...

edit: it looks like they are meeting together--

http://www.almomento.net/news/127/ARTICLE/48546/2009-12-11.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[DutchLiberal]

8. I have so much respect for President Zelaya for living in that embassy for months...

...just so he could be in his country and with his people again.

Although I still think he could have been more effective traveling around the world, personally pushing world leaders not to accept the fraudulent 'elections'. Still, my hat is off to President Zelaya.

[VanW]

9. He really has done a lot with very little

He was never prepared to be in a position like this and has been consistent in his principles. I hope he continues.

[VanW]

4. More from almomento.net (DR)

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:38:00
LF anuncia Zelaya y Lobo vienen a RD en busca de salida a crisis de Honduras

...
En una rueda de prensa en el Palacio Nacional, el Mandatario informó que Zelaya vendrá el próximo domingo y Lobo, el lunes.

Fernández mediador entre ambos, dijo que se reunirá, primero con Zelaya y luego con Lobo, y posteriormente sostendrá un encuentro con los dos.

"Nosotros esperamos que con esta decisión que han asumido las dos figuras centrales de la situación hondureña no haya ninguna dificultad para que el presidente Zelaya pueda salir de Honduras, que no se establezca ninguna condicionalidad para que pueda venir a la República Dominicana", expresó.

Dijo que el "diálogo político" se ha asumido como un elemento vital en la comunidad iberoamericana para que Honduras vuelva a la vida democrática, interrumpida con el golpe de Estado del 28 de junio.

La decisión de reunir en el país a los dos políticos hondureños se produjo, luego de la reunión del Jefe del Estado dominicano con el subsecretario del Buro de Asuntos Hemiféricos Occidental, de Estados Unidos, Gray Kelly, para tratar entre otras cosas la crisis hondureña.
...

http://www.almomento.net/news/127/ARTICLE/48546/2009-12-11.html


In a press conference at the National Palace, the President reported that Zelaya will come next Sunday and Lobo, on Monday.

Fernandez mediator between the two, said he would meet first with Zelaya and then with Wolf, and then will meet with both.

"We hope that with this decision that the two central figures of the Honduran situation have made there is no difficulty with President Zelaya leaving Honduras, not establishing any conditions for coming to the Dominican Republic," he said.


He said the "political dialogue" has been adopted as a vital element in the Latin American community to Honduras back to democratic life, interrupted by the coup of June 28.

The decision to meet in the country at two Honduran politicians came after the head of state meeting with Undersecretary Dominican Affairs Bureau Hemiféricos Western U.S., Kelly Gray, to discuss the crisis including Honduras.

[VanW]

5. Statement from golpistas:

(8:00PM ) Gobierno de facto dice Zelaya no ha pedido asilo ni salvoconducto para viajar

Tegucigalpa (EFE).- El derrocado presidente de Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, "no ha solicitado salvoconducto ni asilo" para viajar a República Dominicana en los próximos días, informó este viernes a Efe una fuente del régimen de facto que preside Roberto Micheletti.

"Podemos informar que el señor Manuel Zelaya no ha solicitado salvoconducto, ni asilo, requisito indispensable para que pueda salir del país. Tampoco ningún otro país ha solicitado nada", dijo escuetamente el secretario de Prensa, René Zepeda. "Por ahora no tenemos nada que decir sobre el tema", agregó.

...

http://www.el-carabobeno.com/p_pag_ava.aspx?id=432




De facto government says Zelaya has not asked for asylum or travel pass


The ousted president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, "has not applied for asylum and safe passage" to travel to Dominican Republic in the coming days, EFE reported on Friday a source of de facto regime that presides Roberto Micheletti.

"We can report that Mr. Manuel Zelaya has not asked for safe passage, or asylum, a prerequisite for you to leave the country. Nor has any other country has asked for anything," said press secretary Rene Zepeda curtly. "Right now we have nothing to say about it," he added.




on edit: CNN en Español says that a golpista representative said that "Zelaya will only be able to leave as a political refugee, or on a flying saucer".

:eyes:

[Peace Patriot]

7. "...safe passage, or asylum, a prerequisite for you to leave the country." Uh-huh, unless

you leave at gunpoint, kidnapped by the military, forced onto a plane with blackened windows and unknown destination--in violation of a specific provision of the Honduran constitution which forbids the forced exile of any Honduran citizen--after they shoot up your house and terrify your family and rip up the constitution and the rule of law. Then you don't need "safe passage" or "asylum" cuz the rule of law doesn't exist.

What is this crap from the "de facto regime (of) Roberto Micheletti"?

"'We can report that Mr. Manuel Zelaya has not asked for safe passage, or asylum, a prerequisite for you to leave the country. Nor has any other country has asked for anything,' said press secretary Rene Zepeda curtly. 'Right now we have nothing to say about it,' he added."

"Curtly," no less!

:mad: :thumbsdown:

[EFerrari]

10. Where is Hillary Clinton?

[VanW]

6. magbana's got it:

http://hondurasoye.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/dr-president-fernandez-says-zelaya-and-lobo-to-meet-in-santo-domingo-next-week/


from the longer AP story:

"Zelaya also did not confirm that a meeting is set with Lobo.

He told The Associated Press only that he was grateful to Fernandez for seeking to arrange the meeting.

“We are thankful for President Fernandez’s gesture because it shows his intention to solve the Honduran crisis in an effort to benefit Central America. We are analyzing his proposal and we are in communication with President Fernandez,” Zelaya said."

[VanW]

11. Zelaya has no concrete plan to travel to Dominican Republic

Globovision (translated):


The deposed Honduran president Manuel Zelaya appreciates the efforts of the Dominican Republic's President Leonel Fernández, to resolve the crisis in Honduras, but "so far" has no concrete plans to travel to Santo Domingo, an aide said Saturday.

Fernandez said Friday that President-elect Zelaya of Honduras, the rightist Porfirio Lobo, would go to Santo Domingo to talk Monday, but it seems unlikely that the Honduran de facto regime will let out of the country the ousted president after denying the pass to travel to Mexico.


http://www.globovision.com/news.php?nid=135508