Honduras Membership Suspended within the Organization of American States

The Special General Assembly of the
Organization of American States (OAS) decided today to suspend
immediately the right to participate in the institution of Honduras
following the coup d'Etat that expelled President Jos-
Manuel Zelaya from power.

In a resolution adopted by
acclamation by all Member States at the headquarters of the
organization in Washington, DC, the Special General Assembly
instructed the OAS Secretary General, Jos- Miguel Insulza, "to
reinforce all diplomatic initiatives and to promote other initiatives
for the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in the Republic
of Honduras and the reinstatement of President Jos- Manuel
Zelaya Rosales."

The document also encourages "the
Member States and international organizations to review their
relations with the Republic of Honduras during the period of the
diplomatic initiatives." It also reaffirms that Honduras "must
continue to fulfill its obligations as a member of the Organization,
in particular with regard to human rights", and urges "the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to continue to take all
necessary measures to protect and defend human rights and fundamental
freedoms in Honduras."

The Special General Assembly was
attended by the President of Argentina, Cristina Fern-ndez de
Kirchner, the President of Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, y President
Zelaya, who announced his intention to travel tomorrow back to
Honduras.

In his speech to the plenary session,
President Zelaya highlighted that "this is a very peculiar moment
in the history of the Americas." After explaining the circumstances
surrounding of the coup d'Etat, President Zelaya stressed that "the
Honduran people have lived already six days of repression. The people
are suffering." The Honduran leader praised the attitude of the OAS
and its Member States: "You, by raising your voice, are giving hope
to the Americas, and you are giving hope to the people of Honduras."

The President of Argentina said that
the detention and expulsion of President Zelaya from his country were
the equivalent of "kidnapping the democratic restoration in Latin
America". After remembering the negative effects of several past
coups in the continent, President Fern-ndez de Kirchner
expressed her support for President Zelaya and her wish that he be
restored to power as an "act of justice to the people of Honduras
and of unconditional respect of Human Rights."

President Lugo mentioned that all
countries in the Americas feel for the current suffering of Honduras
and particularly of President Zelaya. "Forced exile is one of the
greatest punishments", he said. The Paraguayan leader said the coup
was a "blow to the democratic conscience of the Continent", and
also expressed his support for President Zelaya addressing him
directly: "President Zelaya, we have known and we have started to
love your people, and also the manner, the style of your government."

The General Assembly reached an
agreement after listening to the report of Secretary General Insulza
regarding the initiatives undertaken in the 72 previous hours trying
to restore democracy, the Rule of Law and President Zelaya in power,
as mandated by the resolution adopted by the same Special General
Assembly on Wednesday.

Insulza described his conversations
with members of the judicial and legislative Powers in Honduras, as
well as political, business and social sectors. His initiatives
included a visit to Honduras, where the Secretary General saw "an
atmosphere of extreme tension."

The head of the OAS explained that
the attitude of the de facto regime was "extremely firm" and
"inflexible," and therefore he said that "there seems to be no
alternative" but to suspend Honduras membership to the
organization.The Secretary General specified that
it "should be clear that this is not an action against Honduras or
against its people, but rather a means of pressure against the de
facto government."

After the resolution was adopted, the
Secretary General expressed his satisfaction for "the success
achieved today, because a historic resolution such as this one that
we have adopted unanimously has important repercussions not only for
the Honduran people and its legitimate government, but also for the
life of this organization."