Thaindian News

United Nations, July 1 (Xinhua) During a speech at the UN General Assembly Wednesday, ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya tearfully recounted how he was bundled into a flight to Costa Rica at gun point by the security forces.
Zelaya said he will return home Thursday with two international diplomats and two Latin American presidents.

Zelaya arrived in New York Tuesday from Nicaragua at the invitation of UN General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, a former Nicaraguan foreign minister, just hours before his address to the 192-member body.

“I will be returning Thursday to Tegucigalpa,” capital of Honduras, Zelaya told reporters after the speech.

“Miguel d’Escoto has said he will travel with me to Tegucigalpa. Today (Wednesday), Cristina Kirchner, president of Argentina, said she would accompany me.

“Secretary-general of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Miguel Insulza and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa will also accompany me. So, this is a struggle for all of us,” he said.

“When the (UN General Assembly) president heard he was going to Washington for the OAS meeting he was invited here,” spokesman for d’Escoto, Enrique Yeves, said.

Zelaya left later in the day for Washington.

The Honduran leader welcomed a UN resolution that condemned the coup d’etat and demanded restoration of a constitutional government.

“This resolution is historic. It is significant and will empower every last citizen of the world,” he said.

“There are those who wish to protect the status quo. It is always difficult to bring about change. The UN is one such instrument to uphold democracy and freedom. I would like to applaud this organisation. Thank you all,” Zelaya told the gathering.

He pointed out “a number of charges” which had been levelled against him: “I have not been put on trial. Nobody has told me what my crime is. No accusations have been brought to my attention by any judge.”

Zelaya was elected in 2005 to a four-year term beginning 2006. “I never thought I would have to hark back to the old days,” he said, referring to the Cold War era when Latin America was rife with rebellion.

Zelaya has been accused with attempting to push for another term in office, forbidden by the present Honduran constitution, through a vote.

“I sought to launch a public survey,” he said.

Zelaya said his opponents alleged “this constituted a crime”. “The law is not binding. It’s comparable to Gallup Polls, a polling entity,” he said.

“I was awoken by shouts, screams and hammering at the door,” he said in his emotionally charged speech at the General Assembly. “These are moments I do not wish to remember. It breaks my heart to see humanity slide backwards.”

As his eyes welled with tears, he recounted hearing rifle shots and attempting to telephone friends to warn them of what was happening, and in particular a journalist who was in the area.

He said at least eight rifles were pointed at his chest by the soldiers in combat gear. “Drop that mobile phone, or we will shoot,” the men in uniform told him. “My mobile phone was snatched from my hand. If it is your order, shoot me. They grabbed my arms and said ‘we’re taking you away’.”

Zelaya said 15 minutes later he was in an airplane to Costa Rica.

“I was dumped at the airport still wearing my night clothes,” he said.