Asia-Pacific
Zelaya to exit Honduras in win for coup leaders
(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-01-27 16:47
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 Honduras' President-elect Porfirio Lobo arrives at Honduras Maya Hotel before a private meeting with Colombia's Vice-President Francisco Santos in Tegucigalpa January 12, 2010. [Agencies] |
Hoping For Aid
Lobo, a wealthy landowner from the same ranching province as Zelaya, said he just wants to move on from Central America's worst political crisis in decades and get aid flowing again.
"I know we are going to normalize (relations) with everyone," Lobo told reporters at a news conference the day before his swearing-in ceremony.
Most Hondurans are eager to leave the turmoil behind.
"It's a relief that now there is less pressure from the outside," said Jorge Sierra, a 43-year-old security guard.
Business leaders and political foes from Zelaya's own party accused him of violating the constitution to stay in power.
Zelaya denies the charges but still has an order out for his arrest. Under the deal struck with Lobo to whisk him quickly to the Dominican Republic, he can avoid prosecution.
He has promised to return one day but his political future seems dim.
As a sign that Honduras is trying to erase memories of the coup, a Supreme Court judge cleared military leaders of any wrongdoing on Tuesday after prosecutors accused them of abuse of power for rousting Zelaya from his bed at gunpoint.
