Costa Rican to Mediate Honduran Crisis
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that Costa Rican President Oscar Arias will serve as international mediator in the Honduran political crisis.
Clinton made the announcement at the U.S. State Department after meeting privately with ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, who was forced into exile on June 28.
She said Zelaya, as well as the politician who took over as Honduran leader, Roberto Micheletti, agreed to the Arias role as mediator. She said Arias would work on the problem from Costa Rica.
"It is our hope that through this dialogue mechanism overseen by President Arias that there can be a restoration of democratic, constitutional order, a peaceful resolution of this matter that will enable the Honduran people to see the restoration of democracy and a more peaceful future going forward," she said.
Clinton noted that Arias won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for helping broker an end to Central America's civil wars. She said she spoke to him earlier Tuesday.
"He is the natural person to assume this role," she told reporters, adding that while the Obama administration continues to support the efforts of the Organization of American States to resolve the crisis, she felt it was necessary to also name a specific mediator.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting Zelaya said he was pleased with the development and Arias' appointment.
"I have accepted Dr. Arias' mediation," he said, adding that he believed "the international community is still supporting democracy in Honduras."
Clinton called on all parties to refrain from further violence in an effort to resolve the political crisis and said she was "heartened" that Zelaya had agreed to Arias' mediation and would not again try to force his way back to Honduras as he did over the weekend.
"I believe it is a better route for him to follow at this time than to attempt to return in the face of the implacable opposition of the de facto regime," she said. "So instead of another confrontation that might result in the loss of life, let's try the dialogue process and see where that leads, and let the parties determine all the various issues."
Zelaya, a wealthy rancher who moved to the left after his election and allied himself with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, made an unsuccessful attempt to return home on Sunday in a move that sparked clashes between his supporters and security forces at the Tegucigalpa airport and left at least one person dead
Clinton would not discuss specifics of the mediation process, which she said would begin soon, but a senior U.S. official said one option being considered would be to forge a compromise under which Zelaya would be allowed to return and serve out his remaining six months in office with limited powers.
Zelaya, in return, would pledge to drop his aspirations for a constitutional change that might allow him to run for another term, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the diplomatic exchanges.
Meanwhile in Honduras, Micheletti, who had vowed not to negotiate until "things return to normal," appeared to open some space for a settlement.
"We support Clinton's attempt at advancing talks in this situation, particularly her efforts at finding a peaceful solution that is consistent with our national security and sovereignty," Micheletti said in a nationally broadcast statement.
He did not repeat his earlier insistence that Zelaya's return is not negotiable, though he did say that Zelaya broke the law. The new government has threatened to arrest Zelaya for 18 alleged criminal acts, including treason and failing to implement more than 80 laws approved by Honduran lawmakers since he took office in 2006.
But in another hint that compromise might be possible, a Honduran Supreme Court official said Tuesday that political amnesty for Zelaya is possible.
The Obama administration had offered only lukewarm support for Zelaya - aimed more at bolstering his legal status as Honduras' duly elected president than supporting him personally.