Thousands of Zelaya's supporters march to the capital's airport, July 5, 2009. Zelaya's jet was blocked from landing.
Editor: The situation in the Honduran crisis took a dramatic and deadly turn today, July 5th. We have heard reports that two supporters of deposed President Manuel Zelaya were killed in clashes with police at the capital’s airport, with thirty injured. Thousands of his supporters had marched on the airport in anticipation of his return there today. But Zelaya’s jet was blocked from landing, and the plane flew to El Salvador. Here is the most recent MSM report, from CNN, posted at 7:30 pm PDT:
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (CNN) — Deposed Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya said he was denied permission to land at Tegucigalpa’s airport Sunday evening after a deadly clash between Zelaya’s supporters and government troops.
A plane carrying ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya flies over Tegucigalpa on Sunday.
Zelaya told the Venezuela-based news network Telesur that his jet was denied permission to land in Tegucigalpa, where military vehicles were arrayed on the runway. The aircraft was en route to San Salvador, the capital of neighboring El Salvador, after what Zelaya called a “fruitless” attempt to land.
At least one person was killed and eight wounded after security forces opened fire and used tear gas on protesters who ringed Tegucigalpa’s airport, said Hugo Orellana, a Red Cross director in Honduras. Protest leaders put the death toll at three.
After being denied permission to land in Honduras, Zelaya’s plane made a stop to refuel in Nicaragua’s capital, Managua.
Police and military block the airport runway preventing President Zelaya's plane from landing.
During the stop, he met with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega — who is a leftist ally of both Zelaya and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez — and told Telesur that his supporters had been trying to remove obstacles from the runway in Tegucigalpa when troops opened fire. “The people pulled back when fired upon,” he said.
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great! now i suppose we have to watch for a bunch of honduran restaurants opening up.
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