Tegucigalpa, July 23 (DPA) The impasse over Honduras' political future hardened further Wednesday as thousands of supporters of the de-facto government marched through the streets.
They answered the call of Roberto Micheletti, declared head of the de-facto government after President Manuel Zelaya was ousted and exiled June 28, by Congress, the Supreme Court and the military.
Mediation overtures by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias have come to a standstill as Micheletti and Zelaya hurled mutual verbal attacks at each other and vowed that they would not share power in a reconciliation government, as Arias has proposed.
Although the Organisation of American States (OAS) has suspended Honduras' membership until Zelaya, the democratically elected leader, is restored, cracks started forming in the alliance as countries chose sides.
Micheletti's de-facto foreign minister, Carlos Lopez Contreras, declared that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has expressed his 'affection' for the conservative Micheletti government.
Lopez declared that Colombia is a friend because, like Honduras, Colombia is a victim of 'common external aggressors such as (Venezuelan President) Hugo Chavez'.
Chavez has led the push to restore Zelaya to the Honduran presidency. On Wednesday, Cuba also chimed in, with the retired revolutionary leader Fidel Castro charging in an essay that the mediator Arias was really trying to make sure Micheletti and his 'putschists' remain in power.
'Arias is an articulate neoliberal who is devoted to the interests of the US,' Castro wrote.
Micheletti's government boycotted Wednesday's resumption of mediation talks in Costa Rica, official sources in Tegucigalpa said. After the weekend stalemate in the talks, Arias had given the two sides until Wednesday to consider his own seven-point proposal and reassemble in San Jose for further talks.