page_title: Chronology of the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis
section_title: July 1
hierarchical_section_title: Chronology of the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis / July 2009 / July 1
caption_attribution_description: "Zelaya and Chavez STAY OUT", "We want peace", "We want peace", "peace!". Original: Manifestación pacífica, miércoles 1 de Julio, Casa de las Naciones Unidas, Tegucigalpa.
context_page_description: The 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis was a political confrontation concerning the events that led to, included, and followed the 2009 Honduran coup d'état and the political breakdown associated with it. The coup was repudiated around the globe, but Roberto Micheletti, head of the government installed after the coup, has claimed that the Honduran Supreme Court ordered the detention of Manuel Zelaya, deposed President of Honduras, and that the following succession was constitutionally valid.
  The policies of Zelaya drifted to the left, causing conflicts with the political establishment. He advocated a constitutional assembly to write or reform the constitution with a fourth ballot box referendum, but opponents considered writing or reforming the constitution via a referendum was unconstitutional.
  Following the removal of Zelaya as President, there were problems with the interim presidency of Roberto Micheletti and efforts that were being made to resolve the political crisis both domestically and internationally. The crisis ended after President Porfirio Lobo assumed office in January 2010.
context_section_description: The Organization of American States General Assembly agreed on Wednesday to a resolution which "condemns vehemently" Zelaya's removal and gives Honduras three days to restore Zelaya to the presidency or face possible suspension from the group. Zelaya then announced that he would postpone his planned return, which was initially scheduled for Thursday, July 2. Instead, he would wait until the OAS deadline runs out, and then return to his country. The United States also said it would wait until the deadline ran out before considering what to do about US aid to Honduras, which by law must be cut off if a head of state is overthrown in a coup. After the OAS meeting in Washington, Zelaya flew to Panama City in order to attend Ricardo Martinelli's inauguration as President of Panama.
  Zelaya plans to return to Honduras with a delegation of Latin American leaders, including the Presidents of Argentina and Ecuador. Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez said that if there was aggression against the delegation, military action by the United Nations might be warranted.
  Meanwhile, Interim President Roberto Micheletti reiterated that Zelaya would be arrested as soon as he were to set foot in the country. In an interview with the Associated Press, Micheletti said that only a foreign invasion could restore Zelaya as president. "(Zelaya) can no longer return to the presidency of the republic unless a president from another Latin American country comes and imposes him using guns. I was appointed by Congress, which represents the Honduran people. Nobody can make me resign unless I break the laws of the country", said Micheletti.
  Micheletti later announced at a press conference that a delegation representing the new government would travel to Washington on Wednesday to meet with the OAS. The delegation would explain to OAS General Secretary José Miguel Insulza "what really happened" in Honduras, according to Micheletti. However, Insulza said about this that he has not programmed any meeting with them. The Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin, said he would not receive the new Honduran Chancellor and envoy of Micheletti Enrique Ortiz Colindres.
  The Washington Post reported that Spain, France, Italy, Chile, and Colombia began recalling their ambassadors on July 1. The United States announced the suspension of joint military operations.
  Some members of the Honduran Congress said that they were discussing ways of reaching a compromise among themselves that would reinstate Zelaya. They warned, however, that such a deal could be a hard sell, given the widespread opposition to Zelaya in Congress.
  The New York Times reported that despite the uncompromising public statements of the two sides, O.A.S. officials claimed they had begun informal talks with people close to the Micheletti government to seek a peaceful resolution. The Times said that one proposal that had been floated was for an amnesty for the people who overthrew Zelaya in exchange for his reinstatement and a guarantee that he would not seek another term.
  Both pro- and anti-Zelaya demonstrations continued throughout the country. The largest anti-Zelaya rally occurred in Choluteca, which received heavy coverage by the Honduran press. The pro-Zelaya protests were largely ignored by the same media outlets. Pro-Zelaya protesters claim that the authorities are trying to prevent them from converging to protest, while allowing pro-Micheletti demonstrators easy access to popular places for demonstrations.
  The pro-Zelaya protesters have been targeting a Burger King franchise in central Tegucigalpa that is owned by Micheletti supporters. The restaurant has been looted several times. Also, several hundred pro-Zelaya student activists erected barricades of boulders, signposts and metal sheeting near the presidential palace. They covered their faces with bandanas and carried bats, branches and gasoline-filled bottles. Eventually however the activists removed the barricades and joined a larger, peaceful protest.
  There was evidence that Venezuelan, Nicaraguan and Cuban nationalities had atte
caption: Hondurans promoting peace and opposing Zelaya and Chavez
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