US backs high-stakes Honduras mission

[Judi Lynn]

US backs high-stakes Honduras mission
1 hr 7 mins ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States on Monday strongly backed a seven-nation mission aimed at ending Honduras' political crisis, saying it supplied an aircraft that took the delegation to the Central American nation.

The head of the Organization of American States, Jose Miguel Insulza, flew to Honduras with seven foreign ministers to persuade the post-coup government to accept a proposal to reinstall ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

"We firmly support their visit," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters.

"We continue to believe that the Honduran people deserve a peaceful negotiated agreement to which all parties can commit, and that this accord presents the best opportunity," he said.

Kelly said the US government, responding to the mission's request, provided a C-17 aircraft to fly the delegation from Miami to an airbase near the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090824/pl_afp/honduraspoliticsmilitarycoupus_20090824213201

[rabs]

1. U.S. suspending visas to Hondurans

About time. Took almost two months. This will affect monied golpista supporters; the pueblo's resistance masses have no reason (or money) to travel to Disney World.

----------------------------------------------

State Department announced in Washington today that as of tomorrow (Wednesday), the U.S. Consulate in Honduras will suspend issuing all visas, except in cases of emergency.

Brief communique said the measure was to favor a negotiated solution to the political crisis and to support the OAS foreign ministers' mission.

====================================

EE UU suspende emisión de visas en Honduras
"El departamento de Estado decidió revisar totalmente la política de visas en Honduras", señaló del comunicado
25.08.09 - Actualizado: 25.08.09 02:01pm - Redacción: [e-mail]


A partir de mañana miércoles, la embajada de Estados Unidos en Honduras suspenderá la emisión de visas, anunció este día en un comunicado el Departamento de Estado.

La medida es "para favorecer una salida negociada a la crisis política" y "como apoyo a la misión de cancilleres de la región en Tegucigalpa", dice el documento.

"El departamento de Estado decidió revisar totalmente la política de visas en Honduras", señaló del comunicado.

"Como parte de esa revisión, vamos a suspender los servicios de visa no urgentes para los no inmigrantes en la sección consular de nuestra embajada a partir de este miércoles 26 de agosto".

"Creemos firmemente que una solución negociada (a la crisis) es la forma apropiada con el propósito de avanzar y que el acuerdo de San José es la mejor solución", concluye el comunicado enviado por el departamento de Estado.

[Judi Lynn]

2. This is somewhat overdue, isn't it? Some of them already went to Washington, of course,

after they withdrew the "official" visas, anyway.

Thanks.