Military Coup in Honduras – Urgent Action Needed

On Sunday, a coup d’état was carried out against President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras by military and political forces hostile to his government. Heavily armed, hooded soldiers arrived at his residence at 5am and, after a scuffle with his security forces, kidnapped Zelaya and flew him to Costa Rica.

Later Sunday afternoon, the Honduran Congress convened an emergency session, where a letter of resignation, supposedly signed by Zelaya was read, and the previous head of Congress, Roberto Micheletti, was sworn in as the new President. Most of Zelaya’s Cabinet has been taken into custody, including Foreign Minister, Patricia Rodas, who was kidnapped by the military despite efforts on the part of Ambassadors from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to prevent her arrest.