Honduran coup government raids and silences opposition media.

The government has issued an emergency decreee that suspends civil liberties. This is obviously a prelude to a crackdown on the mass protests that are being planned to march on Tegucigalpa and force the regime to re-instate Zelaya. There could be a great deal of bloodletting. The TV channel had been raided before and chemicals used to damage equipment but the station was soon back on the air. Now no opposition news will get out except perhaps by the internet and sources such as Twitter."

Those staying in the Brazilian embassy have been subjected to harassment of various sorts and apparently there is some contamination that has made some sick. The Micheletti govt. seems to feel that it can snub the OAS, the UN, and also the U.S. with impunity although the U.S. has cut off some aid and cancelled the visas of some coup leaders. So far no country has recognised the Micheletti government but from blogs and news media it is clear that in the US and elsewhere there are many supporters of the coup leaders line that there was no coup that this is all just an exercise in protecting the Honduran constitution! This is from AP via Yahoo.

""""TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - Honduras' coup-installed government silenced two key dissident broadcasters on Monday just hours after it suspended civil liberties to prevent an uprising by backers of ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Dozens of soldiers raided the offices of Radio Globo. Officials also shut down Channel 36 television station, leaving it broadcasting only a test pattern.

Rene Zepeda, a spokesman for the interim government, said the two outlets had been taken off the air in accordance with a government emergency decree announced late Sunday that limits civil liberties and allows authorities to close news media that "attack peace and public order."

Supporters of the deposed leftist president vowed to march in the streets Monday in defiance of the emergency order and carry out what Zelaya calls a "final offensive" against his ouster on the three-month anniversary of the coup.

"They took away all the equipment. This is the death of the station," said Radio Globo owner Alejandro Villatoro, describing the dawn raid on the station.

Station employees scrambled out of an emergency exit to escape the raid that Villatoro said involved as many as 200 soldiers.

".......................................

Organization of American States in Washington called a high-level emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the Honduras crisis after the interim government expelled most members of an OAS advance team that had arrived Sunday to try to restart negotiations.

Lopez said Brazil had broken relations by withdrawing its ambassador and said if it does not restore ties, the diplomatic mission would become a private office - implying it could be raided by police.

Protesters say at least 10 people have been killed since the coup, while the government puts the toll at three.

While many nations have announced they would send diplomatic representatives back to Honduras to support negotiations, the interim government said Sunday that it would not automatically accept ambassadors back from some nations that withdrew their envoys.

Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.Questions or CommentsPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCopyright/IP Policy """"