The Honduran government issued a decree 27 September limiting civil rights on the eve of an expected massive demonstration in the capital Tegucigalpa in favour of ousted President Manuel Zelaya. The measures make it easier for the army to arrest protesters, and allows the government to act against pro-Zelaya media. The government refused entry into the country 27 September of a delegation from the Organisation of Amerian States (OAS) that flew into Tegucigalpa in the hope of reopening talks aimed at defusing the crisis. In Washington, the US representative to the OAS called on the de facto government to exercise restraint and caution and said Zelaya’s return to the country without a settlement was “irresponsible and foolish”, adding that he should “desist …  from acting as though he were starring in an old movie.”

Brazil’s president Lula da Silva said while in Venezuela that he would ignore a Honduran government demand to hand Zelaya over to Honduran authorities within 10 days to face trial, or to grant him asylum in Brazil. Zelaya has spent the past week in the Brazilian embassy after secretly returning to the country. Lula has warned the Honduran de facto government to respect the integrity of the Brazilian embassy in Honduras. Honduras has cut electricity and water supplies to the embassy. The Vienna convention on diplomatic rights prohibits the use of force against diplomatic personnel and installations. It also proscribes the use of diplomatic installations for political purposes. Zelaya has been using the media to call for his supporters to converge on Tegucigalpa to force an end to the political crisis. At least one person was killed following clashes with the police over the weekend.

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