Army prevents return of ousted Honduran leader

Last night, deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya left Washington in a plane to go home, to challenge those who had ousted him.

But the army blocked the runway and refused to let him land on pain of arrest, so now Zelaya finds himself in El Salvador, after stopping off briefly in Nicaragua.

That country was accused of moving troops close to the Honduran border but the Nicaraguan military said the report was “totally false”.

Pro-Zelaya protesters have been out on the streets and massed at the airport. There were clashes with the security forces that left at least two dead and 30 injured.

Interim president Roberto Micheletti has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew, and warned Zelaya he will be arrested if he sets foot in Honduras again.

However Zelaya says he will continue to try and return, and if he had had a parachute last night, he would have jumped into the airport.

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tags: Coup, Honduras, Military