Honduras: Army Rises, Ships President to Costa Rica

Today was supposed to be the day that Hondurans voted on a referendum which would allow changes to the constitution: among the changes was a provision allowing re-election for president Manuel Zelaya. It won't happen: the referendum was opposed by Congress, and the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional. When it became apparent that Zelaya wanted to go ahead with the vote, the military got involved. Early this morning, masked soldiers stormed the Presidential residence, arrested Zelaya and put him on a plane to Costa Rica. Zelaya has protested on CNN and by telephone interviews to other media outlets. In Honduras, Congress is prepared to swear in the next in line, President of Congress Roberto Micheletti. The capital of Tegucigalpa has been occupied by the army, and tanks and troops control every important building and street. Zelaya's opposition in Congress claims to have a signed letter of resignation, which has been formally accepted, a claim Zelaya denies. The leftist Zelaya is a close ally of the Castros in Cuba and Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. In the United States, President Obama has issued a statement urging all involved parties to use peace and democracy to sort out their differences.