Talks between the ousted and interim governments of Honduras have ended, with no solution in sight.
Representatives
of toppled President Manuel Zelaya and interim President Roberto
Micheletti failed to reach an agreement Friday during their second day
of talks in Costa Rica.
Costa Rican President Oscar Arias is mediating the negotiations. He said the two sides have agreed to meet again.
Friday's
talks took place one day after President Arias met separately at his
home with Mr. Zelaya and Mr. Micheletti, who have refused to talk
together.
The Costa Rican leader has been quoted as saying that
resolving the crisis "could possibly take longer than one might have
imagined." After the talks Thursday, the two rivals continued to
maintain their unconditional right to lead Honduras.
The United
States supports Mr. Zelaya and has refused to recognize the interim
government, but is supporting the Costa Rica negotiations.
Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez has criticized the talks and the Costa Rican
president's decision to meet with Mr. Micheletti, referring to him as a
"usurper."
Mr. Chavez' close socialist ally, former Cuban
leader Fidel Castro, also has made his views known. In an article
published late Friday, Mr. Castro warned that Mr. Zelaya must be
returned to power or Latin America could be swept by a wave of military
coups. He attributed the threat to right-wing military leaders trained
by the United States.
Mr. Zelaya is one of several leftist leaders in Latin America who have become allies of President Chavez and Mr. Castro.
The
caretaker government has accused Mr. Zelaya of illegally trying to
change the constitution in order to extend his term. The issue has
deeply divided the country, where supporters of both sides have held
competing demonstrations.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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