Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has been arrested by troops ahead of a controversial constitutional referendum.

Mr Zelaya's secretary said that the president had been taken to an airbase outside the capital, Tegucigalpa.

The move comes days after the president sacked the armed forces chief, who had refused to back the referendum plan.

Mr Zelaya - elected in 2006 for a non-renewable four-year term - wants a vote to enable him to seek a second term.

"The President of Venezuela has launched an attack on U.S. television network CNN for saturating the news with the death of the 'King of Pop,' while in Honduras, he warned, a coup d'état is taking place. …

'These are the evils of capitalism,' he warned."

MADRID, June 28 (Reuters) - Honduran President Manuel Zelaya told Spain's El Pais that a planned attempt to wrest power him was thwarted after the United States declined to back the move.

"Everything was in place for the coup and if the U.S. embassy had approved it, it would have happened. But they did not ... I'm only still here in office thanks to the United States," he said in the newspaper interview published on Sunday.

Corfu, Greece - The European Union on Sunday condemned the military action taking place in Honduras and asked that constitutional order be returned. "The European Union has condemned the coup and is asking that order be immediately returned," said Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Morantonis during an informal EU foreign ministers meeting.

The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, officially announced his intention to intervene with force, in the political crisis facing Honduras in order to assist the Honduran President in his illegal quest (as declared by Congress and the Supreme Court) to hold a primary vote in order to assist him in changing the Constitution of Honduras.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- "I am deeply concerned by reports coming out of Honduras regarding the detention and expulsion of President Mel Zelaya. As the Organization of American States did on Friday, I call on all political and social actors in Honduras to respect democratic norms, the rule of law and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. Any existing tensions and disputes must be resolved peacefully through dialogue free from any outside interference," President Obama said in a brief statement on Sunday morning.

Originally posted by Muppetus Galacticus

This is what happens when you insist on going against Congress, the military, the court, you own party, I guess. The military chief was fired by Zelaya, with the heads of the army, navy and air force all resigning in support.

The Presidents house is surrounded by troops; no word on the Presidential family. Some reports of power outage and TV stations taken down.

So, right or wrong? Should the Hondurans be allowed to say for themselves if a President should be allowed to run for another term? Or is written law the be all and end all? Will the military take control all over again?

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 28/6/2009 by Muppetus Galacticus]

Protesters reportedly hurled rocks at the soldiers, shouting "Traitors", AP news agency reports, as tanks rolled through the streets and air force jets flew over the capital.

Early on Sunday, witnesses saw dozens of troops surround Mr Zelaya's residence.

In other developments:

• At an emergency meeting in Washington, the Organization of American States condemned what it called a "coup" in Honduras

• Mr Zelaya's ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, blamed "the Yankee empire"

• US President Barack Obama called on Honduras to "respect democratic norms, the rule of law"; the EU condemned Mr Zelaya's arrest

CARACAS, June 28 (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez on Sunday put his troops on alert over a coup in Honduras and said he would respond militarily if his envoy to the Central American country was attacked or kidnapped.

Chavez said Honduran soldiers took away the Cuban ambassador and left the Venezuelan ambassador on the side of a road after beating him during the coup against Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, his close ally.

Speaking on Venezuelan state television, Chavez said he would do everything necessary to "abort" the coup. (Reporting by Frank Jack Daniel and Enrique Andres Pretel)

Obama communicating with the coup forces in Honduras to "feel out" situation

UPDATE: 12: 18pm - Dan Restrepo, Presidential Advisor to President Obama for Latin American Affairs, is currently on CNN en Español. He has just stated that Obama's government is communicating with the coup forces in Honduras, trying to "feel out" the situation. He also responded to the reporter's question regarding whether Washington would recognize a government in Honduras other than President Zelaya's elected government, by saying that the Obama Administration "is waiting to see how things play out" and so long as democratic norms are respected, will work with all sectors. This is a confirmation practically of support for the coup leaders. Restrepo also inferred that other countries are interfering in Honduras' international affairs, obviously referring to Venezuela and other ALBA nations who have condemned the coup with firm statements earlier this morning.

Argentine President says military coup in Honduras is "a return to barbarism"

Télam. National News Agency of Argentina. June 28, 2009. President Cristina Fernández said on Sunday that the military coup in Honduras "is a return to barbarism" in the hemisphere and announced that Argentina will request the Organization of American States (OAS) to demand "the immediate reposition of President Manuel Zelaya", toppled, arrested and beaten by the Honduran military.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has threatened military action after the country's ambassador to Honduras was kidnapped in a coup.