CBS:

Honduras' interim government closed its main airport to all flights on Monday after blocking the runway to prevent the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Clashes with his supporters caused the first death in a week of protests.

Police and soldiers blanketed the streets of the capital early Monday, enforcing a sunset-to-sunrise curfew with batons and metal poles. Civil aviation authorities announced a 24-hour ban on all flights at the country's main airport starting Monday morning.

Soldiers clashed Sunday with thousands of Zelaya backers massed at the airport in hopes of welcoming home the deposed leader removed a week earlier.

But military vehicles and soldiers blocked the runway. Pilots of the plane loaned by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez circled the airport and decided not to risk a crash.

Zelaya instead headed for El Salvador, and vowed to try again Monday or Tuesday in his high-stakes effort to return to power in a country where all branches of government have lined up against him.

Zelaya is banking on the confrontation keeping the pressure on the new Honduran government, reported CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier.

"I call on the Armed Forces of Honduras to lower their rifles," he said late Sunday at a news conference, flanked by the presidents of El Salvador, Argentina, Paraguay and Ecuador, and the secretary-general of the Organization of American States, Jose Miguel Insulza, who flew there from Washington.

"I am risking myself personally to resolve the problems without violence," said Zelaya,

If he was really interested in resolving the problems without violence, he would never return there. He just wants power back.

Meanwhile it looks like that shots which hurt several demonstrators, were fired by other demonstrators who were supporting Zelaya.

Maria Anastasia O'Grady has written a very good piece in WSJ titled: "Honduras defends its democracy".



There is a very interesting connection in drug trade: FARC-Venezuela-Honduras. Actually, 40% of the drug which enters in Europe comes from Venezuela.From this blog we have more interesting data:

Honduras and other Central American nations have become major transshipment points in recent years for Colombian cocaine, particularly as Mexico’s government cracks down on cartels.

The drugs arrive in Honduras on non-commercial aircraft from Venezuela and increasingly in speedboats from Colombia, according to the Key West, Florida-based Joint Interagency Task Force-South, which coordinates drug interdiction in region.

To combat that, Zelaya wanted to legalise drug consumption. I believe that would have been a major movement: everyone could take drugs freely. Yes, the rise on the offered drug would low the price, but the lower price and the freedom to take drugs would surely produce a rise in the people who take drugs. Regarding the rise in insecurity as a result of the drug cartels using the country to transport the drugs, I am not sure that would be ended just because of a legalization. Firstly, drug cartels are not only onto drugs, but diversify their business. So it's probable that, if a legalization arrived, they would smuggle tobacco or other things. Secondly, the legalization of drugs (as happens with tobacco) can't be done to allow any type of drug as there are some who are lethal. So, no one tells the supporters of legalization that there wouldn't be people who would take those drugs to proof their effects.

Last news: US diplomacy will not have even a meeting with an Honduran delegation who has arrived in Washington but will speak with Mel Zelaya. The reason? They haven't recognised that Government, because it wasn't elected democratically. Ja!