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| Honduran leader forced into exile | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Troops in Honduras have detained the president and flown him out of the country after a power struggle over plans to change the constitution. | |
| President Manuel Zelaya was flown to Costa Rica from an air force base outside the capital, Tegucigalpa. | President Manuel Zelaya was flown to Costa Rica from an air force base outside the capital, Tegucigalpa. |
| Mr Zelaya, elected for a non-renewable four-year term in January 2006, wanted a vote to extend his time in office. | Mr Zelaya, elected for a non-renewable four-year term in January 2006, wanted a vote to extend his time in office. |
| His arrest came just before the start of a referendum ruled illegal by the Supreme Court and opposed by Congress. | |
| There was also resistance within Mr Zelaya's own party to the plan to hold the vote. | |
| Reuters news agency reports that police fired teargas at about 500 supporters of Mr Zelaya who had gathered outside the presidential palace. | Reuters news agency reports that police fired teargas at about 500 supporters of Mr Zelaya who had gathered outside the presidential palace. |
| 'Arrested in pyjamas' | |
| 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. | 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. |
| This was a plot by a very voracious elite, which wants to keep this country in an extreme level of poverty President Manuel Zelaya | |
| Early on Sunday, witnesses saw dozens of troops surround Mr Zelaya's residence. | |
| In other developments: | 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 | |
| From Costa Rica, Mr Zelaya told Venezuelan TV that Honduran soldiers had arrested him in his pyjamas. | |
| "I'm in San Jose in Costa Rica," he said. "I've been the victim of a kidnapping by a group of Honduran soldiers. | |
| "This was a plot by a very voracious elite, an elite which wants only to keep this country isolated, in an extreme level of poverty. It doesn't care about the people, it's not sensitive to them." | |
| The military's dramatic move came after President Zelaya defied a court order that he should re-instate the chief of the army, Gen Romeo Vasquez. | The military's dramatic move came after President Zelaya defied a court order that he should re-instate the chief of the army, Gen Romeo Vasquez. |
| The president sacked Gen Vasquez late on Wednesday for refusing to help him organise the referendum. | The president sacked Gen Vasquez late on Wednesday for refusing to help him organise the referendum. |
| Mr Zelaya, who under current regulations leaves office next January, also accepted the resignation of the defence minister. | Mr Zelaya, who under current regulations leaves office next January, also accepted the resignation of the defence minister. |
| 'US opposed coup' | 'US opposed coup' |
| The referendum was to ask the population if they approved of a formal vote next November on whether to rewrite the Honduran constitution. | The referendum was to ask the population if they approved of a formal vote next November on whether to rewrite the Honduran constitution. |
| MANUEL ZELAYA Elected for Liberal Party in Nov 2005; beat ruling National Party candidateHas moved Honduras away from its traditional ally the USEnjoys the support of Venezuela's leftist President, Hugo ChavezA civil engineer and rancher by profession | |
| On Thursday, the Honduran Congress approved plans to investigate whether the president should be declared unfit to rule. | On Thursday, the Honduran Congress approved plans to investigate whether the president should be declared unfit to rule. |
| In an interview with Spain's El Pais newspaper published on Sunday, Mr Zelaya said a planned coup against him had been thwarted after the US refused to back it. | In an interview with Spain's El Pais newspaper published on Sunday, Mr Zelaya said a planned coup against him had been thwarted after the US refused to back it. |
| "Everything was in place for the coup and if the US embassy had approved it, it would have happened. But they did not," Mr Zelaya said. | |
| The arrest of Mr Zelaya took place an hour before polls were due to open. | The arrest of Mr Zelaya took place an hour before polls were due to open. |
| Ballot boxes and other voting materials had been distributed by Mr Zelaya's supporters and government employees throughout the Central American country. | Ballot boxes and other voting materials had been distributed by Mr Zelaya's supporters and government employees throughout the Central American country. |
| The president has vowed to transform Honduras, saying the system currently favours the wealthy elite. But his opponents accused him of seeking to rule indefinitely. | The president has vowed to transform Honduras, saying the system currently favours the wealthy elite. But his opponents accused him of seeking to rule indefinitely. |
| Honduras - an impoverished coffee and banana-exporting nation of more than 7 million people - has experienced military coups in the past. | |
| Soldiers overthrew elected presidents in 1963 and again in 1975; the military did not turn the government over to civilians until 1981. | Soldiers overthrew elected presidents in 1963 and again in 1975; the military did not turn the government over to civilians until 1981. |
| Are you in Honduras? Have you seen evidence of military movement in your area? Let us know what is happening near you. | Are you in Honduras? Have you seen evidence of military movement in your area? Let us know what is happening near you. |
| You can send your pictures and video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here. | You can send your pictures and video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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