WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- International diplomatic moves to defuse the crisis in Honduras after a June 28 military coup that ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya have moved to the U.S. capital as Obama administration officials seek clarifications from the de facto regime.
A Honduran delegation that arrived in Washington for talks with the Organization of American States has also been meeting with senior administration officials.
State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters the talks had taken place and included acting Assistant Secretary of State Craig Kelly. "But it in no way -- I'd like to emphasize -- this in no way is meant to imply any kind of acceptance of the de facto regime in Tegucigalpa," he said.
He said the talks were to prepare for a fact-finding visit to the Honduran capital by ministers from the OAS member states.
Latin American sources told United Press International the lobbyists for coup leader Roberto Micheletti were continuing with their charm offensive, which began soon after the military catapulted Zelaya into exile, with no fixed itinerary or base for his continuing bid to return to power.
The current visit to Washington follows several minor lobbying missions sent to the U.S. capital by Micheletti's interim government.
The sources said the lobbyists seemed encouraged by the administration's cautious approach toward the interim regime, indicated by visa cancellations for the coup elite but no punitive sanctions.
The focus of Honduran lobbying in Washington is on convincing the Obama administration the new regime can be a good thing for U.S. interests in South America.
Micheletti has already been sworn in by the Honduran Congress as president, and aides have ruled out a return to power for Zelaya, the centerpiece of a mediation effort by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias. The United States has said in the past it backs the Arias initiative and will not recognize Micheletti's de facto regime.
However, the Arias initiative appears to have been derailed from an unexpected quarter. The 68-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner contracted the H1N1 swine flu and had to stay at home, continuing his rule via telephone and computer. Analysts now doubt if Arias can devote sufficient energy to try and break the Honduran impasse.
Meanwhile, the Honduran regime is on a diplomatic high drive, seeking legitimacy through whatever means it finds at its disposal.
Micheletti said this week the only way Zelaya could return would be to face 18 charges of violating the Honduran Constitution.
Zelaya's dramatic attempts to maintain momentum in his campaign notwithstanding -- he has had hundreds of fans demonstrating or going on strike in Honduras or on the Nicaragua border -- the ousted leader has seen U.S. support wane.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., called upon Obama to drop his "unabashed support for Zelaya." Richard Lugar, R-Ind., from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote in a letter that the U.S. "policy and strategy for engagement is not based on supporting any particular politician or individual."
U.S. politicians have also noted that the coup was triggered by Zelaya's own provocative actions that polarized Honduran society. Zelaya's proposition to legalize drugs and his drift away from a moderate reformist position have highlighted the stark contrast between his policies as president and concerted U.S. endeavors to beat drug-trafficking from Latin America. Honduras lies on the transit route for cocaine between Colombia and the United States.
In comments this week, Micheletti said he doesn't expect Obama to enact tough economic sanctions against Honduras.
More pertinent to the U.S. critics of Zelaya, Micheletti said Zelaya can't be trusted because he violated the Honduran Constitution by trying to hold a referendum so that he could secure re-election.
"He'd never keep his word," Micheletti said. "I know him. I helped him become president. He was a democrat. But he became a leftist with a plan to follow Ecuador and Venezuela. He wanted to become a dictator and emulate (Venezuelan President Hugo) Chavez."
The fact that Chavez has backed Zelaya while whipping up a campaign against Colombian-U.S. military cooperation has not won the ousted leader friends in the U.S. Congress.
