The Foreign minister of Brazil, Celso Amorim, declared that the new president of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, acted in a politically positive manner when he negotiated a safe conduct for the deposed president, Manuel Zelaya.
The gesture enabled Zelaya to leave Honduras after being holed up in the Brazilian embassy for 126 days and travel to the Dominican Republic.
The praise for Lobo seems to indicate that a change is underway in Brazil’s position with regard to Honduras. Since the coup in that country in June 2009, Brazil has been unyielding in its position: zero relations with the government that came into being through a coup. Period.
Amorim said that Lobo had made some positive steps but needed to advance further. Do more in the direction of “reconciliation” so as to put an end to political and social instability. “I see some positive steps on the path to reconciliation. We will wait and see how this evolves,” said Amorim.
Then Amorim added: “The fact that president Lobo went to the Brazilian embassy and escorted Zelaya to the airport was a good indication of reconciliation!” It is of fundamental importance to maintain an air of reconciliation, the minister concluded.
The issue of Honduras is high on the agenda of a Rio Group meeting scheduled for Cancun, Mexico in February, which will bring together presidents and foreign ministers. It is almost certain that the question of the new government’s legitimacy will be worked out at that time.
The US government has now normalized its relations with Honduras. On Friday, American ambassador Hugo Llorens met with president Porfirio Lobo Sosa.
