Ousted Honduran President, Manuel Zelaya (C), waves to supporters and reporters after arriving at the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa on Sept. 21, 2009. Manuel Zelaya, who was deposed from Honduras' presidency by a June 28 military coup, told media on Monday that he had returned to the nation's capital Tegucigalpa.
Manuel Zelaya, who was deposed from Honduras' presidency by a June 28 military coup, confirmed to Cable News Network (CNN) on Monday that he is in the Brazilian embassy in Honduran capital Tegucigalpa saying he had returned to the nation to negotiate a peaceful return to democracy.
"Thanks to Brazil's President Luis Inacio da Silva and its Foreign Minister Celso Amorim we have protection and a home in the Brazilian embassy," Zelaya told the broadcaster. "That is where we are going to be for the moment."
He said that he had arrived in the capital thanks to a trip through the mountains of more than 15 hours, changing his mode of transport regularly in order to evade the checkpoints set up by the post-coup regime led by former legislative speaker Roberto Micheletti.
"I have come back to be in my homeland and with my people," he said. "I am seeking a peaceful conclusion to Honduras' crisis."
He said he was willing to negotiate with members of the Micheletti government and leading Hondurans in order to return the nation to democracy. He added that Secretary General of the Organization of American States Juan Miguel Insulza had already telephoned him to express support and would be seeking to reach Honduras to help with negotiations.
"I have support domestically and internationally. That is going to allow us to create a peace mechanism for the nation," he said.
