Venezuelan, Cuban, and Nicaraguan Ambassadors to Honduras Kidnapped

By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com
June 28, 2009

Military personnel kidnapped the ambassadors of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua in Honduras, along with the Honduran Foreign Relations Minister Patricia Rodas, according to Venezuela's ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Roy Chaderton.

Chaderton made the announcement just before noon today during an emergency meeting of the OAS in Washington that was convened to respond to the military coup d'etat underway in the Honduras.

"Excuse the interruption, it is an urgent matter. I have just received information in this moment that the ambassadors of Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela,and Foreign Relations Minister Patricia Rodas have been kidnapped by a group ofhooded military agents," said Chaderton.

Rodas confirmed the kidnapping in a hurried phone call to the Caracas-based television channel Telesur as the kidnapping was underway, according to Telesur.

Early this morning, approximately 200 soldiers kidnapped Honduran President Manuel Zelaya from his home and took over the state television station. A conflict between Zelaya and top military officials erupted this week after the military officials impeded the distribution of electoral materials for a national poll scheduled for today on whether to have a national referendumto re-write the national constitution.

The president of the Honduran Congress, Roberto Micheletti, has been sworn in as de facto president. U.S. President Barack Obama expressed his "concern" and called for all parties to "respect democratic norms" and peacefully resolve the conflict. Zelaya has communicated with Telesur from San Jose, Costa Rica, where the military forcibly transported him.

Source: Venezuelanalysis.com