Honduran President Sent into Exile

Josh Pringle
Sunday, June 28, 2009

Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is now in Costa Rica after being detained by the military.

Zelaya says he awoke to gunfire in his home and was still in his pajamas when the military forced him to leave the country, adding "this was a brutal kidnapping of me with no justification."

Zelaya was sent into exile hours before a disputed constitutional referendum that could have allowed the president to run for another term.

Honduras' Supreme Court had ruled the referendum was illegal, and is supporting the military in what it called a defence of democracy.

The Honduran Congress has named Congressional President Roberto Micheletti as the new chief executive.

A resolution read on the floor of Congress accuses Zelaya of “manifest irregular conduct” and “putting in present danger the state of law,” a reference to his refusal to obey a Supreme Court ruling against holding a constitutional referendum.