Honduras's Zelaya says US helped thwart coup-paper
MADRID, June 28 (Reuters) - Honduran President Manuel Zelaya told Spain's El Pais that a planned attempt to wrest power him was thwarted after the United States declined to back the move.
"Everything was in place for the coup and if the U.S. embassy had approved it, it would have happened. But they did not ... I'm only still here in office thanks to the United States," he said in the newspaper interview published on Sunday.
"Last (Friday) morning, at around 1 or 2 a.m., Congress was passing a decree to incapacitate me and the armed forces were mobilised. But phone calls were made -- I can't say by who or from where -- but these calls stopped the coup," he said.
Zelaya, an ally of Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chavez, is holding an unofficial vote on Sunday to gauge public support for lifting constitutional limits on presidential terms despite objections by courts and the military.
Sunday's vote will hold no legal weight after a court ruled it invalid.
Zelaya told El Pais he had no intention of re-running for the presidency. Opposition groups say the referendum is designed to keep him in power after the national election in November.
"My government ends January 27, 2010 ... but I want to make it possible that a president can be re-elected in the future. Although I don't know whether I'll be available then," he said. * For more on the Honduras election click on [ID:nN27358735]. (Reporting by Paul Day; Editing by Louise Ireland)
"Everything was in place for the coup and if the U.S. embassy had approved it, it would have happened. But they did not ... I'm only still here in office thanks to the United States," he said in the newspaper interview published on Sunday.
"Last (Friday) morning, at around 1 or 2 a.m., Congress was passing a decree to incapacitate me and the armed forces were mobilised. But phone calls were made -- I can't say by who or from where -- but these calls stopped the coup," he said.
Zelaya, an ally of Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chavez, is holding an unofficial vote on Sunday to gauge public support for lifting constitutional limits on presidential terms despite objections by courts and the military.
Sunday's vote will hold no legal weight after a court ruled it invalid.
Zelaya told El Pais he had no intention of re-running for the presidency. Opposition groups say the referendum is designed to keep him in power after the national election in November.
"My government ends January 27, 2010 ... but I want to make it possible that a president can be re-elected in the future. Although I don't know whether I'll be available then," he said. * For more on the Honduras election click on [ID:nN27358735]. (Reporting by Paul Day; Editing by Louise Ireland)
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