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Coup leaders in Honduras have reportedly accepted an accord that outlines the return to power of ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Negotiations on Thursday night produced an agreement that may end a four-month political stalemate in the Central American nation. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Tom Shannon helped broker the deal and stated that international pressure ahead of the upcoming Honduran elections was a determining factor for the coup government headed by Roberto Micheletti. The United States, Latin American and European Union leaders all warned that they would not recognize the legitimacy of the November 29th elections if Zelaya were not been restored to office. From within the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, the ousted President called the accord a “triumph for democracy,” as he hoped for the return of peace to Honduras. Under the negotiated conditions, Congress must first ratify Zelaya’s formal return to the presidency if a “national unity” government is to form. But an adviser to Micheletti revealed in an interview that “Zelaya won’t be restored,” while noting that just agreeing to the accord lent legitimacy to the upcoming elections.

GUEST: Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

For more information, visit www.cepr.net.