The Honduran ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said today he had been ordered out of the UN Human Rights Council after other Latin American countries accused him of representing an "illegal" regime.
After a day of confusion which stalled the start of the three-week session of the 47-nation council, envoy J. Delmer Urbizo left the hall declaring loudly in English and Spanish: "We will be back! Volveremos!"
The dramatic scenes came after Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Cuba insisted that Delmer Urbizo, who has served as ambassador in Geneva for three years, could not stay unless he was approved by ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya.
Alex Van Meeuwen, the Belgian president of the Human Rights Council, told the envoy he could not speak in response since Honduras is only an observer in the forum, and should leave while his credentials were checked overnight.
"I was ordered out. They have put security guards on me to make sure I left," Delmer Urbizo told reporters as blue-shirted UN police stood by. "But we will be back, make no mistake, and these people will see what they have done."
Mr Delmer Urbizo said he and other diplomats from the country's mission in Geneva - where he has declared his support for Honduras' de facto ruler Roberto Micheletti - would return after elections set for November.
Mr Van Meeuwen later issued a statement saying he became aware late on Monday afternoon that Zelaya's government had reportedly written a letter on August 20th indicating Delmer Urbizo "did not represent the constitutional president".
Reuters