Zelaya calls DR democratic dialog capital

SANTO DOMINGO. The former President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, said that he appreciated "tremendously" in the name of his family and the Honduran people, the role played by the Dominican Republic and its President Leonel Fernandez with the aim of returning the unity of that Central American nation.

After arriving in the country, a 8 o'clock last night at the San Isidro Air Base, together with President Fernandez, from Honduras, Zelaya reminded reporters that he proclaimed the Dominican Republic as the "peace capital" after the celebration of the Rio Group Summit, where Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe and his Ecuadorian counterpart Rafael Correa were able to greet each other with an ‘abrazo' after the conflict between the two nations.

He said that it was now confirmed that the Caribbean nation is the "capital of the democratic dialog in Latin America" for the success of President Fernandez in obtaining with the new Honduran President Porfirio Lobo, the safe conduct for Zelaya and allowing him (Zelaya) to leave the country in a dignified manner.

During his turn at the microphone, Fernandez welcomed Zelaya and said that he considered him "a symbol of democracy in Latin America."

The head of the Dominican state reiterated that the manner in which the Zelaya government was interrupted, "disregarding the Constitution of that country, was an affront to the Dominican Republic and to Latin America."

"It is a moral obligation for the Dominican Republic to do that is within its reach to achieve a respect for human rights in Honduras and to achieve the safe conduct that allowed President Zelaya to leave as a citizen in full use of his rights in the Republic of Honduras, " said Fernandez.

The Dominican president said that he felt honored for having managed to achieve the "reconciliation and the peace in Honduras" and the dismissed the criticisms of his intervention in the conflict. He said that the criticisms are part of democracy and in this case they are unimportant.