Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes called for Honduras to be readmitted into international forums at yesterday’s meeting of countries located in Central America’s northern triangle. The presidents of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador met with other politicians and business leaders from the three countries (Panama also sent business representatives) to discuss trade ties and diplomatic ties. Funes lobbied alongside President Álvaro Colom of Guatemala for the reintegration of Honduras into the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Central American Integration System (SICA), and offered to mediate Honduras’ return to such international bodies.
Funes, speaking in reference to Honduran reintegration into the OAS, said President Porfirio Lobo received “the majority backing…and therefore is the legitimate president.” Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged neighboring countries to recognize the new government of Honduras.
Honduras was suspended from the OAS and the SICA following the June 28 coup. President Lobo won the presidency with 55.9 percent of the vote and was sworn in on January 27.
