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INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS OF VERIFICATION COMMISSION END FIRST VISIT TO HONDURAS

  November 4, 2009

The international members of the Verification Commission of the Tegucigalpa-San José Agreement—the former President of Chile Ricardo Lagos Escobar and the United States Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solís—today concluded their first visit to Honduras following the establishment of the said commission, which also includes two Honduran representatives, Jorge Arturo Reina and Arturo Corrales.

During this first stage, the Commission of Verification, coordinated by the OAS, met with President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales and Mr. Roberto Micheletti, as well as with Honduran presidential candidates, representatives of the Supreme Electoral Court and members of the National Congress.

At the end of his visit, former President Lagos announced that the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, appointed José Octavio Bordón, of Argentina, and Enrique Correa, of Chile, to join the work of the Verification Commission in Honduras.

Both Lagos and Solís expressed optimism for the success the Commission achieved in the work it carried out November 3 and 4. In this context, Secretary Solís recalled that “the full implementation of the agreement is the first essential step toward national reconciliation and international support for Honduras. The Agreement foresees that a Government of National Unity will be established November 5, and this is a milestone that must be reached.”

For his part, former President Lagos said it is necessary “to leave behind the period of confrontation and crisis that the Honduran society has been experiencing,” and emphasized “the need to constitute and install a Government of Unity and National Reconciliation in accord with the terms of the agreement signed on October 30,” in order to “take the steps that will lead this Agreement to a successful conclusion.”

Reference: E-365/09