Demonstrators from both sides take to streets in Honduras
Thousands of Hondurans demonstrated for the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya, who vowed to fly home this weekend despite a warrant for his arrest.
Thousands more rallied in favour of the military-backed government, however.
Newly appointed President Roberto Micheletti said it would take a foreign invasion to put Mr Zelaya back in power, and said he was sending a delegation to Washington in an attempt to reverse the country's increasing international isolation, though his own foreign minister later denied that.
France, Spain, Italy, Chile and Colombia joined other nations yesterday in recalling their ambassadors.
The Pentagon suspended joint US-Honduran military operations and the World Bank said it was freezing loans. Honduras' three neighbours have suspended cross-border trade.
Soldiers stormed Mr Zelaya's residence and flew him into exile on Sunday after he insisted on trying to hold a referendum asking Hondurans if they want to change the constitution.
The Supreme Court, Congress and the military all deemed his planned ballot illegal. Mr Zelaya backed down on Tuesday, saying he will no longer push for constitutional changes.
Seeking to stem internal unrest, Congress approved a bill yesterday that toughens a curfew in place since the coup.
The law gives authorities the power to conduct warrantless arrests and removes constitutional rights to assembly and movement during the 10pm to 5am curfew.
Both sides of the dispute mobilised supporters in the streets yesterday, with a pro-Zelaya march in the capital Tegucigalpa and pro-Micheletti demonstrations in other cities. No violence was reported.
"We want Mel!" 30-year-old farm hand Javier Santos yelled over a megaphone, using Mr Zelaya's nickname, as marchers walked to the local offices of the Organisation of American States and sang the national anthem, fists thrust skyward.
No violence was reported, though businesses quickly lowered their shutters as marchers approached.
The largest pro-Micheletti rally was in Choluteca, 75 miles south of the capital, where demonstrators wore the blue and white of the Honduran flag.
Those demonstrations received heavy coverage on Honduran television stations, which all but ignored the pro-Zelaya protests.
Leftist broadcasters say they have been forced off the air or had signals interrupted by soldiers under orders of the new government. Mr Micheletti said he would look into the allegations.
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