SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil and Peru yesterday  condemned the refusal by the de facto government of Honduras to  allow ousted President Manuel Zelaya to leave the country  unless he drops his demand to be reinstated.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Peruvian  President Alan Garcia criticized the de facto government’s  stance in a joint statement issued by Brazil’s Ministry of  Foreign Relations. Zelaya, deposed in a June 28 coup, has taken  refuge in Brazil’s embassy in the Honduran capital.

“The presidents strongly condemn the unacceptable refusal  by Honduras’ de facto government’s officials, totally defying  the international rights, to allow the departure of  constitutional president Jose Manuel Zelaya to Mexico,” the  statement said.

Zelaya said on Thursday the de facto government would allow  him to leave the country only if he signs a letter dropping his  demand to be reinstated as president. His term in office was  scheduled to end on Jan. 27.

Soldiers grabbed Zelaya from his home in June and threw him  out of the country in his pajamas, sparking Central America’s  worst political crisis since the Cold War. He later sneaked  back into Honduras to take refuge in the Brazilian Embassy and  conduct a campaign for his return to power.

Honduran voters chose a new president, Porfirio Lobo, in  elections on Nov. 29, but many countries including regional  power Brazil have yet to recognize the vote. Lobo is due to  take power in January.
Zelaya had planned to leave his refuge in the Brazilian  Embassy on Wednesday for Mexico but the trip was aborted  because of disagreement over whether he would accept political  asylum.
The administration in power since Zelaya was ousted wants  Zelaya to take political asylum in another country, which would  restrict his political activities. However, Zelaya has rejected  asylum in favor of a looser status that would allow him to  campaign fully for his return.

The de fact government’s foreign minister Carlos Lopez said  Zelaya should respect a decision by the Honduran Congress last  week that he not return to office.