Honduras isolated, Clinton to meet ousted leader

By Patrick Markey

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The United States Monday condemned violence against protesters in Honduras and called for President Manuel Zelaya's reinstatement as the Central American country faced growing isolation over last week's coup.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to meet Zelaya in Washington Tuesday, a U.S. official said, in a sign the Obama administration wants to provide visible support after already condemning his ouster.

Honduras' interim authorities foiled Zelaya's attempt to force the issue and return home Sunday, preventing his small private jet from landing in the capital. Zelaya ended up diverting the plane to neighbouring El Salvador.

At least one person was killed and two people were badly wounded in clashes with troops after thousands of pro-Zelaya demonstrators marched to meet him at the airport in Tegucigalpa and broke through fencing near the runaway.

It was the first death in protests since the June 28 coup in the coffee and textile exporting country, the third poorest in the Americas after Haiti and Nicaragua.

"We deplore the use of force against demonstrators in Tegucigalpa in recent days and once again call upon the de facto regime and all actors in Honduras to refrain from all acts of violence," said U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly in Washington.

Several thousand pro-Zelaya demonstrators took to the streets again Monday, marching to the presidential palace and shouting "murderers" at soldiers.

The protest ended peacefully. A night-time curfew in still in place.