Costa Rican president Óscar Arias Sánchez, the mediator in the Honduran crisis, has warned of civil war in Honduras after talks broke down between the two sides.

Representatives of the de facto rulers on Sunday rejected a proposal by President Arias that ousted leader Manuel Zelaya return as president in charge of a "reconciliation" government. This prompted Mr Arias, who has won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work resolving conflict in Central America, to warn that Honduras was on the brink of "civil war and bloodshed".

Backers of the acting Honduran president, Roberto Micheletti, were unhappy at the use of the term "civil war". Deputy Foreign Minister Martha Lorena Alvarado accused the Costa Rican president of "taking us towards a situation of near-panic".

Zelaya plans to return
Manuel Zelaya told reporters in Nicaragua, where he has been based since he was forced out by the army on June 28, that his supporters have have started organizing internal resistance for his return to Honduras. This is despite the fact that Roberto Micheletti's government has promised to arrest him if he does come back and prosecute him for treason and 17 other charges. He told the Reuters news agency by telephone that "Absolutely no one can stop me. I'm a Honduran, it is my right."

President Zelaya's supporters in Honduras said they would intensify their protests, and have called a strike for Thursday and Friday. They also planned a march to Congress in the capital Tegucigalpa on Monday.

   
The secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Jose Miguel Insulza, said his body would press the de facto government to recognize "this is a coup that failed." The OAS would hold a meeting on Monday about Honduras, he said.

US urges more talks
A statement issued late on Sunday by acting US State Department spokesman Robert Wood urged more energetic efforts to achieve a negotiated solution. "This weekend's talks produced significant progress, and created a foundation for a possible resolution that adheres to the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the decisions taken within the Organization of American States," said the statement.

Without mentioning Venezuela and its allies by name, Mr Wood also called on OAS states to "underscore their commitment to the peaceful resolution of political disputes" and "remain mindful of the principles of non-intervention and self-determination."