Honduras ended months of political turmoil as it swore in a new president Wednesday, turning the page on a thwarted quest by ousted leader Manuel Zelaya to be restored to power after a coup that drew international condemnation. Conservative rancher-turned-President Porfirio Lobo said the first thing he would do was escort Zelaya from his refuge at the Brazilian Embassy to the airport, where the deposed leader planned to board a flight to the Dominican Republic and start a new life in exile.
Dozens of soldiers stood guard outside the embassy Wednesday while many more troops managed a five-block radius of roadblocks.
Zelaya, who was ousted in a dispute over changing the Honduran Constitution, said he would leave the Central American country as a private citizen under a deal signed by Lobo and Dominican President Leonel Fernandez.