LAS MANOS, Nicaragua — During the 1980s, the woods surrounding this lonely border crossing were the scene of ambushes and firefights, as Nicaraguan Sandinistas and Honduran-based contras waged a bloody civil war.
Now, as ousted Honduran leader Manuel "Mel" Zelaya vows to lead a caravan across the frontier to reclaim the presidency he lost June 28, some fear this thin ribbon of asphalt that links the two nations could once again be the scene of a clash.
As hopes for a negotiated solution to Honduras' 3-week-old political crisis fade, Zelaya has said he will lead a mass march into his country later this week.
His rival and Honduras' interim president, Roberto Micheletti, has ordered the army to arrest him on sight. Few believe that the encounter will take place without bloodshed, as passions for both men run high.
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