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🇵🇦 Panama /Elections & Politics

Former Honduran President Zelaya travels to Mexico for heart treatment

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya traveled to Mexico for specialized medical evaluations after undergoing emergency heart surgery.
  • Zelaya said he nearly suffered a heart attack before the Sept. 2 operation.
  • The leftist former president, who was ousted in a 2009 coup, traveled from Tegucigalpa with his wife and children.

Former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya traveled to Mexico for specialized evaluations after undergoing emergency surgery for a heart condition.

Zelaya said he nearly “had a heart attack” before doctors operated on him in the early hours of Sept. 2. The procedure treated inflammation of the membrane surrounding his heart.

The former president, who led Honduras from 2006 to 2009, arrived at Toncontín airport in Tegucigalpa by car, accompanied by his wife, former President Xiomara Castro, and their children. He announced the trip and his medical treatment to local broadcaster HCH.

Zelaya, widely known as Mel, remains a prominent figure on Honduras’ political left. Military personnel removed him from his home in pajamas during the 2009 coup, forcing him into exile in the Dominican Republic. He returned to Honduras in 2011 after an agreement mediated by Colombia and Venezuela.

After returning, Zelaya founded the Liberty and Refoundation party, or Libre, which is now in opposition to the government of conservative President Nasry Asfura. Castro was elected president in 2022 with the party.

had a heart attack

· Manuel ZelayaZelaya told local broadcaster HCH how close he felt he came to suffering a heart attack before surgery.
About this summary

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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