Honduras Shuts Down Media Outlets, Then Relents

In Honduras, the de facto government backed off Monday from its attempt to shut down protests and limit free speech after congressional leaders warned that they would not support the measure. The revolt by Congress, the first public fracture in the coalition that ousted President Manuel Zelaya three months ago, showed that the de facto president, Roberto Micheletti, faces limits on his power to crack down on dissent. In an extraordinary televised news conference Monday evening, Mr. Micheletti asked for "forgiveness from the Honduran people" and said he would ask the Supreme Court to lift the decree "as quickly as possible." But the government's reversal came on the same day that the United States sent mixed messages about the crisis, comments that critics said could embolden the coup-imposed government.