The Honduran interim government on Thursday denounced Venezuela before the UN Security Council for "threats, provocations and violation to the sovereignty."

According to interim Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez Contreras, the Honduran interim government on Thursday handed in the protest to Uganda's UN Ambassador Ruhakana Rugunda, whose country holds the presidency of the UN Security Council for July.

Lopez Contreras read a communique condemning "the threats and provocation act of Venezuelan President (Hugo Chavez) about the presidential succession made according to our internal juridical order."

"The Venezuelan government publicly threatened on July 1, with the dispatching of Venezuelan military forces to Honduras, allegedly with the intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Honduras."

This is "an open violation of the principles of sovereignty equality of the states, the respect to their dignity and sovereignty and to the non-interference in the internal affairs," the communique said.

The interim foreign minister also accused Venezuela of "violating the aerial space of Honduras on July 5, with a plane with Venezuela license, piloted by military pilots," attempting to land at the international airport of the capital.

On July 5, ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya tried to return to Honduran territory aboard a Venezuelan plane, together with UN General Assembly president Miguel D'Escoto, but Honduran militaries impeded the landing.

Lopez Contreras also mentioned the irresponsibility from the pilots, since they were aware of the danger of being downed, putting on risk their lives and of people aboard their plane, as well as the lives of the people on ground.

Zelaya was ousted on June 28 and taken to Costa Rica. The Honduran Congress then appointed Roberto Micheletti as president, who has formed all his cabinet and government despite the rejection expressed by the international community.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2009)