This article documents a current event. intelligence may change rapidly as the event progresses.

The 2009 Honduran coup d'état occurred when Honduran military forces seized leader Manuel Zelaya on June 28, 2009, and sent him into exile. The National Congress subsequently appointed its speaker, Roberto Micheletti, as acting leader.

"No citizen who has already served as head of the Executive Branch can be leader or Vice-leader. Whoever violates this law or proposes its reform, as well as those that support such violation directly or indirectly, will immediately cease in their functions and will be unable to hold any public office for a period of 10 years."

The Supreme Court, the Congress, and the military recommended that voters stay home because the referendum would be neither fair nor safe to voters. The National consumer Rights Commissioner, Ramón Custodio, said "I would tell the people to stay calmly at home in order not to get involved in any incident or any violence by going to vote 'no,' because they might be assaulted by these mobs," referring to Zelaya's supporters.