Two days of talks in Costa Rica aimed at ending the political crisis in Honduras have ended without agreement.

哥斯达黎加举行的两天的意图结束洪都拉斯政治危机的谈话以没有达成一致协议结束。

delegations¹ are to continue talks with Mr Arias² (right)" width="226" border="0" src="http://www.enread.com/upimg/090711/4_061045_1.jpg" />
Rival delegations are to continue talks with Mr Arias (right)

Mediators（调解人，中间人） from the host country said the two sides had agreed to resume talks shortly but some regional leaders said they saw little sign of progress.

Ousted³ President Manuel Zelaya and interim⁴（中间的，暂停的） leader Roberto Micheletti had refused to meet but held separate talks with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.

Correspondents say the former allies' positions remain far apart.

Mr Zelaya, who was removed from Honduras at gun point in a coup⁵ last month, continues to describe Mr Micheletti as a criminal, while Mr Micheletti's interim government has said Mr Zelaya will be arrested if he tries to return to the country.

Both men left the talks on Thursday, leaving delegations behind to continue the discussions.

Mr Zelaya flew to the Dominican Republic, where he is hoping to gather more support, and Mr Micheletti has returned to Honduras.

On arriving back in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, Mr Micheletti said: "We are in agreement with his [Mr Zelaya's] return here - but to be sent directly to the courts."

Shortly after his return, Mr Micheletti announced he had accepted the resignation（辞呈） of his de facto（事实上的） Foreign Minister, Enrique Ortez, for using racially offensive language about US President Barack Obama.

Mr Ortez was reported to have described Mr Obama as "negrito" - meaning "little black man" - which Mr Micheletti said was "a scandalous（不体面的，可耻的） epithet（诨名，绰号）".

'Timid measures'

On Friday, Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela and one of Mr Zelaya's key supporters, said the talks in Costa Rica were dead and that it was "horrible" to see the "usurper⁶（篡夺者）" Mr Micheletti being treated with deference⁷ by Mr Arias.

Mr Chavez also criticised what he said were "timid（胆怯的，害羞的） measures" by the US in response to the crisis and demanded to know why they had not recalled their ambassador imposed sanctions.

The BBC's Charles Scanlon in the region says much will now depend on what Washington decides to do next.

The US has already cut some aid to Honduras but has not exerted（外露的） its full economic and diplomatic muscle, says our correspondent.

The political crisis erupted after Mr Zelaya attempted to hold a non-binding public consultation⁸ to ask people whether they supported moves to change the constitution.

Opponents said that could have led to the removal of the current one-term limit on serving as president and so paved the way for Mr Zelaya's possible re-election.

He was forced out of Honduras at gunpoint（在枪口威胁下） on 28 June.