Honduran security forces are patrolling the area around Brazil's embassy in the capital after clashes with supporters of ousted¹ president Manuel Zelaya.

洪都拉斯首都巴西大使馆附近，被流放总统Manuel Zelaya的支持者与安全保卫部队发生冲突之后，安保部队开始在该区域巡逻。

Mr Zelaya, who is inside after making a surprise return from exile, accuses interim² authorities of "asphyxiating³（使窒息）" the embassy by cutting off supplies.

Brazil's president has warned against any action being taken on the embassy.

Interim leader Roberto Micheletti has denied any action is planned, and has urged Mr Zelaya to turn himself in.

Mr Zelaya arrived in the Honduran capital, Tegulcigalpa, on Monday nearly three months after being forced out of the country at gunpoint（在枪口威胁下）, saying he wanted peaceful dialogue.

The US, Brazil and other governments have joined Mr Zelaya in calling for a negotiated settlement to the crisis.

A curfew has been imposed, airports shut and roadblocks set up on highways leading into Tegucigalpa.

Brazilian warning

Early on Tuesday soldiers used truncheons（短棍）, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse⁴ thousands of Mr Zelaya's supporters, and are now patrolling the area around the embassy.

Mr Micheletti congratulated the armed forces on the operation, saying there had been "not one death".

Hospital officials said up to 20 people had been treated for injuries.

The demonstrators had defied（蔑视，挑衅） a curfew imposed by authorities on Monday afternoon until Tuesday evening.

Some 70 supporters of Mr Zelaya are reported to be inside the embassy.

The lights, water and telephones were cut off on Monday and the only contact is by mobile phone, Brazilian media say. A generator⁵ is being used to provide electricity.

Interim authorities were employing a strategy of "asphyxiating the embassy by surrounding it, cutting off the food supply, asphyxiating the people inside in order to demonstrate their force and power", Mr Zelaya told Venezuela's Telesur TV earlier on Tuesday.

The US state department said the US embassy in Tegucigalpa had been in contact with the Brazilian mission to discuss "what kind of assistance that we can provide to help them during this crisis", spokesman Ian Kelly reportedly said.

Speaking in New York, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva repeated his position that a "negotiated and democratic solution" must be found.

He urged Mr Zelaya to "be very careful not to allow any pretext⁶ for the coup⁷ plotters（策划者，阴谋者） to resort to violence" - and warned Honduran authorities against trying to enter the embassy.

Interim leader Mr Micheletti said he had no intention of confronting Brazil or entering its embassy.

He told Reuters news agency that Mr Zelaya could stay in the embassy for "five to 10 years" if he wanted to, but urged him to turn himself in to face charges of corruption⁸ and violating the constitution.

The interim administration in Honduras says Brazil should either hand over Mr Zelaya to face trial or grant him political asylum（庇护，收容所）.

It insists no coup has taken place in Honduras - but rather a "constitutional succession" ordered by the courts and approved by Congress.

US warning

Brazil has been keen to demonstrate a clear leadership role over this issue and throughout the Honduran crisis has adopted a very firm line against the interim government, says the BBC's Gary Duffy in Sao Paulo.

The European Union has called for calm - adding its voice to that of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said Mr Zelaya's return must not lead to violence.

In his comments on Tuesday, the US state department's Mr Kelly repeated the warning.

"Respect and protection for the inviolability of diplomatic premises⁹（前提） is a universally accepted principle of international relations," Mr Kelly said.