Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was arrested by soldiers shortly before a vote was set to begin on a constitutional referendum that the Honduran Supreme Court had ruled illegal and his own party’s members had opposed.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -More than a dozen soldiers arrested President Manuel Zelaya and disarmed his security guards after surrounding his residence before dawn Sunday, his private secretary said. Protesters called it a coup and flocked to the presidential palace as local news media reported that Zelaya was sent into exile…

Zelaya was taken into military custody at his house outside the capital, Tegucigalpa, and whisked away to an air force base on the outskirts of the city, his private secretary, Carlos Enrique Reina told The Associated Press.

Tanks rolled through the streets and Army trucks carrying hundreds of soldiers equipped with metal riot shields surrounded the presidential palace in the capital’s center. About 100 Zelaya supporters, many wearing “Yes,” T-shirts for the referendum, blocked the main street outside the gates to the palace, throwing rocks and insults at soldiers and shouting “Traitors! Traitors!”

It was not immediately clear who was running the government. Soldiers appeared to be in control, but the constitution mandates that the head of Congress is next in line to the presidency, followed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Neither military nor presidential officials have said who’s in charge.

Despite the many opportunities for hostility thus far, it appears that the arrest and detention have been bloodless. His private guards were reportedly disarmed without violence.

Also, there are now conflicting reports regarding the location that Zelaya has been flown to, one saying Venzuela and other saying Costa Rica. I’ll see if I can get confirmation on that.

Update: Well, that took an interesting turn. Venezuelan television reports that Zelaya has been flown to Costa Rica and is now seeking asylum.

Meanwhile, our own mouth-breather president is once again “deeply concerned”. Just like he was “deeply concerned” about Iranians being murdered in the streets. Oh, and he’s calling for a democratic resolution to the dispute. Considering Zelaya has already been arrested, flown to Costa Rica, and is now seeking asylum, it might just be too late for that.

“I am deeply concerned by reports coming out of Honduras regarding the detention and expulsion of President Mel Zelaya,” Obama said in a written statement.

“As the Organization of American States did on Friday, I call on all political and social actors in Honduras to respect democratic norms, the rule of law and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. Any existing tensions and disputes must be resolved peacefully through dialogue free from any outside interference,” Obama said.

Translation: Don’t make me take a stance on this outside of “deep concern” and some ambiguous rhetoric about democracy. I’m voting present.