Chavez, a close Zelaya ally, said the coup was "a troglodyte act of the 19th century."
The coup left Honduras, one of the region's poorest countries, awash in tense intrigue. As Zelaya was in Costa Rica lashing out at his foes, an official at the Honduran Congress read out a purported resignation letter from the president. Asked about it in Costa Rica, Zelaya said it was "completely false" and evidence of a "broader conspiracy."
Then the Congress voted to replace Zelaya for actions that it said had "polarized" the nation. The vote was unanimous, but it was unclear how many legislators were in attendance. Some waved copies of the constitution and chanted "Long live Honduras!"
The Congress swore in as new president Roberto Micheletti, who was the head of the law-making body and a bitter foe of Zelaya.
As news of the coup spread, angry Zelaya supporters took to the streets of the capital, Tegucigalpa. "Mel! Mel! Don't go!" they shouted, using the president's nickname. But large protests did not materialize. Troops moved through the city and surrounded the presidential palace and other government buildings. Some radio and television stations were knocked off the air and electricity was cut in some areas.
Honduras' new rulers imposed an overnight curfew late Sunday, forcing citizens to stay indoors after dark. One leftist legislator reportedly was killed as troops tried to arrest him.
Foreign Minister Patricia Rodas, speaking to a television network, called on the public to "fight in the streets for the president to return to Honduras." She said, "We will resist until he returns."
Later, Venezuela claimed that Rodas, along with its ambassador and those of Cuba and Nicaragua, was briefly detained by Honduran troops. The report could not be independently verified.
U.S. officials had been bracing for upheaval in Honduras. On Friday, the State Department expressed concern over "the breakdown in the political dialogue among Honduran politicians" over the vote on constitutional reform.
But within Honduran institutions, there was support for Zelaya's removal. Sunday evening, after being sworn in, Micheletti gave a speech in which he said his rise to power was "completely legal." Zelaya's removal will allow divisive wounds to heal, he said. The army was following orders from the Supreme Court, he added, to cheers from his supporters.
