The ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is in Washington, where he will meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday. On Tuesday, Zelaya criticized the Honduran coup regime for blocking his return and going ahead with an election campaign.

Honduran President Manuel Zelaya: “Democracy has been violated in the country by a military coup supported by business interests, not all, but certain sectors that manage the economy of the country. In an effort to hold on to their privileges, they don’t care about the development of the nation. I ask the international community: are you alright with the elections like those being held in Afghanistan, where every day people were killed by assassinations and bombs? Is that what we want for the Americas? Elections of blood and fire at gunpoint?”

Zelaya’s meeting with Clinton comes days after a State Department review advised that his ouster be officially declared a “military coup.” The move would force the Obama administration to cut off as much as $150 million in funding to Honduras. Clinton has yet to issue a decision.