Outside forces continued to put pressure on the new Honduran government headed by President Roberto Micheletti on July 20, as Costa Rican President Oscar Arias continued in his role to "negotiate" a settlement between Micheletti and ousted president Manuel Zelaya.

Violence has exploded in the Mexican state of Michoacan following the arrest of an alleged leader of a powerful drug cartel known as “La Familia” — “The Family” in English. Earlier this week the cartel left the bodies of 12 tortured federal agents piled along a highway as a warning to government officials. In a string of related attacks, they also killed six federal agents and two soldiers.

Honduran leader Roberto Micheletti, who was installed as president of the Central American country by the nation's Congress on June 28, told reporters on July 15 that he would be willing to step down, provided that ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya relinquishes his claims to the presidency.