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It is time to end the international isolation of Honduras, and to recognize Porfirio Lobo as president. This Central American nation of eight million has taken the necessary steps to demonstrate that constitutional rule is being respected. The election of Mr. Lobo, in November, 2009, met the standard for democracy. The boycott of aid and international recognition punishes Hondurans, half of whom live below the poverty line, and works against building stability in the third-poorest country in the Americas.

The U.S. and other donors suspended assistance to Honduras last year after the forced removal of President Jose Manuel Zelaya. A pajama-clad Mr. Zelaya was chased out of office at gunpoint in a pre-dawn raid in June, 2009. He took refuge in Costa Rica, and Roberto Micheletti was appointed to take over as caretaker president.

Mr. Zelaya's critics said he violated several laws with his attempt to hold a non-binding referendum to rewrite the constitution. The Supreme Court ruled against him, and so did Congress, and the attorney-general. The military was also opposed, joined by some members of his own party, who believed Mr. Zelaya's actions could result in an abolition of term limits in a region formerly afflicted by long-serving authoritarian rulers.

Still, world opinion rallied behind Mr. Zelaya. The ousted leader, who had taken office as a Liberal but then allied with Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, returned secretly to his homeland last September, and took refuge in the Brazilian Embassy. For several months, the Organization of American States and regional leaders tried to resolve the impasse without success.

The de facto government waited until Mr. Zelaya's term in office was up and then held an election. Mr. Zelaya claims this vote was a "fraud." But the elections were widely seen as fair. Mr. Lobo won 56 per cent of the vote, with over 60 per cent of registered voters taking part.

It is clearly time to move on.

Some Latin American countries, such as Colombia, Panama, Peru and Costa Rica, have already recognized Mr. Lobo's new government.

However, others, including Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela, have not. Neither the U.S. nor the European Union has restored aid. (No Canadian aid goes directly to the Honduran government, so none was suspended.) Donors should delay no further. Mr. Lobo has held out an olive branch to Mr. Zelaya, promising him safe passage to the Dominican Republic. He has also pledged to do everything he can to win international leaders' respect and co-operation, and vowed to form a national dialogue commission to heal the wounds.

The Honduran Supreme Court has exonerated all those involved in Mr. Zelaya's removal, including Mr. Micheletti, and said Mr. Zelaya won't be prosecuted for alleged abuse of power - the charge that led to his downfall.

Honduras, a banana- and coffee-producing country, continues to suffer from high rates of infant mortality, child malnutrition and illiteracy. The political crisis, the world recession and the suspension of aid have further impoverished the country, causing the economy to shrink by 3 to 4 per cent in 2009. The political and economic isolation of Honduras accomplishes nothing - except to bring more hardship and suffering.