Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Honduras’s acting government gave Brazil 10 days to declare whether ousted president Manuel Zelaya has been granted asylum and demanded he stop using the embassy in Tegucigalpa to “instigate violence.”

Honduras “will be obligated to take additional measures within international law” if Brazil doesn’t meet the deadline, the Honduran Foreign Ministry said in a statement yesterday, without elaborating.

Brazil doesn’t recognize the ultimatum from the acting government of Honduras, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in Venezuela today. Lula said it would be a violation of international law if the de facto government enters the embassy by force and called on Micheletti to apologize and restore Zelaya as president.

Zelaya unexpectedly returned from exile and took refuge in the Brazilian Embassy almost three months after he was ousted by soldiers at gunpoint on June 28. The acting government imposed a 12-hour curfew starting at 6.p.m. local time yesterday after Zelaya supporters marched on the embassy and were blocked by soldiers and police.

The Foreign Ministry accused Zelaya of trying to undermine presidential elections set for Nov. 29, and denied claims by the ousted leader that the acting government temporarily cut off the embassy’s power and water.

Toxic Gas, Sound Blasts

Zelaya has accused authorities of trying to drive him from the building with toxic gases and sound blasts. In a statement, he called on supporters to march to the embassy tomorrow.

Brazil asked Zelaya to stop releasing “proselytizing” statements while sheltered in the embassy, O Estado de S. Paulo reported, citing Brazilian diplomat Lineu Pupo de Paula.

A Brazilian delegation will visit Honduras tomorrow to discuss the impasse, Honduran Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Johanna Padgett said in a phone interview. While Brazil recalled its ambassador from Honduras after Zelaya’s ouster, it didn’t officially break diplomatic relations, she added.

Talks to end the country’s three-month political stalemate, mediated by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, stalled on acting President Roberto Micheletti’s refusal to restore Zelaya as leader, one of the 11 points in Arias’s proposal.

Arias has said he’d visit Honduras to mediate talks if invited but has no immediate plans to do so. He supports a visit from the Organization of American States to revive negotiations, for which no date has been set.

Micheletti has said he is willing to step down and hand power to anyone other than Zelaya, who was thrown out of the country after the Supreme Court ruled his push for constitutional change was illegal.

Zelaya’s opponents allege he was planning to follow in the footsteps of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, his top ally, by modifying the constitution to extend his term.

To contact the reporter on this story: Blake Schmidt in Tegucigalpa at bschmidt16@bloomberg.net; Daniel Cancel in Caracas at dcancel@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 27, 2009 13:51 EDT