Mr Zelaya, who was exiled by the coup leaders, has expressed his intention to return to his home country today.

Thirty-three out of 34 members of the pan-American body, gathered in Washington for an extraordinary session of its General Assembly, voted late on Saturday in favour of the expulsion.

The assembly acted on the basis of Article 21 of the OAS Charter that gives member nations the right to suspend membership of a country in case of an ''unconstitutional interruption of democratic order'' and when ''efforts to address the situation through diplomatic means have failed''.

The resolution adopted by the General Assembly urges OAS member nations, as well as international organisations, ''to review their relations with Honduras''.

At the same time, it asks Honduran coup leaders to respect human rights.

Throwing his backing behind the beleaguered Honduran leader, OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza said ''the de facto authorities in Tegucigalpa are not disposed to restore Zelaya''.

The Honduran leader earlier told a television news station in Venezuela that he would return to his country today, and do so with ''several presidents'' of allied countries.

Meanwhile, Catholic leaders in Honduras warned of a potential bloodbath if Mr Zelaya returned to the country.

Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez, the capital's archbishop, said, ''To this day no Honduran has died. Please think, because afterwards it will be too late.''

Mr Insulza also agreed that Zelaya's planned return to Honduras was dangerous and risky and that the ousted leader had ''to make up his mind'' on whether to undertake such a step.

''I think there are risks, of course,'' the OAS Secretary-General said.

''If you ask if it is a safe return, of course not.'' AFP