TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) — Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya pulled out of talks with the country’s post-coup de facto leaders on Friday, throwing efforts to resolve a months-long political crisis back to square one. Zelaya pulled his representatives out of meetings with envoys of de facto leader Roberto Micheletti that were the latest in a series of attempts to resolve the deadlock sparked by an army-backed June 28 coup that sent Zelaya into exile.

Attempts to reach a deal have repeatedly snagged over whether the leftist president should be reinstated and allowed to complete his term, which ends in January. “It’s an insult to keep wasting time. There is not even the slightest will to fix the problem,’’ Zelaya said of Micheletti from the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa, where he has been holed up since slipping back into Honduras last month.

Zelaya, a logging magnate, said Micheletti’s refusal to reinstate him will strip a Nov. 29 presidential election of legitimacy and further isolate the caretaker government. “All countries, without exception have condemned the coup and refused to recognize this election process, which will be full of irregularities and fraud,’’ Zelaya told local radio.

His decision to drop negotiations appeared to be aimed at forcing the United States and Latin American governments to abandon their hopes of an agreement between the rival sides and instead put new pressure on Micheletti to step down.

The latest talks were engineered by the Organization of American States, or OAS, whose special adviser John Biehl said on Friday he was leaving Honduras because of the impasse.

“This has been a very difficult dialogue. The issues are still hot. Rationality has not totally trumped emotions,’’ Biehl told reporters. He said the OAS had not given up on talks and would return to Honduras if they reconvened.

Micheletti envoy Vilma Morales said Zelaya’s move was a big surprise, but they were still open to dialogue. Micheletti’s negotiating team said the de facto leader would step down if Zelaya agreed to do the same to make way for a coalition government — a near carbon copy of an offer they made in the first weeks after the June coup.

Tensions have been running high in the Central American coffee producer since Zelaya sneaked back into the country from exile and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy.

Micheletti was appointed by Congress after soldiers rousted Zelaya from his bed and flew him into exile. He claims the leftist was legally deposed for violating the constitution with a bid to extend presidential terms and cannot come back. Zelaya denies doing anything unconstitutional and has lashed out at the way he has been kept inside his embassy hide-out, with troops on order to arrest him if he steps outside.