Republican members of Congress traveled to Honduras Monday to meet with a caretaker government that has been snubbed worldwide after the Central America nation's leftwing-leaning leader was toppled in a coup earlier this year.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Reps. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart, all Miami Republicans, visited Honduras to speak with acting President Roberto Micheletti, Congress members and ``all'' political parties in what they called a ``fact-finding mission.'' They are scheduled to return Tuesday.

``I said to [Micheletti] that although the United States has taken a heavy hand . . . against him that I think that we're able to get more support for the [Nov. 29] elections,'' Ros-Lehtinen, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Monday by telephone. ``He's afraid that the international community is not going to cooperate with the elections and not going to be sending observers.''

Although the Obama administration and other governments around the world don't recognize the de facto government, the Republican trio has backed the Micheletti administration and opposed the return of ousted Manuel Zelaya because of his populist stance and ties to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. The Republican leaders also condemn the Obama administration's decision to revoke visas for members of the interim government and its supporters.

The fact-finding mission marked the second time that a GOP delegation has visited Honduras in a week.

Micheletti took power in June after Zelaya was spirited away from the country at gunpoint because he had insisted on a controversial referendum the courts had ruled illegal.

Zelaya later sneaked back into Honduras and holed himself up in the Brazilian Embassy in the capital. He said he won't leave until he is restored.

The government installed after his ouster says Zelaya must face treason charges and insists that regularly scheduled elections set for Nov. 29 are the only solution to the political crisis.

The United States responded by halting millions of dollars in economic aid to Honduras and withdrew visas for government officials and supporters.

Last week, the Micheletti administration issued a decree that shut down television and radio stations allied with Zelaya. It also prohibited public gatherings.

Micheletti came under attack by his supporters and on Monday said the 45-day decree had been revoked, becoming effective Tuesday.

Later in the day, Ros-Lehtinen confronted Micheletti about the decree, she said.

``I mentioned that to him right away,'' Ros-Lehtinen said. ``He said, `The reason I was late in coming was that I signed the decree in lifting those restrictions.' ''

As she goes from meeting to meeting in Honduras on the two-day trip, there's one individual with whom Ros-Lehtinen won't be meeting: Zelaya.

``I feel that he is well represented by every faction that's been involved in ostracizing the Honduran government,'' Ros-Lehtinen said. ``He has a visa to go anywhere he wants. If he wants to go to Paris, there he goes.''