Central America
Opposition candidate takes big lead in Honduras presidential poll
AFP
Left-wing opposition candidate Xiomara Castro took a commanding lead over the ruling party’s Nasry Asfura in Honduras’ presidential election on Sunday, preliminary results showed.
With 40 percent of votes counted, former first lady Castro had taken almost 53.5 percent with the National Party’s Asfura a distant second out of 13 candidates with 34 percent, according to a National Electoral Council (CNE) live count.
Castro, whose husband Manuel Zelaya was deposed in a coup in 2009, is hoping to become the first female president of Honduras.
The news sparked scenes of celebration in the capital Tegucigalpa, with supporters setting off fireworks and honking their horns.
“Good night, we’ve won,” said Castro, addressing her supporters.
It was a far cry from the deadly protests that broke out four years ago when Juan Orlando Hernandez won a second successive term amid accusations of fraud. More than 30 people died as authorities cracked down on a month-long protest.
Reports of intimidation and violence in the buildup to this election led to fears the vote could spark fresh unrest.
Castro and Asfura both called for calm as they cast their votes, but the National Party (PN) leadership broke election rules by declaring victory less than an hour after polls opened, earning a rebuke from the European Union observer mission.
CNE president Kelvin Aguirre said “historic” numbers had voted, with a turnout of 62 percent of 5.2 million registered voters.
– ‘Not one drop of blood’ –
The opposition had expressed fears the poll could be rigged to keep the PN in power, which would almost inevitably prompt street protests.
Political analyst Raul Pineda, a former PN legislator, predicted a defeat for Castro, even a legitimate one, would trigger violence.
“We want this to be a civic event, in peace and tranquility,” said Castro as she voted.
“Peace and tranquility are priceless, and listen to me well: not one drop of blood is worth it,” added Asfura, the outgoing mayor of Tegucigalpa.
But residents of the capital were on tenterhooks.
“It’s worrying,” Luis Gomez, 26, told AFP from the gang-ridden Tegucigalpa neighborhood of La Sosa. “I live day to day (and) it would hurt us if there were disturbances.”
The country has been hit hard by gang violence, drug trafficking and hurricanes, with 59 percent of the 10 million people living in poverty.
Washington has been keeping a close eye on the election.
Honduras has been the starting point for a wave of migrant caravans trying to reach the United States.
Pineda said Washington had put pressure on Honduran authorities to ensure a free and transparent vote to avoid the trouble that broke out in 2017.
Some 18,000 police and as many soldiers are on duty nationwide.
Voting took place calmly in the capital.
“Regardless of who wins, we’re brothers, we’re all Hondurans and need to respect each other,” said Leonel Pena, 57, a carpenter in a poor neighborhood.
After almost a dozen years of PN rule, many voters said it was time for change.
“We’ve tried this government for 12 years and things have gone from bad to worse,” said Gomez. “We hope for something new.”
– ‘No narco-states, only narco-governments’ –
The PN has been in power since Zelaya was ousted in a 2009 coup supported by the military, business elites and the political right.
Corruption and drug-trafficking scandals have engulfed Hernandez and many in his inner circle.
“Honduras is internationally known as a narco-state. But there are no narco-states, only narco-governments,” said analyst Pineda.
Hernandez’s brother Tony is serving a life sentence in a US prison for drug trafficking.
Drug barons who the president helped extradite to the US have accused him of involvement in the illicit trade.
Asfura was accused in 2020 of embezzling $700,000 of public money, and the so-called Pandora Papers linked him to influence-peddling in Costa Rica.
The third major candidate in the presidential race, the Liberal Party’s Yani Rosenthal, spent three years in a US jail for money laundering.
He scored just nine percent in preliminary results.
“No more power will be abused in this country,” vowed Castro.
For many voters, the main issue was jobs.
“I want prosperity for us, employment, education,” said Elizabeth Romero, 75, a domestic worker from La Sosa.
Unemployment jumped from 5.7 percent in 2019 to 10.9 percent in 2020, largely because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study by the Autonomous University.
The country was also ravaged by two hurricanes in 2020.
As well as the president, Hondurans voted to elect the 28 members of the National Congress and 20 representatives of the Central American parliament.
Central America
Mass deportations begin: Central American migrants face unemployment and despair
Migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua account for 38% of all individuals with deportation orders from the United States. If Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan is fully executed, more than 200,000 Central Americans could be sent back to their home countries in 2025 alone.
But are these governments prepared to receive them and withstand the economic blow of reduced remittances?
“Look at my wrists. They put the shackles so tight, all the way down,” described a Salvadoran migrant, recounting his harsh repatriation journey in late January. He was on one of the first deportation flights under Trump’s second term.
“I have nothing—no money, no job, none of the opportunities I dreamed of,” expressed a Honduran migrant, who was forcibly returned to his country in early 2025.
These testimonies, documented by Central American media, paint a picture of desperation and uncertainty among recent deportees.
During his campaign, President Trump vowed to carry out “the largest mass deportation in history”. Since his return to the White House, images of deported migrants have dominated official channels, underscoring the high priority of this policy on his administration’s agenda.
Central America
Nicaragua rejects UN Human Rights Council following calls for ICJ Action
The government of Daniel Ortega announced on Thursday that Nicaragua is withdrawing from all activities related to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The decision comes after a report by the UN-appointed Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, which urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to take action against the country for revoking the nationality of Nicaraguan citizens.
“Nicaragua conveys its sovereign and irrevocable decision to withdraw from the Human Rights Council and from all activities related to this Council and its associated mechanisms,” said Vice President Rosario Murillo, speaking through official state media.
Central America
Panama may cancel Chinese port contract as Trump threatens to ‘retake’ canal
Panama’s Attorney General’s Office has recommended annulling the 1997 concession granted to a Chinese company to operate two key ports at the entrances of the Panama Canal, citing constitutional violations. The move comes as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to “retake” the waterway, claiming it is under Beijing’s control.
The request was made by Panama’s Chief Prosecutor, Luis Carlos Gómez, to the Supreme Court, which is currently reviewing two legal challenges against the concession contract awarded to Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Holdings.
At the same time, the company is facing an audit by Panama’s Comptroller’s Office to determine whether it has fulfilled its financial obligations to the government.
According to Gómez, the contract is “unconstitutional”, and he has urged the court to invalidate it. In a document obtained by AFP, he argues that the agreement violates 15 articles of the Panamanian Constitution, as it “improperly transferred exclusive state rights, impacting social and public interests.”
Additionally, Gómez claims that the contract undermines free competition, grants unjustified tax exemptions, and that the automatic 25-year renewal in 2021 was agreed upon under unfair conditions for the public interest.
The lawsuits seek to void the contract that allows Panama Ports Company to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal ports, located at the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the canal, respectively. The plaintiffs argue that the company has evaded taxes and received illegal benefits in violation of the Constitution.
The legal battle unfolds as Trump raises concerns over China’s influence in the canal, which the U.S. built and operated until its handover to Panama in 1999. Trump has hinted at taking back control of the waterway, despite the fact that it is managed by an independent Panamanian authority.
Washington sees the presence of a Chinese company at the canal’s entry points as a national security risk, even though both the U.S. and China are the top users of the strategic trade route. The canal, which handles 5% of global maritime trade, underwent a major expansion in 2016 to accommodate larger vessels.
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