Central America
Honduras president congratulates leftist successor
AFP
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez has congratulated Xiomara Castro, who will become the first woman to govern the country, on her electoral victory.
With over half of the votes counted, the National Electoral Council put Castro in first place against Nasry Asfura, the candidate of the ruling right-wing National Party.
“The results reflect that Mrs. Xiomara Castro won the elections. I want to congratulate her for her electoral triumph,” said Hernandez in a message broadcast to the nation on Wednesday.
“I congratulate the Honduran people for the massive turnout in the elections… democracy has been strengthened. It has been an example for the world.”
He also said he has “formed a transition team to facilitate the new government in assuming its tasks in a timely manner.”
Hernandez is due to hand over power to Castro at the capital Tegucigalpa’s National Stadium on January 27.
The European Union has welcomed the “largely calm and peaceful atmosphere” of the latest election, though it said the run-up was marked by “unprecedented levels of political violence and intense polarization.”
But despite fears of unrest — like those experienced when Hernandez won a disputed second term in 2017 — Sunday’s vote took place in a largely peaceful climate.
Turnout was almost 70 percent of the eligible voters, a historic figure for the country.
The vote count is not complete but experts say Castro, who ran with the support of an alliance headed by her leftist LIBRE party, has an irreversible lead.
Castro, wife of ousted president Manuel Zelaya, called on the ruling party and all society to work on a government of “reconciliation” and address the problems in Honduras, where 59 percent of people live in poverty.
In a country racked with gang violence and drug trafficking, thousands of Hondurans regularly migrate to the United States in search of jobs.
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.
Mass deportations begin: Central American migrants face unemployment and despair
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