Central America
Fists fly in Honduran Congress ahead of new president’s inauguration
AFP
Lawmakers exchanged blows in the Honduran Congress Friday as a dispute among members of president-elect Xiomara Castro’s party turned violent.
Legislators from her leftist Libre party protested after 20 rebel members proposed Jorge Calix, one of their cohorts, as provisional congress president.
Castro loyalists claimed this violated a pact with Libre’s coalition partner.
Amid cries of “traitors” and “Xiomara!”, angry Libre legislators forced their way to the podium while Calix was being sworn in, causing him to flee under a hail of punches and much pushing and shoving.
It was the first sitting of the 128-member Congress since elections last November.
Following an emergency party meeting later on Friday, the president-elect announced that the 20 members had been expelled from Libre, calling them “traitors” and “corrupt”.
The crisis began late Thursday when Castro called her party’s 50 legislators to a meeting to ask them to support Luis Redondo of the Savior Party of Honduras (PSH) as congress president.
The 20 rebel members did not attend.
On Friday, Libre leader Gilberto Rios told AFP that the 20 are backed by groups that wish to stop Castro’s promised anti-corruption campaign, including people in “organized crime” and “drug trafficking.”
Castro won elections on November 28 to become Honduras’ first woman president and end 12 years of National Party rule.
She won as part of an alliance between Libre and the PSH, to which the presidency of Congress was promised.
Castro accused the dissidents of “betraying the constitutional agreement” and “making alliances with representatives of organized crime, corruption and drug trafficking.”
Her husband Manuel Zelaya, a former president who was deposed in a 2009 coup supported by the military, business elites and the political right, is a senior Libre party official.
Castro is to be sworn in on January 27 along with other senior officials, including the congress president, at a ceremony attended by international guests including US Vice President Kamala Harris.
Central America
U.S. finds no evidence of fraud in Honduras election despite delays
The United States government said on Tuesday that it has found no evidence of electoral fraud in Honduras’ presidential election, despite several days of delays in the vote count caused by technical issues.
“We are not aware of any credible evidence supporting a call for annulment,” a State Department spokesperson told EFE in response to complaints over the slow release of official results. Washington emphasized that the elections were monitored by international observers, including representatives from the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union (EU), and national entities, which it said strengthens the legitimacy of the process.
In the current tally, conservative candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura—backed by U.S. President Donald Trump—remains in the lead with 1,298,835 votes (40.52%), while his rival, Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, has 1,256,428 votes (39.48%). The difference of 42,407 ballots is based on the latest report from the National Electoral Council (CNE), with 99.40% of the tally completed.
According to the Trump administration, the vote reflects a clear rejection of the governing leftist Libre party, led by outgoing President Xiomara Castro.
“The CNE should certify the election results promptly,” the spokesperson said, urging all political actors to respect the independence of electoral institutions and comply with Honduras’ legal framework.
The vote count—now stretching past four days—has fueled tension and uncertainty among the population. CNE president Ana Paola Hall attributed the delays to unspecified “technical problems.”
Central America
U.S. accuses Ortega regime of systematic human rights abuses in Nicaragua
The United States stated on Tuesday that the Nicaraguan regime led by President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo has carried out systematic violations of human and labor rights, including arbitrary property seizures and denying Nicaraguan citizens entry into their own country.
In a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Managua, Washington warned of “concerning patterns” in Nicaragua that are impacting the population, particularly in areas such as the rule of law, labor rights, and fundamental freedoms. According to the diplomatic mission, a U.S. investigation gathered direct testimony and evidence of abuses, including the use of the judicial system as a tool for repression.
The embassy shared several accounts on its social media platforms, highlighting allegations that the regime has dismantled democratic institutions and undermined legal security for individuals and businesses.
The White House is currently evaluating a proposal to double tariffs on Nicaragua by 100% and is also considering removing the country from the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), arguing that the regime’s policies create “unreasonable” obstacles to trade due to its human and labor rights practices.
One of the testimonies collected stated that in Nicaragua “investors face confiscations because the courts are used as weapons of oppression,” and that the tax system operates as a form of “extortion.” Another account claimed that “it is entirely at the discretion — at the will of the Ortega regime — who can operate and who cannot.”
A third testimony illustrated the extent of repression: “Imagine leaving your home one day — your children, your husband, your wife, your mother or father — for a five-day trip, and then you’re not allowed to return because the government has decided so.”
Central America
Honduras’ electoral chief reports ongoing technical issues but says results remain intact
The president of Honduras’ National Electoral Council (CNE), Ana Paola Hall, reported on Tuesday that technical issues continue to affect the vote-counting process from the November 30 general elections. However, she insisted that the results—unchanged since midnight with 99.40% of tally sheets processed—were not compromised.
Hall told reporters that on Monday night the contingency system “experienced two moments of difficulty,” both of which were quickly resolved without affecting the publication of results. The incidents occurred while officials were processing congressional tally sheets from two departments.
According to Hall, CNE technicians attributed the glitches to the “considerable size” of the ballots, which caused the system’s focus parameters to become misaligned during the processing of those documents.
Despite the setbacks, she maintained that the release of preliminary results “was not compromised,” noting that adjustments were made within minutes in both cases.
The latest official tally, unchanged since midnight, shows presidential candidate Nasry ‘Tito’ Asfura of the conservative National Party—who is backed by U.S. President Donald Trump—leading the race with 1,298,835 votes (40.52%). He is followed by Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party with 1,256,428 votes (39.48%), and Rixi Moncada, the candidate of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation (Libre) party, who on Sunday said she does not recognize the results, with 618,448 votes (19.29%).
The CNE has not yet announced when it will begin the special review of more than 2,600 tally sheets that contain inconsistencies and could represent over 500,000 votes.
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