Central America
Xiomara Castro becomes first woman president of Honduras
AFP
Leftist Xiomara Castro was sworn in Thursday as the first woman president of Honduras, vowing to reform the crime- and poverty-stricken nation into a “socialist and democratic state.”
Castro, 62, took the oath at a massive ceremony attended by international dignitaries after an embarrassing week of fighting within her party that challenged her authority.
In her first official address at the Tegucigalpa National Stadium, Castro denounced “the social and economic tragedy confronting Honduras” and promised to make work of improving education, healthcare, security and employment.
She said she was inheriting a “bankrupt” country which she intended to reshape into a “socialist and democratic state.”
Honduras’s public debt is about $17 billion.
The oath was sworn before Judge Karla Romero, flanked by Castro’s choice of Congress president, Luis Redondo, who draped the presidential sash over his new boss before a crowd of about 29,000.
The guests included US Vice President Kamala Harris, King Felipe VI of Spain and Taiwan Vice President William Lai.
– ’12 years of struggle’ –
Castro’s election last November brought an end to 12 years of right-wing National Party (PN) rule that followed the ousting of her husband Manuel Zelaya as president in a 2009 coup.
“Twelve years of struggle, 12 years of resistance. Today the people’s government begins,” Castro said on Twitter Thursday.
But the lead-up to the swearing-in was marred by a disruptive rivalry within her Libre party, which is in a majority alliance in Congress.
Libre factions split on who should be the legislature’s new president, coming to blows in the Congress chamber and then holding rival inaugural sittings.
Castro accused supporters of Redondo’s rival for the Congress presidency, Jorge Calix, of being in cahoots with the PN and other forces she said wanted to undermine her anti-corruption drive.
Juan Orlando Hernandez of the PN, her predecessor, is accused by US prosecutors of protecting drug traffickers in exchange for bribes.
– ‘Everyone wants to leave’ –
Castro assumes office with a full load of tasks ahead of her.
Hondurans are fleeing the country in droves, often to the United States, in search of work and a better life.
Castro spoke of a poverty rate of 74 percent, a figure she said “in itself explains the caravans of thousands of people of all ages fleeing to the north — Mexico and the United States — looking for a place and a way to survive in spite of the risk to their lives” from gangs and smugglers along the way.
“Everyone wants to leave because there’s no work. If there were more job opportunities here, there would be no need to look for another country,” university student Jensi Davila told AFP in Tegucigalpa.
Adding to the exodus, Honduras’s murder rate is nearly 40 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Among the crowd celebrating Castro’s inauguration, seamstress Esther Lopez expressed hope that the situation “is going to change, because Xiomara has been supporting the cause of the poor for many years and because of ‘Mel’ Zelaya, who was a good president.”
– Migration talks –
Harris urged Castro to fight corruption, seen as a root cause of Central American migration, in talks after the inauguration ceremony.
The first foreign official to have a bilateral meeting with Castro, Harris welcomed the priority the new president had placed “on countering corruption and impunity, including her intent to request the assistance of the United Nations in establishing an international anti-corruption commission,” a readout from Harris’s office said.
Castro needs international support to renegotiate foreign debt of $11 billion.
It is an issue, according to former prime minister Edgardo Paz, which requires agreement “with the multilateral institutions where Washington has a lot of influence.”
Castro also held a meeting with Lai, who conveyed Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s congratulations to Castro on becoming Honduras’s first woman leader, according to a statement from Tsai’s office.
Honduras is one of just 14 countries to recognize Taiwan.
China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, has spent decades encouraging the island’s allies to switch sides, with much success.
On the election campaign, Castro vowed to “immediately open diplomatic and commercial relations with mainland China” if she won.
According to the presidential statement, Lai — who came bearing a consignment of Covid-19 prevention supplies — said he invited Castro to visit the self-ruled island, adding that a meeting between Taiwan and Honduras’s first woman presidents would be a historic moment.
Separately, Harris and Lai had a brief exchange at the inauguration, Taiwan’s Central News Agency said, an encounter that will likely stoke US-China tensions.
They shared “a simple greeting” in which both “spoke briefly,” the agency said.
Their conversation was the first public interaction between US and Taiwanese vice presidents since Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, according to Fan Shih-ping, a political analyst at Taiwan’s National Normal University.
Castro announced part of her cabinet Thursday, with her son Hector Zelaya as private secretary and Jose Manuel Zelaya — her husband’s nephew — as defense minister.
Central America
Nicaragua Held Responsible for Harassment of Opposition Prosecutor and His Family
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Wednesday found Nicaragua responsible for threats, harassment, and attacks suffered by opposition election monitor Jaime Antonio Chavarría and his family after he reported irregularities during the July 27, 2008 municipal elections.
Chavarría was serving as an electoral verification prosecutor for the opposition Constitutional Liberal Party at a polling station in Managua on election day. He filed a formal objection with local authorities, complaining that the polling center had closed before the scheduled time while voters were still waiting to be verified.
According to the ruling, Chavarría and several relatives present at the site were subjected to insults and threats by a representative of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). As they were leaving the area, they were intercepted and attacked by a large group of individuals allegedly incited by local Sandinista leaders.
“The events were witnessed by police officers who refrained from intervening. Mr. Chavarría Morales and his relatives, who suffered various injuries, managed to escape in their vehicle, which the aggressors attempted to set on fire,” the court detailed.
Chavarría reported the incident to the National Police, but the case was ultimately shelved in May 2016. Acts of harassment and intimidation continued over time.
The court concluded that the State bore responsibility for the threats, harassment, and subsequent attacks following July 2008, citing the participation or acquiescence of state agents in some of the incidents, as well as the failure to adopt protection and investigative measures.
In its judgment, the court determined that Nicaragua violated Chavarría’s rights to personal integrity, freedom of thought and expression, political rights, equality before the law, and the right to defend human rights.
The ruling also established state responsibility for violations affecting the personal integrity, judicial guarantees, judicial protection, and family protection rights of Chavarría and for the harm caused to the life plans of his children: Cindy Alicia Chavarría Alonso, Jeffer Joaquín Chavarría Alonso, and Jaime Antonio Chavarría Alonso.
Central America
Guatemala’s Attorney General Fails in Bid for Top Court Seat Amid Corruption Allegations
The Attorney General of Guatemala, Consuelo Porras, failed on Tuesday in her bid to join the country’s highest constitutional court, a position that would have granted her immunity from corruption allegations for which she has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union.
Porras, whose term as attorney general ends in May, did not receive a single vote in the final round of voting to become a magistrate of the Corte de Constitucionalidad, whose rulings are final and cannot be appealed.
The Supreme Court reelected Dina Ochoa and Claudia Paniagua as its representatives to the Constitutional Court.
Ochoa is considered close to former presidents Jimmy Morales (2016–2020) and Alejandro Giammattei (2020–2024), both accused of corruption. Paniagua, like Porras, has been sanctioned by the United States.
Washington and the European Union have labeled Porras as “corrupt” and “undemocratic,” accusing her of attempting to block the inauguration of Social Democratic President Bernardo Arévalo two years ago.
In addition, the 72-year-old attorney general—who is seeking a third term—has been accused of forcing anti-corruption officials, journalists, and social leaders into exile. She denies the allegations and claims they are part of a political persecution campaign.
Porras’ chances of remaining in office, a position she has held since 2018, are considered slim, as President Arévalo is responsible for appointing the next attorney general.
Central America
Panama Canal Monitoring Trade as Middle East Conflict Disrupts Shipping
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said Monday it is closely monitoring global maritime trade developments following the conflict triggered by joint U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran.
However, the ACP described it as “premature” to predict potential consequences for vessel traffic through the interoceanic waterway, which handles roughly 5% of global maritime trade.
“The Panama Canal continuously monitors the evolution of international maritime trade and the dynamics that may influence its flows,” the authority said in a statement. The canal’s main users are the United States and China, connecting primarily the U.S. East Coast with Asia, including South Korea and Japan.
The ACP emphasized that the canal “continues to operate safely, efficiently, and reliably,” providing uninterrupted service to the global maritime community.
Global Shipping Disruptions
The U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory actions have disrupted global maritime traffic, particularly oil tanker routes.
Shipping giants Maersk and CMA CGM have suspended transits through the Strait of Hormuz as well as crossings via the Suez Canal, the key route linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
As a result, cargo vessels are now rerouting around Africa to reach Europe from the Middle East and Asia — a detour that adds several thousand kilometers and several days to voyages.
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