President of Honduras: Catholic, left – and hopeful

In protest, many Hondurans elected the leftist Xiomara Castro as president. Now she has to tackle poverty, femicide and corruption at the same time – and the United States has great expectations of her, too.

Even before Xiomara Castro took office, the first institutional crisis became apparent: There were serious scuffles in the Honduran parliament: two congressmen claimed the leadership of the congress and thus ensured its split. It’s just another challenge on a long list awaiting the new president. The pressure on the 62-year-old is huge. She will be the country’s first female president.

Bertha Zúñiga from the Council of People’s and Indigenous Organizations COPINH, daughter of the social leader Berta Cáceres, who was murdered in 2016, hopes that when Xiomara Castro takes office, violence against women in the country will finally be punished: “We hope that the question of the murder of women, special attention to the specific violence against women, the crimes, harassment, and the new government is creating institutions to deal with these cases and succeed in fighting the impunity that exists in this context.” Zúñiga also expects Castro to stand up for the rights of the indigenous population in Honduras and abolish the controversial special economic zones.

anti-corruption hope

Castro promised a lot: more participation, a government of reconciliation. She is the wife of former President Manuel Zelaya – who won the 2005 election as a candidate for the Liberal Party and then swung left. But in 2009 the right-wing conservative elite staged a coup against him. Since then, the National Party has been in government in the Central American country. The election victory of the 62-year-old with her center-left party Libre is a historic turning point for many.

Many people in Honduras are counting on a radical change, like this Honduran woman from the capital Tegucigalpa: “We hope for a government of transparency, because the dictatorship, this drug government, is over,” she says. “We hope that people will also understand that not everything can be achieved in the next four years. First, we have to put all these corrupt people in prison. That’s what we really want.”

population lives in poverty

Outgoing President Juan Orlando Hernández is suspected of being involved in smuggling cocaine into the United States. His brother Tony has already been sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking in the United States. Many people in Honduras hope for justice and a break with the old elites.

Around 70 percent of the people live in poverty. The economy in the Central American country is idle, and the situation has only worsened due to the pandemic. Corruption is a massive problem. Honduras is ranked 157th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s recently released index. Improving living conditions will be a mammoth task.

“Xiomara Castro is seen as a person with important qualities such as simplicity, honesty, transparency and commitment to Honduran society, who has stood up for the poorest sections of the population on several occasions,” says human rights activist and priest Ismael Moreno, who supports the strictly Catholic left politician observed during the election campaign. “Therefore, your government is expected to ensure justice and listen to Honduran society.”

Caravans to the USA

In view of the severe poverty, caravans with hundreds of people regularly make their way north in search of a better future. The transit country Mexico and the USA in particular are therefore very interested in the new president stabilizing the country.

During the election campaign, Castro had promised a rapprochement with China. This has caused concern. US Vice President Kamala Harris apparently wants to set an example and is traveling directly to the inauguration ceremony with a whole delegation.