Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Honduran leftist, teamed with TV host, gains in race to be first woman president

Honduran leftist, teamed with TV host, gains in race to be first woman president

Leftist Xiomara Castro has a shot at winning an election on Sunday, to become Honduras' first female president and end years of conservative rule marred by graft and ties to drug smugglers.

An alliance with former rival candidate Salvador Nasralla, a popular television host, gave a boost in the polls to Castro, 62.

She has said that if she beats ruling-party candidate Nasry Asfura, she will explore establishing diplomatic ties with China, which could cause tension with Washington.

But U.S. President Joe Biden, who sees weak rule of law in Central America as driving heavy migration to the United States, may approve of her pledge to enlist U.N. help to build an anti-corruption agency.

"We are going to build a fair and competitive Honduras that fights corruption and drug trafficking," Castro said last week of her bid to make history as first woman president in the Central American nation, among the poorest in the Western Hemisphere and a leading source of migrants reaching the U.S. border at record levels.

Her husband, former President Manuel Zelaya, was deposed in a 2009 coup after aligning with late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, a socialist. His successors, former president Porfirio Lobo and President Juan Orlando Hernandez, both of the National Party, have both been caught up in allegations of ties to drug smugglers. Zelaya also was accused of taking bribes from traffickers. They have all denied wrongdoing.

Last month, Castro allied with 2017 runner-up Nasralla. An opinion poll by Tegucigalpa-based democratic studies institute CESPAD after the tie-up showed her with a 17-point lead over Asfura, of the ruling National Party.

However, not all polls give her such a commanding lead; a rival survey on the same day from a local television station showed a tied race.

The contest promises to be the latest shake-up in the volatile politics of Central America, where democratic standards have eroded in recent years in Honduras and neighbors El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Throughout the region, increased migration has been tied to corruption turbo-charged by transnational drug gangs.

The United States has long played a defining role in Honduran politics, basing troops there since the Cold War and backing Hernandez even after claims of fraud in his reelection four years ago.

"We urge the U.S. government not to make this mistake again," wrote Gustavo Irias, head of CESPAD, in a published commentary this week.

Asfura, a two-term capital city mayor, is popular for local building projects. He has not issued a campaign platform, unlike Castro.

No matter which candidate is elected, Biden's administration is likely to face a dilemma over how to re-calibrate relations with Tegucigalpa.

"We think it's going to be a really close contest," said Tiziano Breda, analyst with the International Crisis Group for Central America. He pointed out that opposition voters could be confused by Nasralla's name, which remains on the ballot despite the tie up.

'VERY WORRIED'


A robust presence of election observers is expected at Sunday's election, in which the Honduran Congress and other local races are also up for grabs.

A close race would raise the risk of irregularities, observers fear. The National Party has a history of using state resources to mobilize voters.

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a keen observer of Honduras, expressed unease about the likelihood of a fraud-free vote.

"I'm very worried about it," he said in a phone interview, citing migration and drug trafficking among issues fueled by corruption that made the future of Honduras important for the United States.

"We ought to pay more attention," he said. "Our future destinies are going to be clearly linked to each other."

On Wednesday, Kaine and Republican Senator Marco Rubio jointly signed a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning of "political instability and violence" if Honduran and foreign observers perceived the election results as illegitimate.

If Castro prevails, one of Washington's main concerns will be whether she goes ahead with her pledge in September to switch Honduras' decades-long diplomatic support for Taiwan to China, a senior Biden administration official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

A U.S. delegation has urged the Honduran candidates to keep ties with Taiwan.

President Hernandez has also previously toyed with switching allegiances to China, but this month traveled to Taiwan to re-emphasize their ties. While a shift would irritate Washington, it could diversify and balance out Honduras' superpower ties, Breda said, attracting more infrastructure finance.

If the 63-year-old Asfura wins, the U.S. administration is guardedly optimistic they could still make some inroads against corruption but is mindful that graft is so engrained in the National Party that it will take a long time to chip away at it, the U.S. official added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×