Xiomara Castro is the president-elect of Honduras, scheduled to take office on January 27, 2022, as the country’s first female president. Castro will also be the first president not to be a member of either the Liberal Party or the National Party since democracy was restored in the country in 1982.
Her presidency could address Honduras’ endemic corruption and violence, as she defeated Nasry Asfura the National Party. The recently ousted president had a large vote lead before conceding to the president elect congratulating her on government television.
Voter turnout number were as high those of the early 1980s when the country was struggling to regain democracy.
Castro has promised big changes including loosening restrictions on abortion, asking for help from the UN in fighting corruption, and possibly strengthening ties with China, and a constitutional overhaul.
Castro has also discussed withdrawing its diplomatic support of Taiwan as part of its support of China.
China has accused the United States of bullying Honduras over its desire to keep the small country in support of and independent Taiwan rather than China.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Castro on her “historic victory” and said Washington was ready to work with the incoming government.
“We congratulate Hondurans for the high voter turnout, peaceful participation, and active civil society engagement that marked this election, signaling an enduring commitment to the democratic process,” Blinken said in a statement.
“The United States will continue to support Honduras in strengthening its democratic institutions, promoting economic growth, and fighting corruption and transnational crime.”
According to Wikipedia, Castro has represented the left-wing Libre Party in the 2013, 2017 and 2021 Honduran general elections, running as the party’s candidate for president of Honduras in 2013 and 2021, and for vice president of Honduras in 2017 – as Salvador Nasralla‘s running mate. As the country’s former first lady, she was a leader of the movement resisting the 2009 coup d’état against her husband Manuel Zelaya, who was the president between 2006 and 2009. Castro was elected president of Honduras in the 2021 Honduran general election.[3][4]
Vice President Kamala Harris recently spoke with Castro via phone congratulating her on her historic victory as Honduras’ first female president. They discussed their shared interest in addressing the root causes of migration, including by increasing economic opportunity, combatting corruption, addressing security threats, and improving access to health and education. They committed to working together and deepening the partnership between the United States and Honduras.
Castro will definitely face a plethora of challenges high joblessness, crime, corruption and the ongoing threat of transnational drug gangs helping spur record numbers of people to migrate, according to multiple reports.
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