Latest news with #XiomaraCastro
Daily News Egypt
02-07-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Honduras considers BRICS as part of shift towards multipolar cooperation, minister says
Honduras considers the BRICS group of nations as part of a shift towards multipolar cooperation and may apply for full membership in the future, the country's minister of strategic planning said. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2025, Ricardo Salgado Bonilla said the country has a growing interest in global platforms that promote inclusive and equitable cooperation. He said the forum, held under the motto 'Common Values – the Basis for Growth in a Multipolar World,' offers an environment 'that is inclusive, where we can talk about our expectations with people who are interested in investment.' In an exclusive commentary, the minister discussed Honduras' recent application to join the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), framing it as a step towards broader international cooperation. 'So for us it's a big step to take a look at the world to go and ask for being a part of this new bank, and, why not in the coming future also applying for a membership in BRICS,' he said at the TV BRICS studio in the Roscongress International Cooperation Area. Honduran President Xiomara Castro submitted an official request for the country to join the New Development Bank of BRICS during her visit to China in June 2023.
Miami Herald
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Honduras prepares for general elections amid fragile electoral system
June 27 (UPI) -- Honduras is preparing for general elections on Nov. 30, 2025, amid a fragile democracy and ongoing internal conflict. Corruption, violence and impunity have eroded the country's institutions and deepened public distrust in the electoral process. The National Electoral Council, or CNE, is facing a crisis after chaotic primary elections in March involving the nation's three major political parties. The vote was marred by severe logistical failures. In many polling stations, ballot boxes and voting materials arrived up to 12 hours late, and officials reported major problems with transporting supplies. CNE President Cossete López testified before Congress that she could not "guarantee" a clean general election, prompting concerns about a possible postponement. Although other CNE members later confirmed the vote would proceed as scheduled, internal divisions remain. The council's three commissioners -- each affiliated with a different political party -- have publicly blamed one another for the breakdown in March. The Center for the Study of Democracy, or CESPAD, has been strongly critical of the electoral process, citing weak institutions, low public confidence, and a lack of clear action to address failures from the March primaries. The group also pointed to legal loopholes that allow arbitrary decisions, ongoing political violence and clientelism, and a history of result manipulation. "The country is at a critical juncture. Current conditions raise fears that the general elections will unfold amid distrust, institutional improvisation and potential political destabilization," CESPAD said. CESPAD said the electoral budget was approved late, jeopardizing key systems such as the Election Results Transmission System, or TREP, and external audits. It also warned that the CNE continues to struggle with internal partisan divisions, technical staff resignations and low public credibility. A survey by the Reflection, Research and Communication Team, or ERIC-SJ, found that 62.5% of respondents said the March primaries weakened democracy, while 76.8% said they do not trust the CNE. Civil society groups and election experts are urging immediate reforms to restore the credibility of the CNE and ensure a reliable election process in November. They cite poor coordination, undertrained personnel and political interference in technical decisions within the electoral authority. They are also calling for extensive national and international monitoring to promote transparency and reduce the risk of fraud. The ERIC-SJ survey also revealed a shift in the political landscape. The opposition Liberal Party now leads, with 39% of respondents saying they expect it to win, compared to 25.6% for Libre, the ruling party, and 23.2% for the National Party. The change is attributed to growing dissatisfaction with President Xiomara Castro's administration, which has weakened the candidacy of her ally, Rixi Moncada. At the same time, Liberal candidate Salvador Nasralla -- a well-known television host running on an anti-corruption platform -- has gained momentum. Nasralla is attracting protest votes from Hondurans frustrated with the ruling party, while the National Party is working to rebuild support with candidate Nasry Asfura -- despite lasting fallout from corruption scandals involving former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking. Beyond individual candidates, political skepticism remains deep. Only 1 in 10 Hondurans believes elections are fair, and just 10% trust the National Congress or political parties. Still, voter turnout is expected to remain high. Eight in 10 respondents said they plan to vote in November. President Castro enters the election season with falling approval ratings. Her administration earned an average score of 4.13 out of 10 -- the lowest since she took office in 2022. Nearly 40% of Hondurans say the country is worse off than before her presidency. Hondurans identify the government's main failures as the ongoing economic crisis (28.8%), unemployment (17.9%), broken promises (16.1%) and insecurity (13.2%). Although President Castro points to achievements like a historic drop in homicides, her security strategy -- based on emergency measures modeled after El Salvador's approach -- has drawn criticism from international human rights groups. The international community, including the Organization of American States, the European Union and the United Nations, along with local organizations such as CESPAD and ERIC-SJ, have issued urgent calls for electoral reforms and technical protocols as a prerequisite for credible elections. The key question now is not only whether the vote will happen, but under what conditions. Despite the tensions, there is broad consensus that the elections must be held on schedule. Canceling or postponing the vote is widely viewed as a step that could spark a deeper institutional crisis. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
27-06-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Honduras prepares for general elections amid fragile electoral system
Honduras is readying for a November election amid a fragile electoral system and dissatisfaction with the ruling party of President Xiomara Castro. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 27 (UPI) -- Honduras is preparing for general elections on Nov. 30, 2025, amid a fragile democracy and ongoing internal conflict. Corruption, violence and impunity have eroded the country's institutions and deepened public distrust in the electoral process. The National Electoral Council, or CNE, is facing a crisis after chaotic primary elections in March involving the nation's three major political parties. The vote was marred by severe logistical failures. In many polling stations, ballot boxes and voting materials arrived up to 12 hours late, and officials reported major problems with transporting supplies. CNE President Cossete López testified before Congress that she could not "guarantee" a clean general election, prompting concerns about a possible postponement. Although other CNE members later confirmed the vote would proceed as scheduled, internal divisions remain. The council's three commissioners -- each affiliated with a different political party -- have publicly blamed one another for the breakdown in March. The Center for the Study of Democracy, or CESPAD, has been strongly critical of the electoral process, citing weak institutions, low public confidence, and a lack of clear action to address failures from the March primaries. The group also pointed to legal loopholes that allow arbitrary decisions, ongoing political violence and clientelism, and a history of result manipulation. "The country is at a critical juncture. Current conditions raise fears that the general elections will unfold amid distrust, institutional improvisation and potential political destabilization," CESPAD said. CESPAD said the electoral budget was approved late, jeopardizing key systems such as the Election Results Transmission System, or TREP, and external audits. It also warned that the CNE continues to struggle with internal partisan divisions, technical staff resignations and low public credibility. A survey by the Reflection, Research and Communication Team, or ERIC-SJ, found that 62.5% of respondents said the March primaries weakened democracy, while 76.8% said they do not trust the CNE. Civil society groups and election experts are urging immediate reforms to restore the credibility of the CNE and ensure a reliable election process in November. They cite poor coordination, undertrained personnel and political interference in technical decisions within the electoral authority. They are also calling for extensive national and international monitoring to promote transparency and reduce the risk of fraud. The ERIC-SJ survey also revealed a shift in the political landscape. The opposition Liberal Party now leads, with 39% of respondents saying they expect it to win, compared to 25.6% for Libre, the ruling party, and 23.2% for the National Party. The change is attributed to growing dissatisfaction with President Xiomara Castro's administration, which has weakened the candidacy of her ally, Rixi Moncada. At the same time, Liberal candidate Salvador Nasralla -- a well-known television host running on an anti-corruption platform -- has gained momentum. Nasralla is attracting protest votes from Hondurans frustrated with the ruling party, while the National Party is working to rebuild support with candidate Nasry Asfura -- despite lasting fallout from corruption scandals involving former President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking. Beyond individual candidates, political skepticism remains deep. Only 1 in 10 Hondurans believes elections are fair, and just 10% trust the National Congress or political parties. Still, voter turnout is expected to remain high. Eight in 10 respondents said they plan to vote in November. President Castro enters the election season with falling approval ratings. Her administration earned an average score of 4.13 out of 10 -- the lowest since she took office in 2022. Nearly 40% of Hondurans say the country is worse off than before her presidency. Hondurans identify the government's main failures as the ongoing economic crisis (28.8%), unemployment (17.9%), broken promises (16.1%) and insecurity (13.2%). Although President Castro points to achievements like a historic drop in homicides, her security strategy -- based on emergency measures modeled after El Salvador's approach -- has drawn criticism from international human rights groups. The international community, including the Organization of American States, the European Union and the United Nations, along with local organizations such as CESPAD and ERIC-SJ, have issued urgent calls for electoral reforms and technical protocols as a prerequisite for credible elections. The key question now is not only whether the vote will happen, but under what conditions. Despite the tensions, there is broad consensus that the elections must be held on schedule. Canceling or postponing the vote is widely viewed as a step that could spark a deeper institutional crisis.
Washington Post
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Honduras, US discuss immigration, security after tense start to relations under Trump administration
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras President Xiomara Castro and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem discussed immigration and border security in their first meeting Wednesday, after Castro had previously rejected President Donald Trump's calls for ramped up deportations. Noem was the first Trump Cabinet member to visit Honduras. The two leaders did not make comments to the press after their meeting. But Honduras Foreign Affairs Minister Javier Bú Soto later said that Honduras signed a letter of intent toward reaching an agreement on sharing biometric data from people transiting the country with the U.S. government. The U.S. has signed similar agreements with other governments across the region. The two governments also signed an agreement related to migrants seeking protection in Honduras, he said, though he did not explain what it entailed. 'We are going to continue mutually collaborating on issues of migration security, border security and the fight against drug trafficking,' Bú Soto said. Noem was headed next to Guatemala where she was scheduled to meet with President Bernardo Arévalo on Thursday. Relations between the U.S. and Castro's administration had been tense since she ordered the end of the longstanding extradition treaty last year. It was under that treaty that Castro sent her predecessor ex-President Juan Orlando Hernández to the United States to be tried on drug trafficking charges. The U.S. ambassador at the time had angered Castro by criticizing the visit of Honduran officials to Venezuela to meet with that country's longtime defense minister, Vladimir Padrino López, who has been indicted on drug trafficking charges by the U.S. Then in January, Castro raised the possibility of ending Honduras' cooperation with the U.S. military if Trump followed through on his promised mass deportations. The main U.S. military presence in Honduras is at Soto Cano Air Base outside the capital. While it is a Honduran base, the U.S. has maintained a significant presence there since 1983 and it has become a key U.S. launching point for humanitarian and anti-drug missions in Central America. Castro eventually reversed course earlier this year on the extradition treaty and restored the agreement after negotiations with the Trump administration. But Honduras was notably left off U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's trip through the region in February. Earlier Wednesday, Noem met with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves in San Jose. They signed a letter reaffirming the U.S. support for Costa Rica's bid to join the Global Entry program. That is a program run by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which allows certain passengers who applied to the program and are prescreened to get expedited entry into the U.S. Noem also said the U.S. would help Chaves advance toward his goal of scanning all people and goods entering Costa Rica. The U.S. has been signing agreements across the region for governments to collect and share biometric data on people entering their countries. '(Costa Rica) will give us the most advanced information that we need to know on people who could come into our countries that could do us harm, but also how to prevent them from spreading their criminality and their evil across the world,' Noem said. Noem visited Panama on Tuesday, where she met with President José Raúl Mulino. The U.S. government has designated $14 million for a repatriation program where Panama flies migrants back to their countries. __ AP journalist Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report.
The Independent
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Honduras, US discuss immigration, security after tense start to relations under Trump administration
Honduras President Xiomara Castro and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem discussed immigration and border security in their first meeting Wednesday, after Castro had previously rejected President Donald Trump's calls for ramped up deportations. Noem was the first Trump Cabinet member to visit Honduras. The two leaders did not make comments to the press after their meeting. But Honduras Foreign Affairs Minister Javier Bú Soto later said that Honduras signed a letter of intent toward reaching an agreement on sharing biometric data from people transiting the country with the U.S. government. The U.S. has signed similar agreements with other governments across the region. The two governments also signed an agreement related to migrants seeking protection in Honduras, he said, though he did not explain what it entailed. 'We are going to continue mutually collaborating on issues of migration security, border security and the fight against drug trafficking,' Bú Soto said. Noem was headed next to Guatemala where she was scheduled to meet with President Bernardo Arévalo on Thursday. Relations between the U.S. and Castro's administration had been tense since she ordered the end of the longstanding extradition treaty last year. It was under that treaty that Castro sent her predecessor ex-President Juan Orlando Hernández to the United States to be tried on drug trafficking charges. The U.S. ambassador at the time had angered Castro by criticizing the visit of Honduran officials to Venezuela to meet with that country's longtime defense minister, Vladimir Padrino López, who has been indicted on drug trafficking charges by the U.S. Then in January, Castro raised the possibility of ending Honduras' cooperation with the U.S. military if Trump followed through on his promised mass deportations. The main U.S. military presence in Honduras is at Soto Cano Air Base outside the capital. While it is a Honduran base, the U.S. has maintained a significant presence there since 1983 and it has become a key U.S. launching point for humanitarian and anti-drug missions in Central America. Castro eventually reversed course earlier this year on the extradition treaty and restored the agreement after negotiations with the Trump administration. But Honduras was notably left off U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's trip through the region in February. Earlier Wednesday, Noem met with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves in San Jose. They signed a letter reaffirming the U.S. support for Costa Rica's bid to join the Global Entry program. That is a program run by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which allows certain passengers who applied to the program and are prescreened to get expedited entry into the U.S. Noem also said the U.S. would help Chaves advance toward his goal of scanning all people and goods entering Costa Rica. The U.S. has been signing agreements across the region for governments to collect and share biometric data on people entering their countries. '(Costa Rica) will give us the most advanced information that we need to know on people who could come into our countries that could do us harm, but also how to prevent them from spreading their criminality and their evil across the world,' Noem said. Noem visited Panama on Tuesday, where she met with President José Raúl Mulino. The U.S. government has designated $14 million for a repatriation program where Panama flies migrants back to their countries.
