Central America

Honduras braces for trouble as election begins

AFP

Honduras braced for potential violence as polls opened on Sunday to elect a new president to replace Juan Orlando Hernandez, a controversial figure accused of drug trafficking in the United States.

Voters queued up from dawn at some polling stations before they opened officially at 7:30 am (1330 GMT).

“I call on everyone to proceed with this process in peace, calm, without fear and without violence,” said National Electoral Council president Kelvin Aguirre.

More than five million people are registered to vote in what is expected to be a tight race.

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Leftist opposition candidate Xiomara Castro led opinion polls last month, but the ruling right-wing National Party (PN) — whose candidate is charismatic Tegucigalpa mayor Nasry Asfura — has had the benefit of better campaign organization and resources.

Opposition fears of a rigged poll and reports of pre-election intimidation have led to tension.

“If the PN wins the election, even legitimately, there will be a worrying level of violence,” political analyst Raul Pineda, a lawyer and former PN lawmaker, predicted to AFP.

Four years ago, Hernandez won an unconstitutional second successive term amid cries of fraud from the opposition and international observers.

That sparked a widespread month-long protest, with the subsequent government crackdown leaving more than 30 people dead.

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“We are afraid because we work close to where the votes are counted,” Luis Andino, 27, a Tegucigalpa street vendor, told AFP.

“We’re afraid of losing our jobs if there are riots … and we get kicked out of here.”

– ‘Preparing for war’ –

The concerns come for a country already ravaged by violent gangs, drug trafficking and hurricanes, in which 59 percent of the population of 10 million live in poverty.

“A kind of paranoia has developed, people are preparing for war” by stocking up on food and water, said Pineda.

But he insists that pressure from Washington — which wants to reduce the triggers for mass Central American mass migration to the US — along with a large corps of international observers, should at least ensure a transparent vote.

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The crucial moment will come three hours after polls close at 5:00 pm, when the National Electoral Council (CNE) is due to announce early results, Gustavo Irias, executive director of the Center for Democracy Studies, told AFP.

“To avoid (violence) will depend on the attitude taken by different political actors, election observers and the US embassy.”

Some 18,000 police and as many soldiers will be on duty around the country.

– ‘No narco-states, only narco-governments’ –

The PN has been in power since Manuel Zelaya — Castro’s husband — was ousted in a 2009 coup supported by the military, business elites and the political right.

Corruption and drug-trafficking scandals have engulfed Hernandez and many of his inner circle in recent years, including Asfura.

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Hernandez’s brother Tony is serving a life sentence in a US prison for drug trafficking.

Drug barons that the president helped extradite to the US have accused him of involvement in the illicit trade.

Asfura was accused in 2020 of embezzling $700,000 of public money and was also linked in the Pandora Papers to influence-peddling in Costa Rica.

The third major candidate of 13 in the presidential race, the Liberal Party’s Yani Rosenthal, spent three years in a US jail after admitting to laundering drug-trafficking money.

These scandals have played into former first lady Castro’s hands.

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“Honduras is internationally known as a narco-state but there are no narco-states, only narco-governments,” said analyst Pineda.

“People won’t vote for Xiomara (Castro), they will vote against Juan Orlando Hernandez and what he represents.”

Castro, of the LIBRE party, led some opinion polls in October by 12 to 17 percentage points.

Neighboring El Salvador’s populist President Nayib Bukele urged Hondurans on Twitter not to vote for Asfura.

– Unemployment –

For many voters, the main issue is jobs.

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Unemployment jumped from 5.7 percent in 2019 to 10.9 percent in 2020, largely because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study by the Autonomous University.

The country was also ravaged by two hurricanes in 2020.

As he begged for money at a traffic light with his eight-month-old daughter in his arms, Elvin Aguilar, 32, said he was hoping the new government would provide “work and everything else.”

Hondurans will also elect the 128 members of the National Congress and 20 representatives of the Central American parliament.

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Central America

Guatemala narrows emergency measures to hardest-hit gang violence areas

The government of Guatemala has narrowed the scope of its state of emergency to the areas most affected by gang violence, Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda announced on Thursday.

The measure comes two months after coordinated attacks attributed to the Barrio 18 left 11 police officers dead.

President Bernardo Arévalo initially imposed a state of siege in mid-January following the violence, which was reportedly in retaliation for government intervention in three prisons where gang leaders had staged uprisings.

That measure, which allowed arrests without a warrant, expired after one month. It was then replaced by a less restrictive “state of prevention,” alongside an increased security deployment in Guatemala City and surrounding areas.

According to Villeda, the state of prevention has been extended for two additional weeks but will now apply primarily to the central department of Guatemala — home to the capital — and Escuintla, which have recorded the highest levels of homicides and criminal activity.

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“We need to continue these joint operations between the police and the military to maintain control,” the minister said.

The measure will also remain in effect in border departments including Petén, San Marcos and Huehuetenango, which border Mexico, as well as Izabal, which borders Honduras and Belize, in an effort to prevent the entry of criminal groups linked to drug trafficking.

Villeda added that in the past two weeks, homicides have dropped by 25% and extortion cases by 33% compared to the same period in 2025.

Central America

Costa Rica closes embassy in Cuba, citing human rights concerns

The government of Costa Rica announced on Wednesday the closure of its embassy in Cuba, a move that signals a further deterioration in diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Foreign Minister Arnoldo André confirmed that Costa Rica has also requested the withdrawal of Cuban diplomatic personnel from San José, leaving only consular representation in place.

According to André, the decision is driven by concerns over the worsening human rights situation on the island, including increased repression against citizens and opposition figures.

He also noted that Cuba’s ongoing economic and social crisis—marked by shortages of food, medicine, and basic services—has made the operation of the embassy increasingly difficult.

President Rodrigo Chaves backed the measure, stating that his administration does not recognize the legitimacy of Cuba’s political system.

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In response, the Cuban government rejected the decision, calling it a “unilateral” move taken under pressure from United States.

“Under pressure from the United States, Costa Rica has limited its relations with Cuba to consular matters,” Cuba’s Foreign Ministry said, describing the action as “arbitrary.”

Despite the diplomatic setback, Cuban authorities stated that historical ties between the two nations would endure.

Central America

Costa Rica closes Cuba embassy as president escalates rhetoric

The president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, escalated political rhetoric on Wednesday, stating that “the hemisphere must be cleansed of communists,” following his government’s decision to close its embassy in Cuba.

The remarks come as Costa Rica moves to downgrade diplomatic relations with the island, citing a sustained deterioration in human rights. Chaves reiterated that his administration does not recognize the legitimacy of the Cuban government, accusing it of repression and of maintaining poor living conditions for its population.

“We do not recognize the legitimacy of that government. We will not maintain a consulate there; services will be handled from Panama,” Chaves said during a press conference.

The president also argued that the communist model has “failed” not only in Cuba but in every country where it has been implemented, emphasizing that freedom is essential for development.

The decision was made in coordination with president-elect Laura Fernández, who is set to take office on May 8 and is expected to maintain the same foreign policy stance.

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Foreign Minister Arnoldo André confirmed the closure of the embassy in Havana and requested that Cuba withdraw its diplomatic personnel from San José, while maintaining limited consular functions.

Costa Rican authorities justified the move by pointing to increased repression against citizens, activists, and opposition figures, as well as restrictions on fundamental freedoms.

The closure marks a new point of tension in bilateral relations and comes amid growing international pressure on Cuba.