Central America

Opposition candidate takes big lead in Honduras presidential poll

AFP

Left-wing opposition candidate Xiomara Castro took a commanding lead over the ruling party’s Nasry Asfura in Honduras’ presidential election on Sunday, preliminary results showed.

With 40 percent of votes counted, former first lady Castro had taken almost 53.5 percent with the National Party’s Asfura a distant second out of 13 candidates with 34 percent, according to a National Electoral Council (CNE) live count.

Castro, whose husband Manuel Zelaya was deposed in a coup in 2009, is hoping to become the first female president of Honduras.

The news sparked scenes of celebration in the capital Tegucigalpa, with supporters setting off fireworks and honking their horns.

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“Good night, we’ve won,” said Castro, addressing her supporters.

It was a far cry from the deadly protests that broke out four years ago when Juan Orlando Hernandez won a second successive term amid accusations of fraud. More than 30 people died as authorities cracked down on a month-long protest.

Reports of intimidation and violence in the buildup to this election led to fears the vote could spark fresh unrest.

Castro and Asfura both called for calm as they cast their votes, but the National Party (PN) leadership broke election rules by declaring victory less than an hour after polls opened, earning a rebuke from the European Union observer mission.

CNE president Kelvin Aguirre said “historic” numbers had voted, with a turnout of 62 percent of 5.2 million registered voters.

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– ‘Not one drop of blood’ –

The opposition had expressed fears the poll could be rigged to keep the PN in power, which would almost inevitably prompt street protests.

Political analyst Raul Pineda, a former PN legislator, predicted a defeat for Castro, even a legitimate one, would trigger violence.

“We want this to be a civic event, in peace and tranquility,” said Castro as she voted.

“Peace and tranquility are priceless, and listen to me well: not one drop of blood is worth it,” added Asfura, the outgoing mayor of Tegucigalpa.

But residents of the capital were on tenterhooks.

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“It’s worrying,” Luis Gomez, 26, told AFP from the gang-ridden Tegucigalpa neighborhood of La Sosa. “I live day to day (and) it would hurt us if there were disturbances.”

The country has been hit hard by gang violence, drug trafficking and hurricanes, with 59 percent of the 10 million people living in poverty.

Washington has been keeping a close eye on the election.

Honduras has been the starting point for a wave of migrant caravans trying to reach the United States.

Pineda said Washington had put pressure on Honduran authorities to ensure a free and transparent vote to avoid the trouble that broke out in 2017.

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Some 18,000 police and as many soldiers are on duty nationwide.

Voting took place calmly in the capital.

“Regardless of who wins, we’re brothers, we’re all Hondurans and need to respect each other,” said Leonel Pena, 57, a carpenter in a poor neighborhood.

After almost a dozen years of PN rule, many voters said it was time for change.

“We’ve tried this government for 12 years and things have gone from bad to worse,” said Gomez. “We hope for something new.”

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

The PN has been in power since Zelaya 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 in his inner circle.

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

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

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

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

The third major candidate in the presidential race, the Liberal Party’s Yani Rosenthal, spent three years in a US jail for money laundering.

He scored just nine percent in preliminary results.

“No more power will be abused in this country,” vowed Castro.

For many voters, the main issue was jobs.

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“I want prosperity for us, employment, education,” said Elizabeth Romero, 75, a domestic worker from La Sosa.

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 well as the president, Hondurans voted to elect the 28 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.