Honduras’ President Xiomara Castro rejected the “baseless attacks” against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro after the United States raised the reward for information leading to his capture, accusing him of collaborating with drug trafficking groups.

“Honduras categorically rejects the accusations made against President Nicolás Maduro and expresses its full solidarity […] amid the unfounded attacks he faces today,” Castro said on X over the weekend. Meanwhile, Nicaragua sent a letter of support to Maduro on Friday. “Nicolás, brave brother […], no empire will ever bend us,” stated the message from Nicaraguan co-presidents and spouses Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.

Honduras and Nicaragua remain the only Central American countries allied with Venezuela. Additionally, Honduran Foreign Minister Yván Gil described the new reward against Maduro as “pathetic and ridiculous.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Thursday that the Donald Trump administration increased the reward to $50 million, accusing Maduro of working with “foreign terrorist organizations” such as Tren de Aragua and the Cartel of the Suns to smuggle “drugs” into the United States.

The Nicaraguan volcano Telica, standing 1,061 meters tall and located 112 kilometers northwest of Managua, registered four explosions this Friday, ejecting gases and ash. So far, no damages or casualties have been reported, authorities said.

“This morning, the Telica volcano registered its fourth explosion, this time with ballistics (small rocks expelled at high speed from the crater due to the explosions), followed by the release of gases and ash,” the Telica Municipality said on its social media, sharing photos of the active volcano.

Local authorities estimated that the ash column rose about 600 meters above the Telica crater and quickly dispersed toward the southwest.

“Monitoring was conducted in communities near the volcano, and no presence of ash was detected,” the Telica Municipality added, stating it will continue to watch the volcano’s activity.

Nicaraguan authorities usually recommend remaining calm and taking appropriate precautionary measures when volcanic activity occurs.

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Telica is one of Nicaragua’s most active volcanoes, located in the country’s western volcanic belt, which is part of the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire,” the most geologically active zone on Earth that spans dozens of countries in the Americas and Asia.

The volcano is part of Nicaragua’s volcanic mountain range, which has at least ten active craters and dozens of cone-shaped formations related to local volcanic activity.

In a key step toward the November 2025 general elections, four presidential candidates in Honduras signed an agreement on Tuesday pledging to advance a national anti-corruption agenda. The commitments include creating an international commission, reinstating the extradition treaty with the United States, and implementing a comprehensive system for corruption prevention.

The only candidate who did not sign the declaration was Rixi Moncada of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation Party (Libre). In contrast, the pact was endorsed by Nasry Asfura (National Party), Salvador Nasralla (Liberal Party), Mario Rivera (Christian Democracy), and Nelson Ávila (PINU-SD). The initiative was spearheaded by the National Anti-Corruption Council (CNA) under the slogan “Honduras First: A Promise That Must Be Kept, A Duty That Must Be Fulfilled.”

During the event, Liberal Party candidate Salvador Nasralla vowed to establish the International Commission Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (CICIH) within his first year in office, ensuring its autonomy and independence. “Honduras loses 100 billion lempiras —$3.81 billion— each year to theft. A single administration can steal up to $15.25 billion. I will put a stop to that,” Nasralla declared.

Mario Rivera of the Christian Democracy Party described the declaration as a “moral pact” and a “declaration of war against the corrupt and shameless individuals who have looted the country.” Nelson Ávila of PINU-SD called for the creation of a national unity government and warned against imposing “dictatorial or exclusionary attitudes.”

The agreement also calls for reactivating the extradition treaty with the U.S., currently suspended, as a key tool in combating drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. It further proposes a national anti-corruption strategy embedded in the state’s structural design, with concrete actions aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability.

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CNA Director Gabriela Castellanos described the commitment as a “turning point,” stressing that the next administration “will have no margin for error or indifference.” She emphasized that leading Honduras will require “moral courage to dismantle power networks that perpetuate looting and impunity,” beyond mere technical capacity.

“The anti-corruption discourse cannot be an excuse for inefficiency in governance,” Castellanos warned, adding that the CNA will continue to expose and monitor “the looting of public resources” with names, faces, and figures.

In the November general elections, Hondurans will elect a president, three vice presidents, 128 members of Congress, 20 representatives to the Central American Parliament, and 298 municipal mayors.