President Xiomara Castro and her husband, Mel Zelaya. (AP)

President Xiomara Castro and her husband, Mel Zelaya. (AP)

LatAm in Focus: Can Xiomara Castro Take Control of Honduras' Reins?

By Chase Harrison

Journalist Jeff Ernst says two former presidents have hogged the spotlight during the new president’s political honeymoon.

“This isn't your average government transition. This is a transition that comes after 12 years of absolute control in one party.”

Castro has taken some steps regarding her campaign promises, such as putting an end to special economic zones and cleaning up government spending. Corruption, says Ernst, is an area where Castro could still score some major wins. “I don't think that there's much of an impediment there to Xiomara's administration taking important steps towards combating corruption in the country,” he said. “For the past 12 years, the National Party pretty much locked out the opposition from the corruption that they were committing.”

Ernst expressed optimism about Castro’s ability work alongside the United States on issues of migration. The Biden administration’s “root causes of migration” strategy has looked for friendly faces in Central America for partnership. As Ernst explained: “[U.S. officials] really pivoted towards Honduras. They see an opportunity to work with new actors. I think that a lot of Xiomara Castro's agenda is really in unison with a lot of the Biden administration's objectives for the region.”

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Jon Orbach produced this episode.

The music in this episode is Honduras' Aurelio Martínez performing at the Americas Society. Watch a video of his performance: https://youtu.be/JAZav1XOz7w

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