Xiomara Castro; Honduras' first female President
3 Min Read
Castro is head of the leftist Libre party and may secure a majority in Congress.
-
President-elect of Honduras Xiomara Castro (AFP)
President-elect of Honduras Xiomara Castro is set to be sworn in as the country's first female President on Thursday, amid uncertainty regarding who will lead the Congress during her term.
Two opposing sections in Castro's left-wing Libre party have elected their own president of congress and talks to find an agreement deadlocked overnight on Wednesday.
Jorge Calix, who is supported by the right-wing opposition National and Liberal parties, has the backing of more than 70 of the 128-member assembly, including around 20 Libre MPs.
Castro gave Calix the position of Cabinet Coordinator in an attempt to settle the conflict and persuade him to renounce his claim of the position of congress president.
The legislative debate is an uncomfortable diversion for the president-elect, who will be joined at the inauguration by US Vice President Kamala Harris, King Felipe VI of Spain, and Taiwan Vice President William Lai.
According to Eugenio Sosa, a sociologist at the National University of Honduras told AFP Castro will "inherit a country in a deep crisis -- above all a social crisis -- whose despair, whose deterioration of living conditions have become so profound."
He added that the main crisis came from the massive migration of families into the US.
Castro must overcome the Congress issue before tackling any national crises. Last Friday, a number of Libre dissidents violated an agreement with the Savior Party of Honduras (PSH), whose support was critical to Castro's victory in the November elections.
PSH (Partido Salvador de Honduras) leader Salvador Nasralla decided to drop out of the presidential election in exchange for the position of Vice President and a vow to support PSH's Redondo as President of Congress.
However, dissenters objected, stating that congress should be ruled by the majority member party. After heated arguments, some officials exchanged punches and Castro accused the dissidents of collaborating with the National Party of departing President Juan Orlando Hernandez in order to thwart the reforms she pledged during her campaign, such as the restoration of anti-impunity legislation.
While the US VP visits the nation, she is scheduled to discuss the core reasons for migration to the US with Castro, as well as increasing economic opportunities and combatting corruption.
According to the FOSDEH NGO, 71% of the country's 10 million people live in poverty. Jensi Davila, a university student in downtown Tegucigalpa told AFP that the cause is the lack of work opportunities.
Honduras is also ravaged by violence driven by drug-trafficking gangs. The murder rate is around 40 per 100,000 people.
Despite being one of only 14 countries that recognize Taiwan, during her campaign, Castro promised to "immediately open diplomatic and commercial relations with mainland China."
