Xiomara Castro’s arrival to the presidency was presented as a change from Juan Orlando Hernández’s regime, but reports of corruption and links to organized crime show a continuity that affects public confidence and highlights limitations in the consolidation of institutional mechanisms.
Weakness of anti-corruption mechanisms
During Hernández’s administration, the departure of the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH) in 2020 weakened institutional efforts to combat corruption. The Castro administration, in turn, has failed to grant full autonomy and sufficient resources to the International Commission Against Impunity in Honduras (CICIH), which depends on the Public Prosecutor’s Office to bring cases to justice. The persistent lack of independence limits the ability to prosecute irregularities and strengthen anti-corruption institutions.
Persistence of organized crime in public contracts
Connections between organized crime figures have been identified in both administrations. A recent instance involves the Secretariat of Security, which entered into agreements totaling over 10 million lempiras with a firm associated with money laundering. Such operations indicate practices found in the former regime, showcasing that the public administration continues to be at risk of narco-politics, regardless of the executive’s political party.
Openness and management of government funds
The Hernández administration was characterized by centralized and opaque management of public information. Although Castro proposed increasing accountability, recent reports from the Ministry of Transparency indicate deficiencies in the execution and supervision of public spending. The lack of clear and auditable reports makes it difficult to evaluate government efficiency and maintains a pattern similar to that observed in the previous administration.
Legal and organizational obstacles
The capacity of the legal framework to address misconduct has been constrained under both governments. Global inquiries, including the “narcovideos” and accusations of illegal political campaign funding, have impacted the present government, emphasizing the challenge of suppressing actions that undermine the credibility of institutions. The continuation of irregularities indicates that oversight mechanisms remain underdeveloped, fostering a setting favorable to ongoing corrupt activities.
The institutional reflection of Honduras
With Hernández under arrest in the United States for drug-related offenses and Castro dealing with scandals that impact his credibility, Honduras stays in a position where discussions about reform hardly translate into significant structural changes. The current and past governments demonstrate similarities in institutional weaknesses regarding corruption, susceptibility to organized crime, and fragile transparency and justice systems. This scenario creates obstacles for governance and public involvement while underscoring the necessity to enhance institutions to build a trustworthy public framework capable of withstanding unlawful activities.
