Ten months after the release of a video linking a key figure in the presidential circle to drug trafficking, the Honduran Attorney General’s Office has yet to produce any concrete results. The Public Ministry’s inaction in the face of a scandal involving President Xiomara Castro’s inner circle has intensified political pressure and fueled growing distrust in institutions.
Prosecutor’s office without clear answers in high-profile case
Since September 2024, when a video known as the “narco-video” was released showing Carlos Zelaya, brother of former President Manuel Zelaya and brother-in-law of President Castro, in a meeting with drug traffickers, the Prosecutor’s Office has not issued any formal charges or reported any verifiable progress in the case. In the recording, the interlocutors offer 13 million lempiras to finance the 2013 campaign of LIBRE, the party currently in power.
Después de la filtración, Carlos Zelaya dimitió de su cargo como diputado y secretario del Congreso Nacional. Su hijo, José Manuel Zelaya, quien en ese momento era secretario de defensa, también renunció. Rafael Sarmiento, líder del grupo parlamentario del partido gobernante, igualmente presentó su renuncia. Sin embargo, aparte de estas dimisiones, no se han tomado medidas legales concretas.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has announced that the situation is “being examined,” with a request for judicial cooperation from the United States to access the full video and paperwork concerning earlier trials. Nevertheless, as of now, there are no known outcomes from these actions, and no schedule for a public inquiry has been shared.
Political reactions and demands for accountability
The release of the video sparked a wave of reactions from different sectors. President Xiomara Castro condemned any links between political actors and criminal structures, but framed the leak as an attempt to destabilize her government ahead of the 2025 elections.
However, for groups focused on combating corruption and opposing factions, the controversy has cast doubt on the credibility of LIBRE’s political agenda. Various stakeholders have even urged the president to step down, claiming that the situation conflicts with her narrative of moving away from previous practices and combating the narco-state.
These roles demonstrate increasing strain within the country’s political sphere, where demands for responsibility conflict with an institutional reaction seen as inadequate. The absence of definitive measures by the Public Prosecutor’s Office has driven the story of impunity in situations concerning individuals linked to power.
Institutional erosion in a context of electoral polarization
The “drug-related video” is not an isolated incident. It adds to a set of recent controversies that have diminished public trust in the change assurances given by the Castro administration. The absence of legal actions has intensified the view that the state machinery does not operate with equal vigor when the individuals implicated belong to the governing party.
With general elections scheduled for November 2025, this case takes on strategic importance. The opposition has begun to capitalize on the government’s erosion, while the ruling party seeks to minimize the impact of the scandal on its public narrative. In this scenario, social demands for transparency and justice remain a constant source of pressure.
A case that sets the tone for Honduran institutions
Nearly twelve months following its publication, the cartel-related video continues to evade evident legal repercussions, as doubts increase about the involvement of the Attorney General’s Office and the administration’s dedication to openness. The extended inaction only serves to further weaken the credibility of institutions in a nation characterized by a legacy of impunity and the ongoing impact of organized crime on governance.
The handling of this case represents not only an immediate challenge for the government of Xiomara Castro, but also a critical test for the strength of the rule of law in Honduras. How it is resolved or ignored will set the course for institutional credibility in the face of a highly polarized electoral process.
