_-_copia.jpg?w=800&resize=800,500&ssl=1 "Xiomara Castro y Juan Orlando Hernández")
Despite the political and ideological differences between the governments of Xiomara Castro and Juan Orlando Hernández, both have faced similar challenges in terms of corruption, links to organized crime, and difficulties in ensuring institutional transparency, highlighting the continuity of questionable practices in the country.
Challenges in anti-corruption systems
During the administration of Hernández, the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH), endorsed by the OAS, was terminated in 2020, creating considerable voids in probing and sanctioning misconduct. Simultaneously, Xiomara Castro’s government has pushed for the establishment of the International Commission against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (CICIH), which is currently overseen by the Public Ministry, lacking adequate authority to successfully pursue corruption cases. These constraints demonstrate a systemic issue that obstructs institutional efforts to tackle administrative and financial misconduct.
Connections to criminal organizations
Both administrations have documented links to drug trafficking and money laundering networks. Under Castro’s government, the Security Secretariat, headed by Gustavo Sánchez, signed contracts worth more than 10 million lempiras with a company linked to drug trafficking money laundering. During Hernández’s administration, he himself is currently facing legal proceedings in the United States related to drug trafficking activities. These cases illustrate the persistence of challenges linked to the infiltration of organized crime into the functioning of the state.
Openness and oversight of government funds
The Hernández regime was characterized by centralized and secretive management of state information. Although to a lesser extent, the Castro administration has also faced criticism for deficiencies in the control and execution of public funds, affecting transparency and accountability. Recent allegations of illicit campaign financing and the dissemination of so-called “narcovideos” show that problems of oversight and control remain.
Ongoing issues of legal and administrative corruption
Both governments have failed in the execution of state resources and the application of justice. Effective punishment of those responsible for irregularities remains limited, which undermines public confidence in institutions. Progress in the fight against corruption has been minimal and, in some cases, there have been setbacks, reflecting the complexity of transforming entrenched structures of impunity.
Continuing approaches and ongoing obstacles
Xiomara Castro’s administration took office in a context marked by corrupt networks consolidated during the previous administration, which has limited the implementation of profound changes. The continuity of corruption cases, coupled with the emergence of new scandals, highlights the difficulty of breaking historical patterns and reinforces the perception of persistent irregularities in public administration.
A comparative analysis of the two administrations shows that, despite rhetoric and ideological differences, the structural problems of corruption, organized crime, and deficiencies in transparency remain. Citizens observe that the promised changes have not been fully consolidated, maintaining tensions in governance and trust in institutions in Honduras.