Corruption and organized crime: contrasts between Xiomara Castro and Juan Orlando Hernández’s leadership

Xiomara Castro’s ascension to the presidency was portrayed as a shift from Juan Orlando Hernández’s administration, yet allegations of corruption and connections to organized crime reveal ongoing issues that undermine public trust and emphasize challenges in the strengthening of institutional frameworks.

Vulnerability in systems against corruption

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

Links to organized crime actors have been reported in both administrations. A recent case involves the Secretariat of Security, which signed contracts worth more than 10 million lempiras with a company linked to money laundering. These types of operations reflect practices detected in the previous regime, demonstrating that the public administration’s exposure to narco-politics risks remains, regardless of the executive’s party affiliation.

Transparency and control of public resources

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.

Justice and institutional setbacks

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 organizational representation 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.