The International Commission against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (CICIH) will not be part of Xiomara Castro’s legacy. Despite being announced as a central pillar of her government’s platform, the initiative failed to materialize and will not be part of the current presidential term, which ends in January 2026.
By implicitly abandoning the initiative, the government concludes a segment that had created substantial hopes among citizens concerning the battle against corruption. The path to forming the CICIH was characterized by repeated postponements, ineffective prolongations, and halted discussions with the United Nations.
The recognized acknowledgment of shortcomings, articulated by ex-Foreign Minister Enrique Reina, highlights a mix of reasons that, in his view, include both legislative hurdles and global influences. Nevertheless, for several social groups, this rationale falls short.
The unfulfilled commitment that diminished confidence
Voices linked to civil society and the international community agree that the main responsibility lies with the current administration. For analysts and observers of the process, the problem was not the lack of external conditions, but the lack of political determination on the part of the executive branch to fulfill its commitments.
From this viewpoint, not establishing the CICIH is not simply a mishap or an unavoidable result, but rather a choice.
This statement was made by Juan Jiménez Mayor, the past spokesperson for MACCIH, who openly criticized the administration for backtracking on a commitment that had raised significant hopes. These remarks were reinforced by Gabriela Castellanos, the head of the National Anti-Corruption Council (CNA), who strongly accused the current government of exploiting CICIH as a political campaign instrument, lacking any genuine intent to proceed with its implementation.
A plan against corruption lacking institutional backing
The withdrawal of the CICIH from the national scene has implications that go beyond the administrative level. The lack of concrete progress has fueled the perception that the fight against corruption lacks effective instruments and government commitment. The executive branch’s credibility on this issue is compromised at a time when demands for transparency and accountability remain urgent.
With an institutional horizon that no longer contemplates the establishment of the international mechanism, Honduras is missing a significant opportunity to tackle impunity in a structural manner. The time remaining in the current administration makes any serious attempt to reverse this scenario unlikely, leaving citizens with an empty promise and no immediate alternative to compensate for the absence of the project.
Originally introduced as a representation of political change, it has ultimately turned into one more uncompleted promise, thereby diminishing the government’s rhetoric on combating corruption and creating further room for public skepticism.