Prior to the elections on Sunday, November 30, Donald Trump publicly endorsed the candidacy of Tito Asfura , the National Party candidate. He warned that Washington's economic aid to Honduras depended on the victory of the right-wing candidate in Honduras. This is the same blackmail tactic used in Argentina when he supported Javier Milei .
At the same time, Trump announced that he would pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH), from the same party as Asfura , the National Party , who was convicted in the United States in 2024 for drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and corruption.
What are some of the main reasons for the United States' interest in Honduras?
1) The geopolitical location of Honduras
Before the 1980s, Honduras was not a priority in U.S. foreign policy. The relationship grew closer when the country became a strategic ally in containing the revolutionary movement that emerged in the region during that time.
Due to its geographical location, Honduras represented in the 1970s an important base of operations to combat the insurgent movements that were taking place in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala , a geopolitical location that is still important today in the Central American context.
Until the governments of Manuel Zelaya first, and Xiomara Castro later, Honduras maintained a key link in Washington's agenda, receiving significant flows of financial and military assistance for the promotion of various political, economic and security strategies , designed to further its strategic interests to the detriment of those of the people of the Central American country.
In that sense, the US government and private organizations provided financial and logistical support to the Nicaraguan Contras, a US-funded and trained paramilitary group that established several camps in Honduras , made up of former soldiers of the overthrown dictator Anastasio Somoza, to fight the Sandinista government.
2) The fight against the oil monopoly
The origins of the United States' interventionist policy in Honduras can be traced back to the government of Barack Obama, who promoted the 2009 coup against the constitutional President Manuel Zelaya , as the White House found him close to the positions of 21st Century Socialism that the Venezuelan government of Hugo Chávez led in the region.
At the same time that the OAS suspended Honduras as a member of the organization until the country "restores democratic government", the IDB and the World Bank announced the suspension of financial aid and there was a mass withdrawal of all ambassadors from the European Union , the United States recognized the dictatorial government and then that of the right-wing Porfirio Lobo of the National Party .
The reason the United States promoted a coup was Honduras' 2008 decision to join the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) , which was founded by Cuba and Venezuela .
The country benefited from the Petrocaribe program , an energy cooperation alliance established by Venezuela in 2005 to supply oil to Caribbean and Central American countries under preferential conditions. The objective was to boost the region's socioeconomic development through flexible payment mechanisms, long-term financing, and the exchange of goods and services.
The savings achieved in the energy sector allowed Zelaya to undertake a social policy aimed at improving the standard of living of the most disadvantaged sectors, with massive investments in the fields of health and education .
Integrating Petrocaribe allowed the government of Manuel Zelaya to obtain a loan of 40% of the oil purchased, with an interest rate of 1% over a period of 25 years, challenging the monopoly of foreign companies.
The Honduran government confronted the energy monopoly imposed by US (Chevron) and European ( Shell) transnational corporations in the oil field; Zelaya was declared an enemy of the private sector , and the companies financed the coup d'état.
3) Xiomara Castro's tax reform
In September 2023, among the first measures of the Castro government, he presented a tax reform project that seeks to achieve a more equitable and transparent tax system that provides more resources to respond to social demands, without the need to create new taxes or increase rates.
On the contrary, the proposal focuses on eliminating exemptions that imply privileges for the wealthiest , as well as mitigating possible avenues of abuse and evasion by some beneficiary companies.
Some of these measures are:
The elimination of special regimes (Free Zones, Temporary Import Regime, Tourism Promotion Law, industrial processing zones, energy regimes), which exempt all existing taxes for periods of 20 to 74 years.
The change from the territorial to the worldwide income principle, to prevent large companies from diverting profits to tax havens.
The elimination of tax debt forgiveness that leads to evasion.
The elimination of bank secrecy for tax purposes.
The creation of the figure of the Ultimate Beneficial Owner , to prevent income tax evasion through the use of ownership chains.
This project did not get enough votes to be approved, but it is the bet of Rixi Moncada's government to resubmit the project that they understand is about tax justice.
4) Xiomara Castro's sovereign measures
The United States is Honduras' most important economic partner, mainly through bilateral trade, which reached $11.6 billion in 2021 , but this has not prevented the Castro government from managing in favor of the most disadvantaged sectors.
The Honduran economy also relies heavily on remittances sent by migrants in the U.S., which in 2024 were approximately $9.7 billion . Although Honduras does not have significant direct public debt with the United States, it does have debt with U.S. financial institutions or other agencies, as 84.3% of its total public debt is denominated in dollars , according to a June 2025 report from the Central Bank of Honduras.
The policy of National Sovereignty revived by President Xiomara Castro and the LIBRE party , a legacy embodied by Rixi Moncada 's candidacy, is the new challenge to Donald Trump 's interventionist policies and the historical imperial interests of the United States in Honduras and the region.
The Castro government has been clear in having as the cornerstones of its policy the defense of national interests, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, respect for international law and the self-determination of the Honduran people .
This policy translates into an approach that seeks to build a foreign policy "consistent" with domestic policy, maintaining national dignity , affirming that the sovereignty of Honduras " is not for sale or negotiation," and emphasizing the resistance and capacity for self-determination of the people.
The program promoted by the Libre Party and its candidate Rixi Moncada considers popular will to be the main pillar of sovereignty. Therefore, it emphasizes the importance of citizen participation in making decisions that define the country's direction.
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4 reasons for the US' permanent interference in Honduras
https://www.telesurtv.net/4-motivos-de-la-injerencia-permanente-de-estados-unidos-en-honduras/Prior to the elections on Sunday, November 30, Donald Trump publicly endorsed the candidacy of Tito Asfura , the National Party candidate. He warned that Washington's economic aid to Honduras depended on the victory of the right-wing candidate in Honduras. This is the same blackmail tactic used in Argentina when he supported Javier Milei .
At the same time, Trump announced that he would pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH), from the same party as Asfura , the National Party , who was convicted in the United States in 2024 for drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and corruption.
What are some of the main reasons for the United States' interest in Honduras?
1) The geopolitical location of Honduras
Before the 1980s, Honduras was not a priority in U.S. foreign policy. The relationship grew closer when the country became a strategic ally in containing the revolutionary movement that emerged in the region during that time.
Due to its geographical location, Honduras represented in the 1970s an important base of operations to combat the insurgent movements that were taking place in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala , a geopolitical location that is still important today in the Central American context.
Until the governments of Manuel Zelaya first, and Xiomara Castro later, Honduras maintained a key link in Washington's agenda, receiving significant flows of financial and military assistance for the promotion of various political, economic and security strategies , designed to further its strategic interests to the detriment of those of the people of the Central American country.
In that sense, the US government and private organizations provided financial and logistical support to the Nicaraguan Contras, a US-funded and trained paramilitary group that established several camps in Honduras , made up of former soldiers of the overthrown dictator Anastasio Somoza, to fight the Sandinista government.
2) The fight against the oil monopoly
The origins of the United States' interventionist policy in Honduras can be traced back to the government of Barack Obama, who promoted the 2009 coup against the constitutional President Manuel Zelaya , as the White House found him close to the positions of 21st Century Socialism that the Venezuelan government of Hugo Chávez led in the region.
At the same time that the OAS suspended Honduras as a member of the organization until the country "restores democratic government", the IDB and the World Bank announced the suspension of financial aid and there was a mass withdrawal of all ambassadors from the European Union , the United States recognized the dictatorial government and then that of the right-wing Porfirio Lobo of the National Party .
The reason the United States promoted a coup was Honduras' 2008 decision to join the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) , which was founded by Cuba and Venezuela .
The country benefited from the Petrocaribe program , an energy cooperation alliance established by Venezuela in 2005 to supply oil to Caribbean and Central American countries under preferential conditions. The objective was to boost the region's socioeconomic development through flexible payment mechanisms, long-term financing, and the exchange of goods and services.
The savings achieved in the energy sector allowed Zelaya to undertake a social policy aimed at improving the standard of living of the most disadvantaged sectors, with massive investments in the fields of health and education .
Integrating Petrocaribe allowed the government of Manuel Zelaya to obtain a loan of 40% of the oil purchased, with an interest rate of 1% over a period of 25 years, challenging the monopoly of foreign companies.
The Honduran government confronted the energy monopoly imposed by US (Chevron) and European ( Shell) transnational corporations in the oil field; Zelaya was declared an enemy of the private sector , and the companies financed the coup d'état.
3) Xiomara Castro's tax reform
In September 2023, among the first measures of the Castro government, he presented a tax reform project that seeks to achieve a more equitable and transparent tax system that provides more resources to respond to social demands, without the need to create new taxes or increase rates.
On the contrary, the proposal focuses on eliminating exemptions that imply privileges for the wealthiest , as well as mitigating possible avenues of abuse and evasion by some beneficiary companies.
Some of these measures are:
This project did not get enough votes to be approved, but it is the bet of Rixi Moncada's government to resubmit the project that they understand is about tax justice.
4) Xiomara Castro's sovereign measures
The United States is Honduras' most important economic partner, mainly through bilateral trade, which reached $11.6 billion in 2021 , but this has not prevented the Castro government from managing in favor of the most disadvantaged sectors.
The Honduran economy also relies heavily on remittances sent by migrants in the U.S., which in 2024 were approximately $9.7 billion . Although Honduras does not have significant direct public debt with the United States, it does have debt with U.S. financial institutions or other agencies, as 84.3% of its total public debt is denominated in dollars , according to a June 2025 report from the Central Bank of Honduras.
The policy of National Sovereignty revived by President Xiomara Castro and the LIBRE party , a legacy embodied by Rixi Moncada 's candidacy, is the new challenge to Donald Trump 's interventionist policies and the historical imperial interests of the United States in Honduras and the region.
The Castro government has been clear in having as the cornerstones of its policy the defense of national interests, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, respect for international law and the self-determination of the Honduran people .
This policy translates into an approach that seeks to build a foreign policy "consistent" with domestic policy, maintaining national dignity , affirming that the sovereignty of Honduras " is not for sale or negotiation," and emphasizing the resistance and capacity for self-determination of the people.
The program promoted by the Libre Party and its candidate Rixi Moncada considers popular will to be the main pillar of sovereignty. Therefore, it emphasizes the importance of citizen participation in making decisions that define the country's direction.