The levels of violence and confrontation have turned Honduras into a “war” zone, warned Rodolfo Pastor, the Secretary of the Presidency of the Honduran government, at the UN on Monday. He clarified that it is not a conventional war or an openly declared civil war, but the levels of violence faced by women and young people require urgent action.
Speaking before the UN Peacebuilding Commission in New York, Pastor presented a grim picture of the country, which, according to him, has deteriorated since the institutional coup in 2009 against then-President Manuel Zelaya, who is now the husband of the current president, Xiomara Castro.
With 70% of the population living below the poverty line, including 50% in extreme poverty, Honduras is one of the most unequal countries, lacking daily access to essential public services and the guarantee of fundamental human rights. Pastor stated that around 12,000 schools are damaged or destroyed due to powerful hurricanes and storms, and no public hospital has been built in 30 years. He criticized the public debt, which amounts to over $20 billion (50% of the GDP), and emphasized the need to review the tax system.
Corruption, impunity, and organized crime, which he referred to as a “de facto power,” further contribute to the country’s crisis, leading to the daily exodus of approximately “1,000” young people. Pastor appealed to the diplomats present from countries such as Germany, China, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, urging their collaboration with Honduras.
The leftist government of Xiomara Castro signed an agreement with the UN in December of last year to establish an International Commission Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (CICIH) to combat these issues, which is yet to be implemented.
