Honduras readies to declare first female president as leftist Castro heads for victory

Honduran presidential candidate Xiomara Castro looked set to put the left back in power 12 years after her husband was ousted in a coup, even as the vote count for Sunday's election unexpectedly paused for a few hours on Monday morning.

Castro, who would be the Central American nation's first female president, has promised big changes in Honduras including a constitutional overhaul, United Nations support in the fight against corruption, and looser restrictions on abortion.

She has also floated the idea of dropping diplomatic support for Taiwan in favor of China, a policy proposal keenly watched in Washington, Beijing and Taipei.

With just over half the ballots counted, Castro, 62, the wife of former President Manuel Zelaya, held a nearly 20-point lead over conservative Nasry Asfura, the capital's mayor and candidate for the ruling National Party, who won 34% according to a preliminary tally.

At: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/honduras-set-woman-president-leftist-castro-declares-victory-2021-11-29/

Honduran presidential candidate Xiomara Castro celebrates with her husband, former President Manuel Zelaya.

Zelaya was overthrown in 2009 - in the first of a number of "soft coups" in Latin America against progressive presidents over the following decade.

Honduras has become a narco-state since then, with current President Juan Orlando Hernández promising to "shove drugs up the gringo's noses."