TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – The identify of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández comes up repeatedly within the New York trial of an alleged drug trafficker. And one of many candidates operating to switch him in Sunday’s main elections was convicted by the identical court docket of cash laundering for a similar cartel.

The lawsuits present how deep the challenges Honduras faces are, a rustic that U.S. prosecutors have repeatedly touted as a narco-state the place drug traffickers purchase safety from politicians.

The vote on Sunday proceeded with no main incidents reported. Polling stations have been closed at 5 p.m. and the vote depend had began, however nobody was instantly knowledgeable of when the outcomes could be obtainable.

The financial system of Honduras has been hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Two devastating Class 4 hurricanes handed in November. Persistent gang violence and rampant corruption proceed to drive massive numbers of Hondurans in a foreign country.

Whoever wins the Honduran presidency will face a US administration led by Joe Biden, who has beforehand signaled a shift in priorities that may study points past mere immigration in his dealings with the Central American nation.

Yani Rosenthal, freshly served a three-year sentence in america, is operating for the Liberal Occasion nomination, his third time as a candidate. He was convicted in 2017 and agreed to waive $ 3 million after pleading responsible to cash laundering for the Cachiros cartel. His father was as soon as the vp of Honduras and the household ran a banking empire.

One other massive identify within the area is Xiomara Castro, spouse of former President Manuel Zelaya, who’s making her second candidacy to be the Free Occasion’s presidential candidate. Zelaya’s identify was additionally talked about final week through the trial of accused Honduran drug trafficker Geovanny Fuentes Ramírez.

Former Cachiros cartel chief Devis Leonel Rivera Maradiaga stated on Thursday that along with bribing Hernández whereas he was president of Congress, he additionally bribed Zelaya in 2006 when he assumed the presidency. Like Hernández, he died from this allegation.

On Thursday, Zelaya supplied on tv to journey to New York with Hernández to “clear up” the accusations, saying “and we’ll see who comes again”.

Former President Porfirio Lobo, whose son was sentenced to 24 years in jail for drug trafficking in 2017 in New York, has additionally been accused in different trials of utilizing the proceeds of drug trafficking to fund campaigns. insurance policies. He additionally denied the allegations.

Olban Valladares, political analyst and three-time former presidential candidate, stated the elections have been a chance for Hondurans to start to free themselves from failed leaders.

“We’ll assess the capability of the folks to vary the course of Honduras,” Valladares stated. “If we select the identical folks once more, together with individuals who have smeared the identify of Honduras world wide, then folks won’t be able to protest and say they made a mistake, as a result of there was sufficient warnings. ”

Rosenthal was beforehand federal lawmaker and minister within the presidency beneath Zelaya, who was faraway from his put up in a coup in 2009. He stays a specifically designated narcotics seller in america. He’ll attempt to beat Luis Zelaya – no dad or mum – who misplaced to Hernández in a 2017 contest suffering from irregularities.

Sunday’s elections embrace presidential primaries for the Free, Liberal and Nationwide events, three of the 14 registered events. However voters may even select the candidates who vie for the 128 seats within the Nationwide Congress in November, in addition to 298 native governments and different positions.

Efraín Díaz Arrivillaga, economist and political analyst, stated there was a number of uncertainty forward of the elections as a result of Congress didn’t move electoral reform to handle irregularities within the 2013 elections. and 2017.

About 4.8 million Hondurans are eligible to vote, however with widespread disillusionment with the federal government, turnout is trigger for concern.

One of many favorites was Mauricio Oliva, the president of the Congress, who competes with Nasry Tito Asfura, the mayor of the capital, for the nomination of the Nationwide Occasion of Hernández. It’s unclear what impact the fixed drumbeat of the traffickers’ accusations in opposition to Hernández might need on the Nationwide Occasion’s potential to retain energy.

Hernández relied on a controversial court docket ruling to beat the constitutional ban on looking for re-election in 2017. Since then, he has confronted widespread public disapproval.

In January 2020, he didn’t renew the mission of an anti-corruption effort backed by the Group of American States. The group’s efforts have met with opposition from federal lawmakers, because it has recognized quite a few them in corruption investigations.

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Sherman reported from Mexico Metropolis.

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