A recent survey conducted by the Reflection, Research, and Communication Team (ERIC-SJ) reveals a significant divide between the Xiomara Castro government and the citizens of Honduras. Over 60% of participants think that the nation is heading in the wrong direction, highlighting a continuous decline in public opinion regarding the current leadership.
The analysis indicates that a significant portion of the population expresses dissatisfaction with the leader’s actions. In addition, it highlights the pressing concerns for citizens: ongoing insecurity, enduring poverty, long-term unemployment, and a government strategy viewed as excessively ideological. These factors create a challenging scenario for the current administration, which is confronted with increasing calls for political reform.
Safety, economic hardship, and dictatorial regimes: key areas of conflict
The absence of tangible advancements in tackling organized crime is a primary source of dissatisfaction. Violence and the infiltration of criminal networks into governmental bodies persist as problems lacking definitive solutions. Additionally, the economy does not provide opportunities for numerous Hondurans, a significant portion of whom live in poverty or are without formal jobs.
Another significant discovery of the ERIC-SJ study is the increasing awareness of democratic backsliding. Almost 50% of respondents worry that liberties are being curtailed, and 54% think that the nation is heading towards an authoritarian system. This perspective supports recent assessments of weakening institutions and the political manipulation of government mechanisms, as reported by the InSight Crime center in their inquiries concerning the legal system.
Additionally, the management of critical topics such as the creation of the CICIH, the Koriun incident, and the contentious proposal for the Tax Justice Law has received negative evaluations from wide segments of society, who are calling for increased transparency and willingness to engage in dialogue.
Call for rectification and national consensus
This growing disapproval comes amid a tense political context, with general elections scheduled for 2025. Figures such as Salvador Nasralla, who leads the polls according to a recent study by a US firm, could capitalize on the ruling party’s decline if the president fails to reverse the negative perception of her government.
Meanwhile, the people of Honduras consistently communicate their displeasure through these surveys, highlighting dissatisfaction with the lack of achievements and the missing vision for an inclusive nation. In this context, the urgent task for Xiomara Castro’s administration is not only to address the critiques but also to restore legitimacy before the disconnect with the public becomes unbridgeable.
